Spirituality without Religion. Are you there God?

For many people, spirituality comes and goes in a somewhat elusive way. Some people may acknowledge
that there have been a few occasions in which they think they may have experienced it and of course there
are always those who simply deny its existence.

Some people will outright deny that there is a God and can become quite hostile at any insistence that there
could be a God. Usually their arguments resort back to the bible and the church. (When I use the words
bible or church I do mean any or all doctrines or practises).

Many people today are very angry with God. This is why I have been so careful with my choice of words
and why I have needed to separate God from religion. So many people have been hurt, disillusioned,
persecuted, confused, punished and emotionally or psychologically damaged in the name of God. God has
been blamed, unfairly, for the sins of the church. People have shut down and denied their spirituality due to
a distorted acceptance that spirituality and religion are the same. They are not.

Some people just can’t get comfortable even hearing the word God. More and more we hear God referred
to as the source, infinite intelligence, the universe, higher wisdom or consciousness. We may pray to
Mother Mary, spirit guides, guardian angels or any one of many saints, but we just can’t pray to God.

Atheists, or at least anyone claiming to believe there is no God, will sometimes find themselves calling out to
someone or anyone, to help them in times of great distress. An atheist will quite often call out to a deceased
parent, if his child is in a critical condition. We may say we do not believe in God or any spiritual power but
I’m sure everyone, at some point, has called out instinctively, to someone or something, at a time of
personal crisis. What is this impulse or instinct?

What is it that has us reaching out and touching a sick child? Could it be that we innately know that we
have healing capabilities within us? When we will a fortunate outcome to a problem are we really using
some psychic or spiritual powers, or are we instinctively communicating with God? Have you ever found
the words 'no, no, please don’t let this be so', playing though your mind? Who were you speaking to? Has
anyone ever sat at a funeral and not wondered…

I believe that within us all there is a belief that we can call out for help and be heard. We do will things to
happen or try to will things to stop. By our own intuition we place our hands on pain, illness and disease.
Could it be that we remember we are healers? Can we experience love without pondering some
supernatural essence within it?

There is such a spiritual hunger, such a longing and such a deep sense of disconnection and insecurity within
so many people. I refer to this as the ‘Soul Crying’. The spiritual-self denied all expression. Spirituality is
not an aspect of self; it is the essence of self.

I’m not presenting these ideas in anyway to belittle organized religion, I simply wish to encourage those
people who are angry at God, to take an objective look at spirituality without getting caught up in past
disappointments or confusing doctrines. To consider that spirituality exists without religious association.

Our physical life here, within this present reality, involves a balance of mind, body and spirit. You cannot
experience yourself as a whole, if you deny your spirit. Although we refer to these three aspects, they are
not three separate aspects. You are and your life is a composite of all three working together. Denial of
spirit is denial of self.

Now, getting back to religion, there are a few points I would like to raise and I am presenting them purely
as things to consider. These things are completely separate from God, Love and Spirituality.

Many people have found God through religion and many people have been led to religion through finding
God. However, in the past few decades more and more people are leaving religion and I'm sure that most
churches will acknowledge there has been an awful lot of exposure given to some rather ugly incidents
involving religions.

The fact that religions operate in the name of God and the fact that God has indirectly been blamed or at
least confused by such things, I think it only fair, that we do at the very least consider the role of the church
as an institution rather than as the sole representative of God.

Firstly, the church as such, is a man made institution and its main role is in the academic study of the bible
(again I include all religions and doctrines). Churches are run by men: mortal, human, flesh and blood
kinds of men.
There are political, social and financial influences in running these organizations.

Many churches exist or are maintained by elements of entertainment and marketing. To run a church and
keep it financially viable, the priest/pastor/vicar etc. needs to engage and maintain the audience. Guilt, fear
and shame are dynamic motivators and are often over emphasised within church sermons.

Churches can be run without paying taxes and it is assumed that churches distribute most of that income to
help people in need. It seems perfectly reasonable to wonder why people are starving to death when
churches are withholding billions and billions of dollars. Just this one issue alone, has many people
questioning the moral and ethical values of religions.

It seems to me that these days the churches will quite blatantly request a ten percent tithe and you wouldn’t
need to be a mathematician to wonder why just one percent of this money could not completely wipe out
worldwide poverty.

Many churches are listed as the richest organizations in the world today. Although most churches appeal to
your financial generosity, by promoting themselves as charitable distributors, it is true that an enormous
amount of funds are simply directed to property, administration, art works and antiques. We only need to
look at some of the real estate owned by the churches to get an idea of the vast amount of wealth
generated and apparently withheld.
Copyright Sonya Green 2005
Click the NEXT button to go to Part 2

God and Love are probably the two words that have more meanings or at least
more diverse reactions or perceptions than any other. Most of us have been
brought up with strong beliefs about both and in most cases, we have learned
that God and Love are the same or at least closely related.

For many people, God has been explained within the realms of religion and
although there are many different religions, most of them have the same basic
belief: that God is a superhuman being or source, which created the universe
and everything within it. God symbolizes, embodies and possesses divine
powers. God has control over nature, human experience, life and death.

Of course, this is an over-simplification but for now if we can just think of God
as the creator and controlling force of the Universe and consider that God and
Love are one and the same, then we may all accept some common ground.

To imagine God, we may have to put aside religious beliefs for just a moment
and focus on what we feel deep inside. Feeling or sensing God might be what
we consider to be the experience of spirituality. Spirituality is also one of those
words with many explanations but again if we keep it simple, we might think of
it as: experiencing God as a source within us.

Some may feel this as a higher state of consciousness, a sense of renewal, inner
peace, healing or inspiration. Perhaps, a state of euphoria or a sense of self, as a
soul.

I’m trying to avoid religious dogma here and simply find some common ground.
I do not wish to try and explain or preach any particular doctrine or theosophy;
I simply wish to use the name God. Who or what God is has been argued,
studied, pondered and discussed throughout the ages.

God has many names and just as many meanings. Usually when God is
mentioned we automatically fall into whatever faith we were raised with and
start discussing religion.

Many people find it difficult or almost impossible to separate religion and God.
Again, I will try and simplify this and suggest that religion is man’s knowledge,
study or analysis of who and what God is. Religion almost always dictates an
allegiance to a church or denomination. One joins a church much like a member
of any organization and tries to live in accordance with the codes of conduct
and philosophy of that organization. Very few people explore all religions and
yet most will argue that only theirs is right. Most of the time we simply adopt the
belief system of our family, culture or location.

For many people, their religion is their pathway to spirituality. For others, it is a
venue or simply a place for like-minded people to gather and explore that
particular avenue. In effect, most churches represent themselves as agents of
God.

Some people experience a deep sense of spirituality and are led to a religion
and others are bought up within a religion and are led to spirituality.

The reason I am being so careful here is that I want to explore spirituality and
love as a natural state of being. I am not talking about religion but I want to use
the word God in the context of exploring life as a spiritual experience.

Some people are lucky enough to live each day as a spiritual being within a
physical reality. These people are filled with joy and a sense of serenity. Life
makes sense at this level and there is an acknowledgement of gratitude. These
people do not fear death and have a very deep sense of security. They feel
connected to their environment and the people around them. There is a healing
force within them and this energy often radiate from them. There is a wisdom
that they can access and a purpose in which they live. They do not experience
God as a separate entity. God is love and God is light and God is within them.