SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION

By Thomas E. Durst

 

Recently I've met a number of people who have expressed themselves as rejecting religion but wanting spirituality. They are fed up with the abuses that they have seen and been exposed to in the name of God and of religion and so they want nothing to do with any form of organized religion. Usually they reject the popular Christian concept of an anthropomorphic God as well as faith in the Bible being the authoritative Word of God. They think of God more as a Higher Power or "force" of some kind.

I am very sympathetic to the concerns of those I've talked to who are disillusioned with religion as they've experienced it. Often they've been raised in some church where they've seen rules and regulations that make no sense, dehumanize people, as well as pitting people against one another. They've sat through boring church services, often have been forced to be baptized or observe other religious rites against their will, have been clubbed with the Bible, have heard many high pressure appeals for money, have been hurt by controlling religious figures or hierarchies, have seen pastors and church members living lavish lifestyles while professing to follow the meek and lowly Jesus Who had not where to lay His head, have watched wars where people have slaughtered one another in the name of their God, and have seen very little in the way of anything positive. Can you blame them for rejecting "religion"?

A study of dictionary definitions of the words "spirituality" and "religion" will show that there is quite a bit of overlapping for they cannot be totally separated. To believe in any kind of Higher Power or even to be a total atheist is still a "religious belief". I've talked to secular humanists and avowed atheists who were as zealous to promote and push their "anti-religious religion" on others as the most zealous Bible-thumping fundamentalist Christian. In this essay I'm using religion in the sense of a set of religious beliefs or dogma about God, man, eternal life, the meaning of life, etc. I'm using spirituality in the sense of man's innate spiritual nature which all human beings hold in common, both religious and secular. In religious dogma specific beliefs are stressed and systematic theologies are formed. In spirituality qualities of character and relationships are more important than specific theological concepts. We could think of such attributes as love, honesty, compassion, gentleness, and humility as aspects of spirituality in contrast to religious creeds.

I believe that we have a shared spirituality as members of the human family because of the simple fact that we are created in God's image and likeness (Genesis 1:26, 27). This shared spirituality is not determined by either our belief or disbelief in religious dogma, although I think certain religious beliefs can enhance and enrich our spirituality. For example, the bible statement that "God is love", which I accept, enriches my desire to build on the love which the Creator God has put within me as well as to look for it in other people. But even if I didn't believe in that biblical statement per se it would not cancel the love that I share as a spiritual being along with all other people. Atheists and skeptics also experience God's love in their hearts and often have performed great humanitarian works, have worked for social justice, as well as having personal ethics which sometimes are much higher than those of religious people. This cannot be denied. Religious people have performed some of the most heinous crimes against humanity in human history and atheists and agnostics have made many wonderful contributions to the world. Why? Because whether we acknowledge it specifically or not, we all have that "God Presence" within by virtue of our Creation in His image and likeness. This is the most essential fact about our human existence. We also have the choice of rejecting our creation heritage and in so doing we will manifest all sorts of evil behavior. Professing some kind of religion may help us to live in a better, more loving way, or if the religion is pathological, which indeed is sometimes the case, it can bring about hell on earth. History is replete with examples of this.

Please notice the words of Paul that express what I'm trying to say above. He was speaking to pagans:

Acts 17:28

For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, "For we are also His offspring. (NASB, Emphasis supplied)

Then we have these words of Peter at the house of Cornelius:

Acts 10:35

But in every nation he who venerates and has a reverential fear for God, treating Him with worshipful obedience and living uprightly, is acceptable to Him and sure of being received and welcomed [by Him]. (Amplified Bible)

In the first scripture quote above it should be duly noted that Paul was not quoting from the Hebrew scriptures but rather from writings of the Greek philosophers so even the concept that we are created by God and that He is at the center of our very being is not unique to the Judeo-Christian belief system, but rather is a universal truth. Many today believe this who have no connection with the Christian faith. I think the second quote also underlines the simple fact that our religious profession or lack of it isn't what really counts but what is really important is our "living uprightly" and if our religion doesn't bring about such fruitage it is of no value whatsoever! In that great day of final judgment many religious people will find themselves on the wrong side. This is something we need to take much more seriously than we have done thus far. (See Matthew 7:22-24; 25:31-46)

My approach to other people is not in terms of trying to convert them to my religious beliefs and I do cherish certain beliefs about God, man, the purpose of life, eternity, the Bible, etc., which are very wonderful for me and which give me joy, hope, and a sense of personal empowerment. I seek to find out where each person is on their journey of life, whether they are religious or nonreligious, and relate to them in the most helpful and uplifting way that I can. I find this makes many friends and opens doors of ministry to me everywhere I go. I don't feel called to tell people that they are lost souls headed for hellfire and brimstone if they don't "accept Christ" which actually is just another way of saying "accept my beliefs about Christ'. I leave it up to the individual whether they wish to adopt or reject any particular religious tenets. I feel that the Holy Spirit is well able to convict people as to just what is best for them to believe at any given time. I've been led to change my mind a number of times about some of my theological concepts and these changes came about by personal conviction rather than through some person putting pressure on me to change. Hopefully, these changes have been for the better but that is for God to judge. I must follow my conscience as truth and better ways of thinking open up to me. For sure I do not feel that I have any need to convince other people that they must accept my beliefs. Sometimes people do ask me more specifically about my faith journey and I'm always open to that, but feel no need to be "pushy" about it. I love these words of instruction:

