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THE DISCUSSION ON RELIGION CONTINUES

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All the world’s major religions, with their emphasis on love, compassion, patience, tolerance, and forgiveness can and do promote inner values. But the reality of the world today is that grounding ethics in religion is no longer adequate. This is why I am increasingly convinced that the time has come to find a way of thinking about spirituality and ethics beyond religion altogether – The Dali Lama

Often times I take the time to write what I believe to be very good posts, but they do not get the attention they deserve, yesterday’s topic was one such post. So today I would like to continue the post, but steer it a little in another direction, by also looking at spirituality as opposed to religion, a post was done on Embracing spirituality already dealing with this subject, read here.

Following our true spiritual path would be a natural thing for the human being, had he not been force into religion which is man made. What I mean by this is, as a person grows and follow their path to life, there are things which his or her own mind will lead him to explore. Often times, he or she will observe nature and practice what nature teaches for himself. The birds and the bees teaches us about sex and procreation. The flowers and the tress also, plants heals and cures, water cleanses and feeds, the warmth of the sun brings with it the feeling of life, its existence and continuation upon the earth. The moon calms the days down and brings with it night fall which sends us off to sleep, to rest for the day to come.

Nature provides for us, as well as teaches us. Man is constantly aware of the influence of nature in the form of the air he breathes, the water he drinks, the food he eats, and the flow of energy and information. And many of his troubles are a response to the natural processes and changes in the weather, intensified irradiation of cosmic energy, and the magnetic storms that rage around the earth. In short, we are connected with nature by “blood” ties and we cannot live outside nature.

Nature gives us our values, our livelihood, our strength and energy. We are at our best with natural living, as it is supposed to be. Nature is Balance and Nature opens you up to your true spirituality and more. Allowing you to be in control of your life not to be controlled by some person in a black frock and collar, waving a big black book at you and damning you to hell, if you do not do as the “Good Book” says. Almost like following a recipe precisely.

From my post Religion versus Spirituality;

With religion, the freedom to access your true self and connect it with nature is completely lost. It maybe suggested within its texts, as the character Jesus is always in nature, whether walking on water, in a boat or praying in the mountains, (sounds like Babalawo work to mi) but again it is open for interpretation. The bible wielding Pastors believe it is their job and duty to save souls, and missionaries have done more damage that Hitler did to the Jews in my opinion.

Religion, other than imprisoning the mind, is suppose to preach peace and love, yet they all fight against each other. Muslims do not like Christians and Christians do not like Muslims and they all hate the Jews, and together they fire bun those who have stepped away from their theologies and frightening doctrines of hell and damnation, do I dare laugh?  Where is the Love?, Where Is the peace? Where is the Unity? Where?

The Good book teaches all these, but the interpreters of the Book are something else, words cannot explain them. Who remembers this quote “Christians I like your Christ but I do not like you Christians” !. A peeper once emailed me and told me never to quote Mahatma Gandhi again because he was racist, and he may have very well been, but what he said here I totally agree with. My argument today is not to shadow anyone’s belief, but to look at these two subjects keenly and with open eyes and see which one I am most comfortably with.

Of Religion and Spirituality, persons may say they are one in the same, and while I agree to some degree, I must say that of the latter serves the greater good of self and of man kind, where it allows one  the freedom to explore all and everything spiritual and of the Universe and things which defies logic, it stretches the limitations of the human mind, allowing us to see beyond THE WORD as Christians call it, and not to conform just because.  The former restricts, divide and imprison the mind. With religion I find there is no love, no peace, no unity, it may preach such likes, but where in the world does it show it? Even within its own there is a division, the Seven Day Adventist and Jehovah’s witnesses says their way is the best way and Catholicism rebukes them all and the Pope believes he is Christ incarnate while driving around in a bullet proofed vehicle, While Muslims continues to bomb the world and the Jews believes that THEY, are the chosen ones, while continuing to bomb and kill the Palestinians, could this be love as Bob Marley asks? I think not.

It has become quite popular in recent years to distinguish between spirituality and religion

It is true that there are valid distinctions between the two, but there are also a number of problematic distinctions which often and unnecessarily divide the two fields of thought.

