Spiritual Concept, Human Hierarchy: The Third in a Series of Very Complicated Conversations
(DISCLAIMER: As with any discussion of humans and their lives, this is a general overview. It is not necessarily true for all groups that fall within the subject being discussed. In this particular instance, it may only be true for a small, but vocal and visible group of people. It is not my goal to offend anyone. Do not assume that I am writing about you or your religion.)
Religion is spiritual and being spiritual means you’re religious, right? Maybe not. Let’s back it up and get the definitions for those two terms:
First, “Religion” re·li·gion (rəˈlijən/)
noun
1. the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.
“ideas about the relationship between science and religion”
synonyms: faith, belief, worship, creed
2. a particular system of faith and worship.
plural noun: religions
“the world’s great religions”
3. a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance.
“consumerism is the new religion”
Second, “Spiritual” spir·it·u·al (ˈspiriCH(o͞o)əl/)
adjective
1. relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.
“I’m responsible for his spiritual welfare”
synonyms: nonmaterial, incorporeal, intangible
2. relating to religion or religious belief.
“the tribe’s spiritual leader”
“spiritual writings”
synonyms: religious, sacred, divine, holy, nonsecular, church, ecclesiastical, faith-based, devotional
If they were the same thing, if they were equal to each other, we wouldn’t have two different entries in the dictionary. So we have to separate them and look at each one, *then* examine the relationship, if any, between them.
What we call “religion” is NOT a spiritual practice, or THE spiritual practice.
It is the human hierarchy/bureaucracy around some concept, most often spiritual or mystical concepts/beliefs. Being made by humans, this hierarchy is most assuredly fallible. In fact, it is often just flat out wrong. It mirrors human actions, thoughts and concepts. It requires human-made props and symbols such as a cross, Holy Spirit flames, as well as a dogma and tenets of that belief. Those frequently, and sometimes inevitably, match up with that religion’s leader/s’s own desires and goals.
Because the religion has this hierarchy, there are progressive levels to which the adherents can aspire — exactly the same as any bureaucratic hierarchy. And as with those other man-made systems, the end result is that one person, or a few people, hold the (true) power within the organization while everyone else does what they say.
The most obvious difference between a company and a religion is the manner of compensation for time and commitment. Within religion, the “workers” (those who are doing what they were told to do) are receiving “payment” for their “work” (devotion to the religion) in the form of intangible benefits. These may include such things as the promise of salvation from their own misdoings or eternal life/life after death, but always includes the membership in the community of that religion. It does require the acceptance of external authority (the leader/s) to enforce the “rules” (dogma and tenets) of the base concept. A more subtle “payment” is an innate sense of superiority, the knowledge that each member has of being part of an “elite”, having special knowledge and privileges beyond those who are not in the community.
“Religious terror cannot be contained,” wrote Adel Zaid Al-Tarifi in the daily Al Watan. “What can be done with people who think that anyone who does not agree with their fundamentalist path deviates from the path of righteousness?”
Another “payment” from the followers of that religion is the blind devotion to their object of worship. The name is holy, to use it in any other context is blasphemy, and it must be protected from anyone who would deny it or treat it as anything other than Holy Holy Holy, Lord God Almighty. It’s a byGod serious matter. There is no speaking against that object of worship — and this mindset is driven home with every sermon. To the point where, when someone does speak without the proper level of veneration, they are labelled as “sinners” and are told that they are going to eternal damnation, to burn forever in Hell. (Said with sorrow in the voice or in a gleeful proclamation from those who know (*know*) that they are not going to Hell.)
“If your god is real, he/she/it doesn’t mind being mocked. By definition, an all-powerful being isn’t going to have those kind of insecurities. So that knee-jerk urge to smack down the critics is coming purely from the terrorists, from their own human fears and rage — proving, in other words, that those violent men don’t really have faith that their god is all-powerful.”
~~David Wong
Members of the religion have an entire repertoire of words and actions that mark them as “saved”. They meet in their (sacred) building once a week; they sing the (holy) songs, they listen to the words of their venerated object as told to the leader of their religion, and they can pray. There is no limit to the things that they can pray for but unfortunately, most of the praying is some sort of demand for whatever the prayer thinks will improve their life, show others the error of their ways, or help those whom the prayer deems worthy of that help.
Pray: To ask that the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy. — Ambrose Bierce
What should be common unity, “community” with all human beings, becomes a private club for only the few initiates, with a large back room for all of the adherents who enabled that private club in the first place. What was based on sacred aspirations and beliefs becomes an untaxable corporation. What should have been founded on love and connection, regardless of the specific name you give it, ends up as an exclusionary edifice of human self-pride and greed.
It may not be greed for money, although that can certainly be a factor. (Which explains ministers like Joel Osteen, preaching to thousands and living as a millionaire; he hides behind “my house, car, clothes all “belong” to the Church, they’re not *really* mine” to avoid his fair share of money paid to the Federal/State governments for the common good.) Greed is a god, and a very jealous god at that. Greed demands all of you and is never, ever satisfied. A person can be greedy for money; they can also be greedy for adulation, admiration, followers of the words they speak, and so on. Greedy people can find great satisfaction in establishing a religion in which they are the “top dog” — and that religion has zero to do with spirituality.
