Spiritual but not Religious

For many spiritual people in America, the Christian Church has lost its appeal. Americans have become disenchanted with the Church's unbelievable story and ugly history. They have been turned off by the Church's use of outdated and hard-to-understand language and music. And they have become contemptuous of Church leadership littered with the uninspired, overbearing, and weak. This has created an exodus from organized religion that, in turn, has created an enormous spiritual longing in America.
Spiritual But Not Religious takes a deep look at this ever-growing problem, which in the new century is strengthening its grip on younger America and posing a mortal threat to the Church--a threat the Church has been too afraid to look at. Challenging, fascinating, and oftentimes humorous, Spiritual But Not Religious closely examines the exodus from the Church, citing its causes and implications. It also offers a detailed plan for what the Church must do to not only regain its lost members, but to regain its lost spirit. Let there be no doubt, a revolution is needed! Spiritual But Not Religious is the call for that revolution.

source:
https://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-but-Not-Religious-Revolution/dp/059501108X

The spiritual but not religious ( SBNR ) movement has gotten somewhat of a negative reputation, over the decades, especially from the biblical literalist christian community. For many of them, who have not done their research on truth, with an open mind and heart, it is just more of  that new agey mumbo jumbo teachings that is being spread by their perceived enemy, to deceive the masses. This SBNR movement has been growing since the 60's and some would agree, its always been there, but it was very often reserved, and suppressed,  for good reasons.  There may have been a generational carry over stigma against independent  thought on spiritual matters.There was no place in our society for the individualist spiritual freedom seeker. Being a non-conformist toward the family religion was not an option to take lightly.   It wasn't long ago that you would have been executed for holding a dessenters view with that of the orthodox institutional religion of the day. With the advent of religious freedom in recent time we are no longer burnt at the stake, by the 'thought police' , for having a different view, but, an hidden resentment still seems to linger among the 'Rightous'  (We have the only truth ) banner wavers, out there.

 I wrote the following to a family member recently, on this subject, and it sums up my thoughts on it.


I am one of those who fit in the 'spiritual but not religious camp'. I left the church and became obsessed with God. I can't fit God inside the narrow box of what religion portrays it to be. Most religious people believe in a separate God out there somewhere and they need a mediator of some kind to bridge the gap between them, the 'sinner', and the divine. I believe there is a place for religion for billions of people all over the world. They are devotes of worship to their conceptual idea of the divine through ritual and prayer. They are draw also to a sense of community that organized religion offers. Many misunderstand the spiritual seeker after God, who have cast themselves into a spiritual wasteland outside the walls of the institutional structure. To some the idea of leaving church to find spiritual truth is unthinkable. What they don't realize is that Jesus himself was also anti-religious. It was the religion of his day that had him killed. He spoke of the divinity within, outside the man made construct of religious forms. The spiritual but not religious are not backsliders, they are often forward runners in the ongoing quest for truth concerning God. 



 


This has been the path I have taken on the road toward spiritual realization. I worship Life and Love as I continue discovering truth with an open mind and heart.  Liberty of thought for all is a worthy goal for humanity as we continue to grow in a greater consciousness. Its only when we find out who the true self is that we will know what reality is.

Just this!

I have noticed lately that I am living more fully, with greater focus on now. I have less concern about past and future. By living in this moment we observe and accept and appreciate what is here now. What I see, hear, taste, smell and touch now, means so much more when I understand that this is all there is. Just this!, what is, now, is all that matters, most often. Why do we get so caught up in thought about concepts that have nothing to do with now. We have become lost in thought . Eckhart Tolle said it well...quote  "The human condition: lost in thought.”. We need thought to plan, organize and schedule. Thought is needed for so much and we can appreciate our intellect and ideas. But, when we become consumed by thought about past and future we miss -Now-.

 Ram Dass wrote the famous book , Be Here Now, in 1971

Be Here Now is one of the first guides for those not born Hindu to becoming a yogi  (spiritual  path to unity with our source)  For its influence on the hippie movement and subsequent spiritual movements^, it has been described as a "countercultural bible" , the "seminal"  with  its influential, formative and groundbreaking spirituality introduced to that era..               -paraphrased from wikipedia.org


I was a very young teen in 1971 but , looking back, now, I do believe there was an eastern influence on my generations spirituality. At that time, I was influenced by the original Kung Fu series . My hero was Kwai Chang Caine . He was the humble Buddhist/Taoist monk, that showed power without force, as his true self. But, when force was needed he sure kicked ass with that Shaolin priest martial arts training. I loved that blend, of gentleness and force which David Carradine  played so well in this character.

Often Caine sat in meditation, or seemed in total bliss with nature. He was the wise one who spent his time helping others. He lived a simple life with little need. When asked what he needed, he said  '...food, rest,work....' . He worked for food and lodging but, did not stay long in any place, he was driven by a force greater then him, a drifter in search of Tao. The Taoist/Buddhist philosophy spoken by him and his teachers was foreign to us at the time. But for my young mind, it was intriguing and appealing to my spirit.

I believe that, this period, in the early 70's, and also the 60's hippie and other spirituality movements,  were a major influence on our generation. This period opened our young minds to a whole world of wisdom and spirituality. The drug culture has gotten a bad rap, but drugs have been influential for thousands of years in opening up the human mind to the Spirit. The 60's and 70's were a turning point in North American spirituality.  Christianity had taught for two millennia, in the west, that it alone held 'the only truth'. All other people groups were lost in sin, and needed to hear 'our' truth. Christianity was believed to be the only way to God. But, it seems now, after the world has looked at this for several decades, that there are many paths leading to unity with the ultimate truth and mystery of life, its power, and its source.

The introduction to eastern spirituality has opened up our vision of what life is. The mystery of life cannot be explained or named . It can only be experienced now with gratitude, for what is, this moment. Its just this ! and  again,  Just this!..  this ... now...  this ...  all there is,  is now.   Happiness, bliss, and joy are found in living fully now, with gratitude and love, in the moment.

The fear of slience

An ad by SiriusXM radio states:

Without SirusXM  by your side, driving doesn't feel the same. The streets are quieter, communities are duller and road trips aren't fun. The good news is,  you don't have to drive in silence any longer. ......

I grew up in the era of rock and roll in the 60's,70's and 80's, music was a big part of my life. I couldn't live without some music on, especially when driving in a car. But, as I got older I learned to prefer the quiet more and more.

Now, I can drive for hours without music. Road trips are still very enjoyable and the communities I pass are not dull. I love to drive in silence. Am I abnormal? , maybe or maybe not. Our house has become very quiet since the children moved out. I rarely watch TV or listen to music. I am content with silence. In fact, when I go out in public almost every store, and eating establishment has music blasting. I find it all disquieting and it tends to produce anxiety in  my inner core of being. Why is it that the modern human being has become so afraid of silence?  Are we addicted to noise? ....

We know that the thinking mind does not want to be still. People are controlled by thought, they are lost in thinking about past and future . Most are dwelling on the problem of the day rather then enjoying the mystery of "Now". The voice in their head is constantly chattering on... one thought after another.  Music and all multimedia continuously feed us more and more information and stimulus. It adds fuel to our thoughts. Its no wonder that our society is so stressed out?

The idea of becoming still in order to  know the inner reality of who we really are is foreign to most people. Yet, all deep spiritual teaching point to the fact that in order to realize inner truth of our true nature, we need to be still. To "be still and know" is a repeated phrase in spirituality.

So, am I abnormal in loving silence?......maybe  or maybe not ...Regardless I am OK with being abnormal.