Blog #152--Religious Ideology vs. Spiritual Knowingness

My wife Mary Jane recently went to visit some members of her large family. One of her sisters took her aside to encourage her to “help Jack get right with the Lord.” She knows my lifespan is near its end, and she assumes my present world view places me at odds with her God. She never visited our bookstore when it was a physical store, and she has never read my book “It’s a Secret, So Pass It On: a Toolbox For Life” or my numerous blogs. All she knows is I am not a member of her church, so I must be a sinner who needs saving.

It seems to me she must have doubts about her own beliefs; otherwise, she would be courageous enough to speak with me personally. Perhaps she fears what I might tell her. Asking my wife to do her dirty work for her makes me have doubts about her views on religion. It certainly doesn’t encourage me to attend her church.

Mary Jane reminded her sister that I am at peace with my life, thank you. But displaying a certainty of ideology reserved for those who believe they are somehow closer to our creator than others, the sister ignored her statement. I accept her right to have differing views as part of my own spiritual beliefs, but she can’t accept anyone who disagrees with her.

I decline all solicitations over the phone because I’d rather make up my own mind on things. I also consider the needs of the solicitors, who must make myriad calls daily. I follow the same process when religious solicitors proselytize me. They might have a good point to make, but they are invading my privacy without permission. If I want to hear more, I will contact them or others who share their views. I encourage others to do likewise.

Many so-called religious people feel it necessary to make others share their beliefs. Some want their religion to be the state religion, not only of their own country but the world in general. Others simply feel more secure if they are part of a large movement rather than alone in their views. Both types of people hold onto their beliefs out of fear. In doing so, they slowly but surely change their religion from a general philosophy for living to a rigid ideology.

I realize these people will resent what I say, but I am not their enemy. Their real enemy is their own fear of being wrong and their insecurity regarding what happens to them after their deaths. It is this fear that motivates them to wage war on those whose beliefs differ from their own. But historical examples of long-term success from this approach are rare indeed. After all, their enemies may be just as rigid and intractable as they are.

We need look no further than all the wars fought both in the past and present due to religious intolerance. We also see the harmful effects of religious ideology in more localized situations, such as the Salem, Massachusetts, witchcraft trials. And we should never forget the genocide of Native American “heathens” for the purpose of stealing their land and resources. Innocent people were tortured and murdered simply because their views differed from the rest of the population in their areas.

Many other movements, far too many to name here, attach religious views to political, military, and economic goals to aid their causes. Any short-term successes they may enjoy are eventually countered by the destruction guaranteed when the needs of the entire population are not considered. Most modern Catholics conveniently ignore the Inquisition when glorifying their religious beliefs. But the karma created by killing nonbelievers, and the resultant theft of their homes and resources, may not yet be balanced despite the passage of time.

Every religion has its zealots. Every religion has members who pretend to be devout to gain support for their ulterior motives; a lust for power and/or money is more important to them. Whatever notion of equality and tolerance they might proclaim is ignored when an advantage can be gained over competitors. Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Muslims and most if not all other religions have suffered at times from leaders who behaved in a matter far different from their belief systems simply because this is a world of egos.

We all have spirits, but our egos try to block their messages. Those who prefer to control others on Earth during their brief lifetimes rather than existing eternally in a vast and loving alternate reality justify their selfish and often destructive behavior on ego terms. They fail to see the contradictions between their stated beliefs and their actions.

I certainly don’t claim to know everything about our existence. But neither does anyone else, in my opinion. Despite all our religious writings and teachings, none of us knows for sure where we came from at birth or where we go upon our deaths. We follow the teachings we are given without questioning the contradictions that result from our lack of understanding.

Thus, I don’t feel it helpful to follow blindly those who speak the loudest or with the most certainty on the subject of religion. My views may not be correct, but I’m in excellent company. We can benefit most when we help and encourage one another for our common good so we can all learn more about ourselves and our world.

Religious ideology is limited and ego-driven. Spiritual knowingness gives us the peace of mind both to let go of our fears and to let others develop at their own pace without judgment. For instance, I KNOW we are really energy that exists eternally. I KNOW all of us are created equally and have an equally important purpose in this world. I KNOW that Universal Love and Truth exist everywhere at all times, while physical attractions and relative truths as found typically on Earth are fleeting and have exceptions.

I am at peace, as are a number of other mostly anonymous citizens of Earth who have glimpsed existence beyond three dimensions. We don’t proselytize, we just practice what we believe to the best of our abilities. If others see positive results from this approach and wish to learn more, they are welcome to ask questions until their concerns are alleviated. But we don’t hold onto religious ideologies that contradict spiritual knowingness.

We all have choices. Those who choose to limit themselves to one set of doctrines at the expense of all others are free to do so, but they shouldn’t be surprised when some of us refuse to buy in to what they are selling. We are all in the wilderness looking for answers, so claiming to know more than others is a relative lie. We could all benefit from a little more humility and a little less judgment.

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