Interfaith Spirit Quest

Religion and Spirituality

Religion:

Religion offers the potential of faith, trust and assurance in that which transcends humanity. Religion is the human response to the tug of our spiritual natures, creating conditioned responses conducive to the development of a well-balanced and majestic personality, the supreme purpose of life. Right conditioning creates substantial opportunities for getting in touch with our spirituality.

Spirituality:

Spirituality is an experience of the realization of the existence of God. This realization creates the next opportunity for further and deeper realization about the nature of God.

The potential of religion is the spiritual awareness of and communion with God.

Q1: How do the above definitions compare with your understanding of religion and spirituality?

Note: Questions 1 thru 5 are for group discussion or personal reflection.

All inner communication directed toward hopeful anticipation of assistance and guidance is spiritual communication with the divine realm (God, Jesus, Creator, Angels and other such beings beyond this human world). Without a certain reverence, respect, awe, longing and attitude of holiness toward this divine realm; we can hardly hope to develop spiritual insight. True religion is almost indescribable, but is completely understood by the one who has experienced spiritual rebirth. True religion is an experience between the individual and the spiritual realm. It is not in any way connected to a particular religious philosophy or doctrine. The one that can say 'I have felt God, it was rational, it was real and it was true' has received spiritual insight. This individual then seeks out others who may have had similar experiences and they create a religion or club based on these shared experiences. These individual experiences and their many interpretations are one of the reasons for the high number of religious denominations (Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and on and on).

Faith, validated by spiritual experience, is the proof of religion. Science cannot touch this, at least not yet. But then again, science has always been focused on the material – that which can be seen with the naked or telescopic eye and through experimentation and observation. However, some in the scientific community appear to be showing signs of hope for the spiritually minded; recent scientific research appears to be willing to consider a dimension of the unseen into their thought processes. Perhaps it depends on whether the scientist has had the spiritual rebirth described above.

Q2: What do you think we mean when we say “science cannot touch this”?

1. This has to do with the rap song 'You can't touch this'?

2. We are safe in our faith because science can never disprove the spiritual experience?

3. