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Religion vs Spirituality

note: this is my opinion stated as opinion and is in no way meant to offend those steady in their own beliefs. there is no offensive language or targeting listed, only contrasts between thoughts. i respect all and any directed at me in kind.

At the heart of it any persons beliefs which they follow is a religion. If you believe in science than science is your religion. If you believe in money than money is your religion. But whaterver beliefs you have, they are your beliefs.

The strange thing about the religions of today is that many people are following someone else's beliefs. Millions. Religion is the codified version of what to believe and what you should do. Is it no wonder than a child that has not been taught of Jesus or God would not know of them from birth till death. And if he did com up with the concept than it would likely differ from your own because they are not derived from a single source but his/her own experiences.

I believe the former is a personal religion. It is spirituality. It is about assessing your own beliefs through your own experiences and interpretations. It is like wisdom. True wisdom does not learn and believe he has learned it all. Nor does he believe that his knowledge or his interpretation of that knowledge is unimpeachable. He is always taking in his changing environment, his knowledge always changing with it- changing where he was previously wrong and enforced where he remains right. Religion is a static belief that allows little evolution from it's core principles. Indeed it cannot be a religion if it is changed because it was the other persons beliefs. You cannot alter someone else's beliefs and still call it their beliefs and their words.

Consider Jesus as a well known example. Jesus teaches and the people follow. They come to him to learn how to think and how to act. That is weird in and of itself, but not necessarily bad. Now Jesus dies. His thinkings are left behind. All of us know that life is about growing up, experiencing, and trying to evolve and mature for the better through those beliefs. Our former ideals come to terms with reality and things we previously saw as right we may come to understand as wrong. How then can you follow the ideas of a person who died over 2000 years ago. (varying for whatever religion you follow). The problem that has infected religion is inherent in it's flaw. That the belief is studiously followed when the teacher has long gone. This leaves the knowledge ,yes, but like the Law and the Constitution it leaves the interpretation for others to shape. Many people claim that the Koran teaches to kill but so does the Christian Bible. God instructed David to kill in his name the non-believer. Destroy them, in fact. And Christians have followed suit for quite a while. Religion is not wisdom but often rigid, unchanging knowledge whose text is left open to interpretation and manipulation outside of the direct consent of the original source. It often becomes an illegal alteration. That is the danger of religion. Over time, like everything else, it is changed, altered, distorted, and/or corrupted, but most certainly not the same teaching as it was.

That is why I believe that if you believe in God, that is fine. That is great because most people who accomplish things believe in something beyond themselves. Belief can not be a criminal thing. But your belief should be your own. You need no sign, no book, no code, or no center of worship outside of your mind and your heart. Your religion is your personal relationship- unavoidably unique from another's because each person is unique. That doesn't mean every individual for themselves. That means every individual who has an individual perspective that brings their individual talents and ideas to the group so the benefits are shared. NO, that is not socialism. No more than Jesus taking a piece of fish and feeding an entire crowd with it. It is selflessness. That is how our civilization should operate minus the desire to profit from that contribution. Everyone did not invent the nuclear reactor but we all profit from it. The DANGER is when we allow all thought to flow from one source or be controlled by one source. To have one man or one group or unit direct it- whoever there are. You cannot teach morals...you are not morally perfect. You cannot preach morals if your are not morally perfect. We can only live, learn, and mature. We learn from everyone and everything, not one thing, one person, or a few either.

And I believe that it is that which is the best way to think. For yourself, but forever open to interpretation and change. Not bound in a system or code of belief but flexible. Amiable. Because a group unto itself implies isolation regardless of tolerance. And isolation is distance which creates suspicion and friendly but guarded conditions which leads to unfriendly intrusions, prejudices, and offenses which leads to violence which lead to...well...today.
 
But then again...me posting this is me telling you how to think isn't it?

What a complete contradiction...
 
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