Being that time of year, couldn't resist a religious posting!
Whenever I'm asked to complete a form to indicate my religious belief, I a) never complete it; and b)if I did, none of the boxes really seem to fit what I believe. The closest seems to be the term "spiritual, not religious" but even then, I'm not sure.
I was brought up as a Christian in the Methodist faith and actually enjoyed going to Sunday school as a child. Don't remember anything I was taught, but it was a good social event. Once I hit my teens, I became disillusioned with organised/institutional religion. There just seemed to be far too much dogma and hypocrisy for my liking - and I'm not even talking about fundementalism. So, I had a bit of an internal battle at first.
You see, I'm not an agnostic, nor am I an atheist. Throughout my years of questioning, I fundementally still believed. What I realised was that my view of God (or whatever name you wish to use)is different to that taught in organised religions. I really don't subscribe to the view that salvation will only come to those who hold a certain religious view point and damned be to the rest of us (by the way, I don't believe in heaven or hell either). In many ways, I do agree with Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens who criticise religion as the basis for much of what is wrong in the world today. But that's probably as far as it goes.
To me my beliefs are deeply personal and I do think each individual needs to find their own Truth. I'm a bit of a magpie in that I have read books on many different religions and spiritual/new age beliefs; gone on various courses and workshops; and basically have taken on board the bits that make sense to me. Things have also happened to me which have added to and strengthened some of my beliefs. Generally, my aim is to try keeping my mind open to possibilities and not closing it down. If we think about what we know as true and as fact today, it has actually changed over time. So, who knows what we'll know as fact & truth in years to come.
What I also used to battle with is the label. I tend to rebel against anything that tries to put me into a box and label it. As soon as we label things, preconceptions are formed and judgements made (not always in the positive). I don't fit into the religious label, nor do I totally fit the spiritual label either. As mentioned, to me it is about taking on board what I feel is right and it is very much an inner journey. I'm not big on gurus although I do like rocks/crystals. But then, they held a fascination for me since childhood and long before I was aware of their new age connections. I now longer battle with the label - I've realised it is actually immaterial. If others wish to attribute labels because it helps them make sense of the world, then let them do so. I just don't fill out forms and if I have to categorise my belief, I do stick to "spiritual, not religious".
Having said all that, in many ways I do still worry (more than I should) about what people I already know think. In that sense I find it much easier to speak to strangers on this subject. But, it is a part of who I am. It is also an important part which is growing as I continue to find out what makes sense to me.
2007-12-17 @ 20:34