One principal problem with attempts to separate religion from spirituality is that the former is saddled with everything negative while the latter is exalted with everything positive.
It is important to note the fact that many of the negative things which people attribute to religions are features of some forms of some religions (usually Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), but not of other religions (like Taoism or Buddhism).
Religion is spiritual and spirituality can also be considered religious. One tends to be more personal and private while the other tends to incorporate public rituals and organized doctrines.

The lines between one and the other may often not be clear or distinct depending on the interpretation.
Consider these definitions

Religion is an institution established by man for various reasons.

Exert control, instill morality, stroke egos, or whatever it does.

Organized, structured religions all but remove god from the equation.

You confess your sins to a clergy member, go to elaborate churches to worship,

told what to pray and when to pray it.

All those factors remove you from god.

Spirituality is born in a person and develops in the person.
It may be kick started by a religion, or it may be kick started by a revelation.
Spirituality extends to all facets of a person’s life.
Spirituality is chosen while religion is often times forced.
Being spiritual to me is more important and better than being religious.

True spirituality is something that is found deep within oneself.
It is your way of loving, accepting and relating to the world and people around you.
It cannot be found in a church or by believing in a certain way..

Consider the following in favor of the spiritual path:

There is not one religion, but hundreds

There is only one type of spirituality

Religion is for those who want to continue rituals and the formality

Spirituality is for those who want to reach the Spiritual Ascent without dogmas

Religion is for those who are asleep

Spirituality is for those who are awake

 

Religion is for those that require guidance from others

Spirituality is for those that lend ears to their inner voice

 

Religion has a dogmatic and unquestionable assembly of rules that need to be followed without question

Spirituality invites you to reason it all, to question it all and to decide your actions and assume the consequences

 

Religion threatens and terrifies

Spirituality gives you inner peace

 

Religion speaks of sin and of fault

Spirituality encourages “living in the present” and not to feel remorse for which has already passed – Lift your spirit and learn from errors

 

Religion represses humanity, and returns us to a false paradigm

Spirituality transcends it all and makes you true to yourself

 

Religion is instilled from childhood, like the soup you do not you want to take

Spirituality is the food that you you seek, that satisfies you and is pleasant to the senses

 

Religion is not God

Spirituality is infinite consciousness and all that is – It is God

Religion invents

Spirituality discovers

 

Religion does not investigate and does not question

Spirituality questions everything

Religion is based on humanity, an organization with rules

Spirituality is DIVINE, WITHOUT rules

Religion is cause for division

Spirituality is cause for union

Religion seeks you so that you create

Spirituality causes you to seek

Religion continues the teachings of a sacred book

Spirituality seeks the sacredness in all the books

Religion is fed fear

Spirituality is fed confidence

Religion lives you in your thoughts

Spirituality lives in your conscience

Religion is in charge of the “to do”

Spirituality is in charge of the “to BE”

Religion is a dialectic

Spirituality is logic

Religion feeds the ego

Spirituality makes you transcend

Religion makes you renounce yourself to the world

Spirituality makes you live with God, not to renounce him

Religion is adoration

Spirituality is meditation

Religion is to continue adapting to the psychology of a template

Spirituality is individuality.

Religion dreams of glory and paradise

Spirituality makes you live it here and now

Religion lives in the past and in the future

Spirituality lives in the present, in the here and now

Religion lives in the confinement of your memory

Spirituality is LIBERTY in AWARENESS.Religion believes in the eternal life

Spirituality makes you conscious of all that is

Religion gives you promises for the after-life

Spirituality gives you the light to find God in your inner self, in this life, in the present, in the here and the now…

Tí ewé gbígbẹ bá bọ́ lára igi, ó ńkọ́ ewé tútù lọ́gbọ́n ni. /
A dry leaf that falls off a tree serves as a lesson to the fresh ones. Yoruba Proverb! 

[Be perceptive; learn from the experiences of others]

 

All religions are valid as long as it teaches peace and love…Obara Meji!

There are no disappointments in life only lessons learned!

 

 

 

 

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teeA
Blogger
teeA
9 years ago

Thank you Obara for this post. a yoruba proverb say ‘Bi eni ti a ban paro fun o ti e mo eni to n paro amo pe iro lowun pa”.meaning ‘if those who you lie to those not know the person that lies know is lieing .people are now waking up but is a gradual process.

MTH
Blogger
MTH
9 years ago

Morning one and all. Have a great day…

Cami
9 years ago

Good night since your all snoring.

Cami
9 years ago

I am aware of Tibet and China’s conflict, but that is China being anal.

Cami
9 years ago

Look at the beauty that the mind creates when it is free. The warring religion (exclude Buddhism) would want to apply such free spirit to their definition of “sin”.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2868583/Artist-creates-incredibly-realistic-BODY-art-looks-like-wild-animals.html

Cami
9 years ago

Look like we need a big church bell round here…lol Where you folks at?

Cami
9 years ago

“…as a person grows and follow their path to life, there are things which his or her own mind will lead him to explore”

For me- that quote simply shows that once free-will has been strangled then the minds path is also obscured in thoughts.

Ty! you surface, lol.

Ty
Blogger
Ty
9 years ago

Ps I working on my claat cussing …gotta clean that up too…lol

NuNu
Blogger
9 years ago
Reply to  Ty

You said it all Ty!

NuNu
Blogger
9 years ago
Reply to  Ty

No man Ty yuh haffi reserve some a di claat dem fi use pon certain ‘special’ occasions

Ty
Blogger
Ty
9 years ago
Reply to  NuNu

Grung, a so mi know, seh me is family to you Nunu…Esp family to the world…

Ty
Blogger
Ty
9 years ago

My goals are to embrace my true self, get my vibrational frequency higher, be the best version of me, love myself and others more, connect with my higher self better, embrace the non physicals and cosmic energies, clean my aura, eat and nurture my physical body better, pamper my emotional well being, and try to get of this life wheel in a better position than I came here…

A big and exhaustive list…I know but I feel with conscious daily work…interacting with you all my spiritual family…I can do it…

Cami
9 years ago
Reply to  Ty

Boy, yu set up one busy life plan, man. A few of what you strive for is all that I need for myself.

Ty
Blogger
Ty
9 years ago

I am awake…love God…pray daily…meditate regularly…bun mi candle…splash mi water and Florida water…feed my ancestors…and treasure my altar….

I cannot thank you enough Obara for the inspiring post on setting up ancestral altar… I am now an altar lover and consider mine, my sanctuary …

Cami
9 years ago
Reply to  Ty

Ty, don’t your house have the feel of sanctuary? Having a alter sets up an atmosphere of unseen energy that brings peace once you step inside.

Ty
Blogger
Ty
9 years ago
Reply to  Cami

Yes sweet Cami, it does…I love my altar…

Cami
9 years ago
Reply to  Cami

See O continue the religion post and I am stumped because me talk all me negatives about them already…lol

Ty
Blogger
Ty
9 years ago

No condemnation if mi skirt above mi knee…

I am a child of God…born out of wedlock…and no longer the bastard the Christians have labelled me…

Ty
Blogger
Ty
9 years ago

No fiery pit for me…no 100 virgins waiting for my husband….no questioning by St. Peter…

Ty
Blogger
Ty
9 years ago

No tithing to non taxed churches…nope…me haffi pay tax…and they do not…why?

Ty
Blogger
Ty
9 years ago

Dem cannot ketch me again wid dem white Jesus…no sar….

Ty
Blogger
Ty
9 years ago

Religion is always in an affair with politics…

Religion is used an excuse to do evil and get away with it…the funny think is that is a fallacy because no deed is left unpunished…the universe has a long and just memory…

Ty
Blogger
Ty
9 years ago

Spirituality way more empowering, peaceful, calming, and loving than religion…

I am young on my path but loving every minute…the unknown can be a bit scary, but I have a host of non physicals that have my back…never been so protected…

I do not even know true incantations but let me tell you,, when I ask the universe and it’s energies, I am answered,..

Ty
Blogger
Ty
9 years ago

Howdy everyone….I missed you all…di work di work…plus holiday a come and I am trying to make the lickkle extra money…suh unno know how it go…

Domgoa large up!!!

MTH
Blogger
MTH
9 years ago

Nunu I agree with you 100%. Lilke I mentioned yesterday, the church teaches that God is a spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. Do they teach you how to worship him in spirit? Nope…They teach you about first offering/first fruit, communion etc but not how to worship in spirit…

Howdy everyone. Ty, mi miss yu, mi know yu soon forward.

