Losing Their Religion

pt. 2 Questions are asked.

As you know from my background, I grew up with a strong Christian "training." When I moved out of my parents house, I suddenly had the freedom to explore my spirituality. At the time I had moved to Lafayette, and began to settle in to it's "laid back yet somewhat-progressive" atmosphere, I had already asked some questions. They were cracking the shell of the myths I agreed to believe as fact. Most of the questions were sparked from the highschool and early college debates we would have on which religion is better, or whether God exists or not. Those debates suddenly seemed pointless after I asked this question:
Why are the outcomes of these subjects, and others like them, always inevitably futile?
The answer:

1) The majority of religions teach that their path is the only true path.

2a)Many of the people in the discussions have not educated themselves on the subjects, they only debate what has been ingrained in their mind, which most often is; "faith can not be questioned or reasoned with." Hence, the failure to communicate the roots of their belief structure, which is most important. It is very difficult to fully understand any writing if you do not understand the context in which it was written, and to understand you must ask questions.

2b)Most religions teach of supernatural beings, of which there are many stories but no solid proof.

3)Most religions teach to reject anything that is not of their specific religion.

I would watch, and sometimes participate, in those debates that would loop for hours. The same arguments would come up many times over. I would joke, at times, by saying, "Hey, I'm going to have a religious debate.", then I would run around in circles.
I began to wonder:
What could be the thing that would cause these discussions to go into a direction of agreement?
My answer: a common ground.
I felt that both sides should compare rather than contrast in their debates on religion. I later began to see spirituality as a piece of fabric, and religion as the pattern on the fabric. The idea is to look at the differences and weed those out, resulting in a match of ideas, i.e. The Truth. This would become the method I would use to investigate all my future inquiries; and later, build my spirituality from.

I read a few different versions of the Bible, the Koran, I Ching, and other religious text and literature, including many Native American and tribal ideas on the subject matter. Many of the ideas were similar, most of the differences had to do with history and the details of the supernatural being(s). The main similarity is LOVE. Love for one's self, for other people, and most importantly, love for everything surrounding you. The Beatles had it right, "All you need is love. Love is all you need." Love has always been a great thing to focus spirituality on.

So, again, what is my spirituality?
It is simple, dynamic and adaptable to situations.
It is love and compassion.
It is being non-judgmental.
It is patience.
It is going with the flow of the natural order and cycle of life.
It is understanding and accepting.
It is silence.
It is respect.
It is moderation.
It is truthfulness.
It is acknowledging the surroundings.
It is responsibility.
It is laughing and good times.
It is being content.

By remembering and practicing these principles as frequent as possible, I have seen significant change in my life. Life has almost become effortless. I know that things that are supposed to happen, will happen. This does not mean, however, that one should turn into a spineless, unsociable, wimp and wait for everything to fall in their lap, because not everything will. A certain amount of wanting and aggressiveness is needed to survive in this life, but taking a step back and thoroughly examining the situation, before you act, should be the procedure taken. Decisions and actions made in haste often end in turmoil. If and when a situation arises where a quick decision, and speedy action needs to be taken, always look to your instinct, that is what it is there for.

My spirituality may not seem like true spirituality, but it is. By living my life in this way, I am able to connect to the energy, the soul, of everything around me. I believe God is the amalgamation of the energies of everything. God is the sum total of everything that exists. If you hate, despise, or discriminate against anything, then you do not have God. Also, if you live for the after life, you are sure to be unhappy and possibly disappointed. I don't know if "Heaven" and "Hell" exist, I am skeptical about the whole thing, because the same people that came up with the idea of these places are the same people that believed that Earth was flat, and not bathing is good for you.

I hope that this has been helpful. It is important that everyone remember and understand that happiness, peacefulness, contentment, and all of the other good stuff comes from you. The best way to change something is to start with yourself. Also, I like to remember karma. Whatever you give, you get back.

Peace, Love, and Patience.

I would appreciate if you would leave me comments and questions about this subject. My email is stark.tim@gmail.com. I am planning on writing a third part to this series, it will contain books I have read that have influenced me, and answers to specific questions that people ask me.