There is a natural tendency to asociate spirituality with religion, but they are very different. That I did not know before I researched and wrote "Spiritual Clarity." Religion is an organized system of beliefs in and the worship of God or gods. Spirituality is finding your own authentic self. Each individual needs to find their own way to spirituality and if that includes religion, so be it. Some people will be perfectly content to just believe as they are told, others will need more. Nothing is wrong with either path.
There are so many problems in the world today. Religion should help reduce conflict and suffering, not be another source of conflict. God definitely cannot plan everything because of all the horribly cruel events that studying history reveals. Unless God is into cruelty and I do not believe that is the case. I do not picture a man standing in the heavens planning with detail brutal events.
In one of his books, "The Art of Happiness," His Holiness the Dalai Lama, talked about the fact that religious beliefs are good but even without religious beliefs, people get by. In some cases, they even manage better. Beliefs or no beliefs are each person's right. He added that there is another level of spirituality that is what he calls basic spirituality - the basic human qualities of goodness, kindness, caring, and compassion. This kind of spirituality is essential. He considers the second level of spirituality or basic spirituality to be more important than the first. I believe that also. Society would be a mess and no one would be happy without the presence of these basic spiritual values. A church is not necessary to acheive these values for some people, although some do need a little extra guidance.
That makes me wonder if there ever was a person planning to murder someone else. while reading the Bible he or she decided against it because of the commandments?
Did you know Stalin was headed for the priesthood before politics sidetracked him? Pol Pot was a monk?
Does it make sense that the creator of the whole world and all that is in the universe is the same God in our own religion, so everyone else is mistaken?
Jackie Wellman, author of Spiritual Clarity
http://www.hoppy.bravehost.com
http://www.hoppy.bravehost.com
It is no doubt that so many of you are... Read More
I once read a story about a Catholic priest who... Read More
Tarot card reading delves into an individual's psyche and thus... Read More
Once you become saved and born again, the Bible tells... Read More
Stress is amazingly persistent, even seductive. We get used to... Read More
"If you can't dance with the devil You will never... Read More
Lost, but you don't know where you're going.Lost is a... Read More
My lady Lydia was a Hawkins of the ancestry of... Read More
Have you heard the saying that; You have a friend... Read More
My mentor, a brilliant Ph.D, with a powerful marriage counseling... Read More
We as human beings travelled in small bands for hundreds... Read More
I'm not sure Paul had the Japanese culture in mind... Read More
God !"My son will be brought up in a place... Read More
Humanity is entering a very critical time in its path... Read More
Whenever we have the opportunity to make human assessments, the... Read More
How do we feel the fullness of life itself?We have... Read More
There's a lot of talk in meditation circles about emptying... Read More
"It's a big challenge. It's a journey into the unknown.... Read More
A lot of times when I am reading people on... Read More
"In the sixth century of the sixth millennium, the gates... Read More
About a month ago I opened up my bible in... Read More
I have studied many of the great Religions, Quantum Physics,... Read More
Whether we admit it or not, we operate by emotion.... Read More
I was originally brought up Catholic, at the insistence of... Read More
God, what a wonderful spirit. He, is our ever present... Read More
shuttle from O'Hare Alexander ..Many may wonder what is God's will, or how do... Read More
My thoughts can get a little edgy at night. Possibly... Read More
A subject of debate for thousands of years, spirituality will... Read More
The concept of integrity has arisen often in discussions of... Read More
We all know that the best laid plans of mice... Read More
1. Gabriel means: "God is my strength" or "God is... Read More
Five verses specify that we are to live by faith.... Read More
What is it with angels and digital clocks? I fell... Read More
Now, we all know that we shouldn't be lead by... Read More
Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, "Go, assemble... Read More
What does the story of your life say about you?... Read More
Shamanism is an ancient form of mysticism. Although... Read More
Did you ever see something go wrong around you and... Read More
In the golfing world, yesterday may have been one of... Read More
The Mystical Experience"The mysteries of life become lucid ? and... Read More
I beheld the sky and its wonders and saw AstonishmentI... Read More
The fundamental aim of spiritual study is to get facts... Read More
I'm weary of saying No to my children. Not just... Read More
As a Psychiatrist I spent most of my life training... Read More
Are you at a crossroad in your life where you... Read More
"It's a big challenge. It's a journey into the unknown.... Read More
Limiting beliefs, just like positive, empowering thoughts, provide a foundation... Read More
What the Animals Tell Us"I am the Sun's son. I... Read More
You're probably sabotaging your successful Christian life right now if... Read More
I'm not sure Paul had the Japanese culture in mind... Read More
Spirituality |