Ty
Blogger
Ty
9 years ago
Reply to  MTH

I missed you my pardy….

I saw your post on Bill Cosby…and while I do not know if him innocent or guilty, I find it weird that these women took so long to come forward and that they came forward just before the release of a major tv series that he completed, that was speculated to be better than the original Cosbys show….

toy7318
9 years ago

Yes religion will have you stuck you won’t be at peace, because you are so scared that God will hate you for the lifestyle you are living. The pastor preaching to people every Sunday and stealing from the poor.

NuNu
Blogger
9 years ago
Reply to  toy7318

Fear can be crippling and with the threat of hell looming over you it’s makes some not want to ask questions. Yw would seh, introspection is needed. We can develop a fixed system of belief and refuse to see anything else and because of that we get stuck not because of conviction but fear suh it makes alot of us refuse to ask the whys and whats. I’m not saying that good doesn’t come from the church but I do wish they’d teach about spirituality and just the same rhetoric over and over. They don’t teach anything about the spiritual… Read more »

Ty
Blogger
Ty
9 years ago
Reply to  NuNu

Fear is great tool that is used by religious leaders… O ma se o….

They will not teach about spirituality because they want to keep you in the dark and keep that information to themselves, to have power…

I heard a great saying from a 90 year old today…she said the only power you have is that of your thought and deeds…I thought about this and she is right…

Ty
Blogger
Ty
9 years ago
Reply to  toy7318

Yes Toy, and the pastor living a worse life than you…yet still have the nerve to judge you…

No body no thief, lie, and cheat like some a di pastors I meet…

Cami
9 years ago

Be back…I need to read the article, and doing some admin for someone meantime. Soon come.

Cami
9 years ago

I did the hail ups on the last post…so Salutations to all on this one, lol.

toy7318
9 years ago
Reply to  Cami

lol

NuNu
Blogger
9 years ago

I feel so bad for Lark Voories, she asked for prayers today. The poor thing losing her mind. Her mother had said a while back that she’s suffering from bipolar disorder but Lark’s in denial. The eyes are really a window to the soul; her eyes says it all

Cami
9 years ago
Reply to  NuNu

Hey NuNu, I notice the picture of her today looks a normal compare to the previous ones. I hope she finds peace in this life because she seem like a good person.

NuNu
Blogger
9 years ago
Reply to  Cami

Yea she don’t have on all that badly done make-up but look at her eyes. You can tell that she’s not well

Ty
Blogger
Ty
9 years ago
Reply to  NuNu

Obara has mentioned before that people in the arts, music etc…often deal within higher vibrational forces and often cannot cope on our earth…I wonder if that is what is going on with her?

NuNu
Blogger
9 years ago

Mi deh yah Damgoa, it’s steadily improving

NuNu
Blogger
9 years ago
Reply to  Obara Meji

She mussi really busy at work

Nunu
Blogger
Nunu
9 years ago

Hey Toy, Damgoa

Domgoa
Blogger
Domgoa
9 years ago
Reply to  Nunu

Hi nun, how’s life been treating you?

Domgoa
Blogger
Domgoa
9 years ago
Reply to  Domgoa

*Nunu

Domgoa
Blogger
Domgoa
9 years ago

I enjoyed this post and have learned from it, thanks.

toy7318
9 years ago

Morning Obara, Mth, Nunu, where is Yaz, Ty, Cami, Kia, and Courtney

NuNu
Blogger
9 years ago
Reply to  Obara Meji

Lololol one degge degge one yes! She a di only one did agree fi duh di ancestral dinner, mi did a bit surprised but it didn’t shock mi that it was her.

NuNu
Blogger
9 years ago

More and more people are waking up now.We might not fully get ‘it’ but we’re definitely coming out of the haze. I was talking to one of my.aunts about religion and she said to me that it’s just not making sense to her anymore, there’s too much divisiveness and confusion. She then said, “you can’t fool all the people all the time”

NuNu
Blogger
9 years ago

Good morning Mth, Obara

MTH
Blogger
MTH
9 years ago

Mek a guh read yah nung…

MTH
Blogger
MTH
9 years ago

This is MTH, reporting for class (Teach, end a year a come and mi nuh waan nuh more absence or lateness pan my report card)…

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