Religion. Let’s talk about that word.
As I listened to Deepak Chopra give his final interview with Rev. Wendy Craig-Purcell, I was pleased to see him touch upon this delicate subject. Living in a western nation, I really sense the push and pull that is constantly exchanged between different ideologies. Like the political red and blue states that have become so divisive in a country founded in the name of freedom, religions, unfortunately, are also often sources of defensive attacks upon one another. It’s no wonder two forbidden topics of conversation have always been religion and politics.
When I was doing research for my book, God IS I AM, I was surprised to learn that the second most popular religion in the United States isn’t even a religion! It’s a concept. The Catholics hold the number one position, but the second most popular religion people list is “spiritual.” That classification is moving with great speed well past the many other religions represented in our country. Why?
I believe this is due, in large part, to the exclusive nature of churches. To identify as a member of a church requires the believer to declare allegiance to a particular thought form, and many of us simply are not comfortable with that. I, for example, belong to the Unity Church, which is listed as a Christian church, but I have never limited my beliefs to a single teacher (such as Christ Jesus). Certainly, I do not believe one has to be within the Christian church to be “saved.” I have always looked for the shared ideas in all religions, and my own religious expression is certainly not exclusive. In fact, many of my readers have privately told me my ideas seem more in line with that of Buddhism, Hinduism or Judaism’s Kabbalah. Without a doubt, eastern philosophy has greatly impacted my own beliefs, especially since I consider Dr. Chopra as one of the most influential people in my life. Why then, you might wonder, have I aligned myself with the Unity Church?
Because I was raised in the teachings of Christian Science, moving into Unity is not really such a stretch. The Filmores, founders of Unity, had studied with Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Christian Science church. But to be perfectly honest, I have never felt a particular need to attend any church, for my own benefit. Sitting in a religious place on a Sunday morning has absolutely nothing to do with my connection to God. I do most of my learning through personal research and continuous education, but I know that real connection with Consciousness is not something that can be learned by hearing a Sunday morning message. It has to be experienced. I can, however, see that many people find inspiration in such messages, and that inspiration may move them to find their own understanding.
Although Rev. Craig-Purcell spoke against the idea of doing this “alone, on a mountain top,” I would argue that is exactly where it must first begin. As Dr. Chopra said, the first step is “remembrance.” To me, that is a deeply individual process of understanding, only obtainable by sitting in the stillness and silence. Christ Jesus, himself, first went into the wilderness, to be alone, where he remembered his eternal bond with Source Being. If we do not know “from whence we came,” we will never be able to share that understanding with others. To me, the Sunday school classroom offers the first opportunity to receive the inspiration needed to entice the student into that process of self-discovery and remembrance. The seeds are planted in the classroom, but cultivation is a personal endeavor best achieved in the wilderness of solace.
I decided to join a church because I felt it was important for my children to gain background in spiritual practices, so they can, one day, formulate their own ideas about their connection to All That Is. I believe the Unity Church is a great place for my children to learn positive ways to deal with negative experiences. In time, I also hope they supplement that knowledge by taking their own journeys of discovery into the many facets of religious beliefs. I am very excited when I hear about them visiting other churches. Because they feel free to explore other ideas, I know they have learned that the best religion is one that includes them all. “Question everything” is what I tell them, urging them to follow their own paths where thirst for knowledge ultimately culminates in the release of all intellect in favor of merely being. I have always reflected back on how my own amazing mother offered me the opportunity to form a foundation of faith by making sure I was exposed, early on, to metaphysical ideas that pushed my understanding to early demonstrations of those beliefs. In offering this same experience to my own children, I honor my mother.
The second reason I joined a church was because I also felt this would be a great way for me to offer myself to the service of my Creator. I serve as an example and a mentor to those who choose to see me as such and I offer my own demonstrations as evidence of the power of positive thinking. In a universe of cycles, if I am to thrive, I must not only receive, but I must also give. I participate in the education of others, and I learn in the offering of what I have. This, I believe, is a primary purpose of life…to love one another even as we have been loved. What fun it is to share community with like-minded and not-so-like-minded individuals! Placing oneself in diversity requires the acceptance of All That Is, regardless of the form it takes. What better way is there to learn unity?
When I first started attending Unity, in the mid-90s, I found myself going back, time and again, not due to religious dogma, but because the church seemed open to other religious expressions. It was common for them to invite teachers from various churches to speak, so I was being exposed to many ideas and concepts. My desire to remain open-minded was met and I found a place where I felt at home and at ease.
I was able to find a place where religion did not feel confining, but not all people have been so lucky. Many do not know what to believe. They feel they have more questions than answers, and the churches have not met their needs. Rather than feel inspired, they feel defeated. They wander from place to place, idea to idea…seeking, but never finding. Many have given up on churches and have decided to seek on their own.
Others have shut the doors and drawn the blinds. They have decided religion is meant only for the weak and ignorant. They have declared God does not exist, shutting down further discussion…closing their minds to any form of Creator. Often they turn to science for answers, and when they sense they, too, are still searching, they decide it doesn’t really matter anyway. We are here, and then we die. End of story.
Still others have tightened their grip on religious dogma. They not only insist they have all the answers, but they fiercely denounce all those who do not agree with their beliefs. They walk the streets, clinging tightly to the Bible or the Koran or to whatever word they feel holds sacred meaning. They do not want acceptance nor tolerance. They want only one way…their way…to be the “right” way. They preach, curse, defend, condemn, and kill in the name of the Creator they adore, somehow justifying this behavior as ordained by a higher power. They believe they, alone, will find their way into a distant land called Heaven, while those who do not believe as they do will perish, eternally, in a fiery hell. They point to words in their books as evidence of their “rightness,” never realizing it was a human being who translated them into the dogma they so adamantly defend. But God, you see, does not belong to religions. Unconditional Love will never be exclusive.
I remember, not long ago, being at a Unity Church, in Austin, where the preacher was asking what Jesus would be doing if he were alive today. Where would he be? After a moment of raucous, unrestrained laughter in front of his congregation, he said, “Well, I know where he wouldn’t be. He wouldn’t be here!” How gracious of him to admit that!
What the minister understood was that masters of enlightenment know that all ways are the one way. Until and unless we can embrace everything and everyone, we have far to go. We have much work yet to do to gather the flock under the same shepherd. Locking ourselves inside churches, declaring we are somehow more special than those locked in a neighboring church is not ever going to get us into those pearly gates.
Heaven, you see, is not restricted with boundaries. It is wide open and available to all who have eyes to see. Perhaps, one day, we will throw open the doors of the churches and all wander out into the streets, mingling, until one religion is no longer distinguishable from the other. Under the canopy of stars that spreads equally above all of us, we will finally understand no one was ever wrong…and no ONE was ever right. All word is God’s word. It can be no other way, because infinity is all-inclusive. It was never God who excluded anyone from Heaven. We did that.
Jesus didn’t form a religion named Christianity. Buddha never created a group called Buddhists. All spiritual masters find themselves in a place where labels and dogma don’t fit. If we want to find The Way, we cannot follow in their footsteps. We have to make our own imprints.
I AM…Jodi
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Tags: Religious Dogma GODISAVERB