1 Peter 3:15

But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully. (Amplified Bible)

Note these two principles in this scripture: (1) be ready 'to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you' and (2) 'do it courteously and respectfully'. I think this says it all. I've seen well-meaning people thumping their Bibles and screaming in other people's faces telling them that they must "repent" and "accept Christ" or be eternally lost and burn in hell forever. I would rather listen attentively and lovingly to someone's "story" than scream in their face! After all, can't we somehow be content just to be God's instruments of peace and love and let His Spirit do whatever needs to be done in the other person's lives? There is nothing more wonderful than to minister in the peace and love of God and watch the Holy Spirit transform lives in God's own way and time.

Religion as I've defined it above divides people and often builds walls of separation and hostility. Even people within the same religious groupings or denominations have considerable variations in their personal beliefs. That is why we have endless religious factionalism and strife. We have many denominations of Baptists, for example, and yet they all claim to still be Baptists. Some may think they are "better" Baptists than the others. The same is true with Methodists, Catholics, Presbyterians, Lutherans, pentecostals, etc. Why all the divisions? Simply because the attention is on religious beliefs and dogma or forms of church government instead of on our shared spirituality as beings in God's image and likeness.

I think spirituality can be found and is expressed in many ways such as the arts, music, literature, the ways we relate to the beauties of nature, ordinary everyday conversations, works of charity, inventions, etc. Whatever is creative and positive in life is an expression of our spirituality. If we look for these many expressions of spirituality instead of fussing over who believes what about God, the Bible, the church, etc., we will find a basis for respecting and loving one another instead of being constantly in warfare and strife with one another.�

One of my own important personal beliefs is in the institution of the church and I choose to emphasize the positive instead of the negative. For example, the contributions made by the church in the fields of education and medical care are enormous. If all of the schools, academies, colleges, universities, and medical facilities that were founded by churches would vanish into thin air there wouldn't be much left, at least in our American culture.

For myself, I simply love attending church and fellowshipping with people who have a desire for God and to encourage one another spiritually. I've fellowshipped over the years with every imaginable variety of churches that exist and have found that the people are very much the same everywhere. We all tie our shoe laces in about the same way, have the same joys and concerns about life, crave to be loved and accepted, want happiness and eventually eternal life beyond this present life. The forms of worship and the dogma vary considerably from one group to another but the desire for God is what we hold in common as we gather to express our search for God in a corporate way in a church or perhaps a small group setting. I love to gather with others who have that desire for God and would desperately miss it if this were not part of my regular lifestyle. Since the people who attend various churches are imperfect individually it shouldn't be such a great surprise if the churches corporately reflect the imperfections of their constituents. But I am personally empowered and encouraged by attending church on a regular basis which for me consists of a small group Sunday School discussion class followed by the corporate worship service. Research seems to indicate that those who attend church regularly live longer and are healthier than those who don't. I can think of two churches I've attended in recent years that have members who have a history of 70+ years in that local congregation and these people are a total delight to be around. I'm blessed by the dedication, loyalty, and positive attitude of such people and feel it is a privilege to share fellowship with them.

I find the Word of God for me in the Bible, especially as I read it looking for the deep spiritual meaning instead of getting hung up on literalism as some do. I think that those who approach the Bible from a fundamentalist perspective often miss out on much of the beauty of the scriptures as well as the joy of discovery. My soul is fed with rich morsels from the Lord's table through my study of scripture and of books and literature that shed light on its deeper meanings. God has provided many gifted expositors of scripture that I want to be a part of my life. My journey with the Bible since it started in 1951 has been joyous and exciting. I give glory to God for that. I believe those who are hungry for God in their lives will find the Bible to be a great blessing. I recommend it very highly.

I seek to be loving and accepting of all of my fellow human beings. I must say that I've suffered more criticism and have been bashed by highly religious people far more than the nonreligious. Often the religious have felt threatened by my free-thinking and spirit of open-mindedness and my desire to ask questions, learn, and unlearn when I feel it necessary. I go on my way doing what I feel God has called me to do in life and give others the freedom to do the same. If people choose to reject me for being more open and accepting that is their issue and not mine. I continue to love my critics and to extend kindness to them whenever possible. I've found this works very well, especially over the long haul. Sometimes those who criticized me have changed their mind over a period of time. I rejoice when reconciliation is experienced and seek for it as much as I can.

I think that it is more important to experience God and to know His Presence in our lives than it is to bicker about religion and spirituality (John 17:3). More than anything else in the world, I just am thankful for the sense of the Reality of God's Presence in my life. There is nothing more important and precious to me than this. I desire to share that Presence with others in any way that I possibly can. That is the essential focus of my life more than anything else. Nothing that this world could offer would ever equal it. The quote below says it all:

"The real search for all people is for God. They may think they are looking for other things, but they must eventually admit that it is God they seek."

Charles Fillmore

[This was written by Tom Durst on May 20, 2005 and is part of an ongoing series. I welcome responses from readers. Let me know if you want to be on my email list.

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