Religion is a hot button topic, especially with the election antics well under way. Even though it was decreed long ago that there should exist a separation of church and state, I do not believe that our beliefs can ever be removed from our choices and actions, overt or otherwise. We don’t have to talk about what we value, or acknowledge it even to ourselves. They show up in everything we do, with or without our permission.
In all arenas, an individual’s spoken beliefs are not what concern me. They can say what they will. It’s how they live, the energy they exude and stir in others, that influences my respect for them or lack thereof. This is true for all of us. I have lived with the destruction of my shadow self, and still do. I have fallen victim, again and again, to the shadow self of others. This is where the real damage occurs.
[tweetthis]”The un-examined life is not worth living.” Socrates[/tweetthis]
The beliefs and values that lurk in the shadows unannounced and uncontested turn the world upside down. We only need look at what’s happening in the Republican Party to see the damage the shadow self can do to peace and harmony. No. . . religion, organized religion, is not the problem here. It’s not the words spoken, it’s what isn’t said that does the most damage.
RELIGION & THE UNCHURCHED
The church has lost membership steadily over my lifetime. Even back in the late 1970’s when I assisted George Gallup, Jr. in the polling of America regarding their religious beliefs, the decline was obvious. As a recent seminary graduate, I was personally looking for a path outside of the church to continue my exploration of faith and religion in my own life. I was eager to ask the questions of others and learn what I could from their experiences.
Gallup’s polling turned up an obvious decline in church attendance across all major denominations and religions in this country. Every poll he conducted indicated that Americans felt as I did. Organized religion was not meeting their needs. And yet, here we are, decades later still clinging to a concept of religion that no longer seems relevant to our modern mindset.
We have a generation of “unchurched” individuals, my children among them, and a vocal minority who shouts at the top of their lungs in a desperate attempt to fan the flames of a dying mindset. The later does not concern me near as much as the former. I do not despair, however, because spirituality is not dead. It’s just in the process of transformation.
People have not lost interest in exploring the mysteries of life, or of the existence of a power greater than themselves. The exploration is simply being undertaken outside of the traditional framework. The growing numbers of individuals delving into these mysteries do not meet on Sunday mornings, or Friday evenings, or face the East in prayer each day, although some do. These people wrestle with, explore, discuss and struggle with the nature of existence and faith throughout their days wherever they are.
Caroline Myss, teacher, author, medical intuitive, refers to those that she knows as “mystics without a monastery”. They read voraciously. They seek mentors, guides, teachers and attend classes, seminars, lectures, workshops on personal and spiritual matters. They meditate, pray, reflect, and practice their faith with every breath they take. They are supported by their “tribe”. . . those individuals who understand their faith journey and are walking a similar path. Unlike mystics of old, the modern-day mystic is not cloistered away from the world. Instead, they struggle to walk between worlds, with one foot in the world and one outside.
These individuals, speak, write, and teach. They love, listen, and care. They tend to the suffering of their own hearts and souls and the suffering of the world. They attach to no particular dogma. They belong to no particular church or denomination. They follow the Spirit within and pray without ceasing. They pray for deeper understanding and the ability to live a congruent, whole and compassionate life. They worship no one, no thing. They stand open before the universe in communion with all that is.
Yes, religion is dead. The creative energy of something larger than ourselves is very much alive.
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So very spot on, Dorothy! I’ve watched this occur as well. And I just love Carolyn Myss. Isn’t she wonderful!
And I so agree with all of this, and love your last line: “The creative energy of something larger than ourselves is very much alive.”
Yes, ma’am!
Thanks for your feedback, Susan. Not everyone likes Caroline Myss, so it’s always nice to converse with someone who sees her value. She’s changed my life and continues to have an enormous impact on my spiritual growth and thought. She is language-ing (as she would describe it) concepts that we all want to talk about but don’t have words that accurately describe them. And, she’s pushing the envelope. I only wish I’d known her forty years ago! But, now is good. 🙂
You point that “Even though it was decreed long ago that there should exist a separation of church and state, I do not believe that our beliefs can ever be removed from our choices and actions, overt or otherwise.” To that I would add this: The context of this statement usually implies that the church should not interfere with matters of government, but the converse is true – government should not interfere with the church either. That’s my view.
Your image is evocative. My title: Let’s get along!
I would agree, Marian! Where would you place marriage in this equation? Or abortion? Where is the line that separates or the bridge that connects? So many shades of gray! Indeed, let’s get along!