| Spirituality
vs. Religion: Why I Choose Spirituality by Bill Stimpson One of the greatest unspoken challenges of organized religion is that individuals rarely agree 100 percent with all the beliefs of their chosen religion. Much like politics, people seem to settle on a religion without much thought, usually through inherited beliefs or family influence. Some independent thinkers might actually be so brave as to choose a religion themselves -- one that is most in line with their own personal beliefs. However, looking at either situation, a compromise has been made. This compromise leaves a gap that in time can fester in even the most faithful of followers, causing an array of symptoms and reactions, anywhere from unconscious tolerance...all the way to deadly action. Most people don't ever recognize this gap, or if they do, they accept it, not realizing that there is a choice. The beauty of it is that unlike politics, spirituality offers unlimited options -- there's no need for anyone to compromise. The choice is so simple and natural, and people seem to be tending toward it with increasing numbers -- that is, being individually spiritual without organized religion. What? No religion? I could be shot for considering such blasphemy. Fortunately we're in an age where government is mostly separated from religion, and an individual can be acknowledged for being open-minded, rather than being burned at the stake. And I believe this age we're in is increasingly moving in the spiritual direction. Since the 9/11 tragedy, there has indeed been a movement bringing people back to religion. However, I truly believe that what people are actually seeking is spirituality, not religion. And in the end many of them will be discontent with their spiritual progress and search for some sort of truth on their own. This brings me to what I consider as the big difference between religion and spirituality: Spirituality offers the option to search for and find one's own truth, while religion usually requires accepting someone else's version of the truth. I'd like to clarify a couple of things. First of all, when using the term "religion," I'm basically referring to the monotheistic religions of the world (Christianity, Islam and Judaism), roughly half of the world's population. Secondly, when using the term "spirituality," I mean something on the order of "striving toward understanding the meaning and order of life, and practicing a pattern of living around that meaning." This is my own definition, but I believe it is general enough to fit with how most others use the word. Back to my point -- what I'm saying is that religion traditionally tells its followers what to do, how to behave and basically how to live their lives. Some religious followers would argue that this direction came from God and should not be interpreted. I would argue that this direction came from "someone else's interpretation of God." There is a big difference here. One says "God told me what to do" while the other says "God told someone else what to do, and I'm choosing to believe it." In the end, it seems that most people don't stop to think about what they actually believe -- they simply believe what they've been told to believe. This strikes me as radically impersonal and even authoritative -- possibly even against the entire premise of spirituality, at least by my definition. After all, if one isn't allowed to search for truth, then pure faith (sometimes called blind faith) is the only other option. Now I realize that some people are totally OK with pure faith, and I don't intend to tell them that they are wrong. As long as they have chosen their faith and it matches with their beliefs, then by my definition they have chosen a spiritual path and their religion is the proper fit for them. Others might be relying on pure faith, never realizing they were discontent and had a choice to find the truth on their own. That is tragic. I consider myself a former Lutheran. I was baptized, raised and confirmed Lutheran and I accepted those beliefs and my faith for many years. I was very content. However, one day I woke up and was no longer satisfied, and I realized I had been living with a compromise for too long. It took a long time for that gap to fester to the surface for me, and it took me even longer to feel OK with thinking outside my old belief structure. I had to admit that I no longer believed in the Lutheran doctrine and stop feeling guilty that I no longer went to church and followed my family's beliefs. That was hard. Really hard. Yet I've never felt better about myself than I do now; I am fulfilled and at peace by no longer compromising my beliefs. I am spiritual and I am content -- thinking for myself, rather than following the path I was raised on. I'm not saying being Lutheran is a bad thing at all, but rather...it just doesn't work for me. The bottom line is that just as I did for so many years, people are not stopping to think for themselves in religious matters. We owe it to ourselves, the people around us and the rest of the world to think for ourselves and claim our own spiritual path. The result would make the world a much happier and safer place. Bill Stimpson recently began pursuing his newly found passions of writing, personal growth and spirituality full-time, after being in the corporate world for 18 years. He and his wife, Michelle, founded LifeShine Coaching and Consulting, where they provide coaching and consulting for both individuals and groups. More information can be found at www.lifeshinecoaching.com, and Bill can be reached at bill@lifeshinecoaching.com. Copyright © 2004 Bill Stimpson |
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Sept 2004 |
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