“But that’s just those ‘mega’-churches”, you say. I tell you that even the smallest congregation, in the meanest, poorest part of town, can still have greed as the root of their actions. “How many souls have you saved this week, brother?” “How many heard and answered your altar call, sister?” When the actions of the religion become the “Heavenly” reward, any semblance to spirituality is gone. It’s been lost, if it was even there to begin with, in the man-made structure that was supposed to house the sacred, the superhuman, the divine, the unknown mysteries … as if spirituality had nothing to do with religion.
Spirituality has *nothing* to do with religion.
You do not need a religion to be a spiritual person. You do not need anyone else to tell you to be kind, to love all, to treat everyone equally, to care for the poor, the sick, the elderly, the “different” ones. From the moment of your birth, those around you were living as they believed they should, whether as the result of belonging to a specific religion, or from being a spiritual, spiritually awakened person.
You learned how to be religious or spiritual, based on those actions, whether or not they agreed with any common creed or commandments. Before you have language, you have actions. Actions are the truth; words may or may not be. So, for example, if your family was part of a religion, you saw how they behaved; eventually, you heard the words of that religion. If the words didn’t really match what your family was doing, you learned that you could do (whatever) as long as you mouthed the words properly.
“It is worthy of remark that a belief constantly inculcated during the early years of life, whilst the brain is impressible, appears to acquire almost the nature of an instinct; and the very essence of an instinct is that it is followed independently of reason.”
— Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man, 1871
Your religion becomes an instinct, an involuntary reaction to any trigger for OR against that religion. Reason has nothing to do with it, as Darwin notes. This “instinct” could set you up for major emotional upheaval somewhere down the line if something comes along that truly upsets the status quo. A major life event, such as marrying someone from *another* religion; the unexpected accident or death, or similar situations, can create massive doubt about what you *think* you know. Even minor life events can have strong reactions — just meeting someone who believes differently than you do can start a new train of thought.
Spirituality has very little to do with human constructs. Spirituality is the very basic mindset that all are holy; every being has sacred worth. Every being deserves the same things as you do: food, shelter, family, safety and the chance to recognize the sacredness that is all around you. It will flow from you, in actions and words (consistent with each other), without needing special words or songs, sanctified clothing or a special building. It is a daily and constant way to interact with all you meet.
My grandmother was a good person. Yes, she also followed the Christian faith, but she was, inherently, a GOOD person. She could just as easily have been a good Buddhist, or a good Jew, or any other religion. She didn’t need the manmade framework to do the spiritual, the sacred, the “good”. She did have that framework, and she supported her church with money and actions. Being in that community gave her joy — but it was the people, never the building or the books or the cross at the front of the sanctuary.
She showed loving-kindness to everyone she met. She welcomed anyone into her house with literally open arms. There was always a lot of hugging in her house! She had the great gift of being able to “just” listen. No listening for a break so that she could talk…just letting the other person say whatever they needed to say. She didn’t just share dinners or time — she shared herself, self-lessly. She didn’t have to present her religious concepts in order for people to know that she was a spiritual person. It was expressed in her every word, in her every action.
She was the first and most influential spiritual person I know/knew.
Being spiritual means seeing the miracles that occur every day, all around us. It is a way of life, not a “Sunday” thing. It is a part of the whole being that we are — mind, body and spirit. It opens the world up to us in a way that is not available just by being someplace physically or thinking about it. One of my favorite sayings about spirituality is this: “We are not humans having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” (Unknown)
I would suggest that being a spiritual person, recognizing the sacredness in all, does lead to an established manner of showing it — or a religious framework. Every religion has the opportunity to be spiritual. Every spiritual practice has the opportunity to have a ritualized framework for explaining that practice — or a religion built upon that spiritual practice. What makes this different that the religion I talked about earlier? It is a result of personal knowledge of the sacred. It is not established to control but to set free. It is the willing, even eager, participation by its adherents, to work together to create a specific community that practices what is preached. There is no ultimate human authority over the community; each member has equal say in how the religion around the common spirituality will work.
A religion based on true spirituality is a vibrant, active entity. Its practices are being done daily, by all members. There is more than just an hour each week spent together. The community becomes a family, with all of the obligations and rewards which that close relationship offers. Most importantly, the words and the actions match and they are never used to harm others in any way. Anyone coming to that religion is welcomed and helped to find that spirituality within themselves. The religion is the end result of the spirituality, not the starting point. Each member understands that the physical being of the religion (the “church” or “meeting house”) is merely a convenient place to gather together. The symbols used are poor substitute for the unnamable concepts they represent. And most importantly, they know that it is each other, each member, that is the most important part of this religious framework.
*That* kind of spirituality/religion can be found in many places, with many names: Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Taoism, Buddhism or any other “recognized” religion. It can also be found anywhere there are people living spiritual lives, helping others, being kind to all — doing the tasks that Jesus of Nazareth gave to his followers: feed the hungry, offer drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger in, comfort the ill and visit those in prison. These are not “just” Christian tasks — or values — they are the spiritual response to the sacred being within each and every person.
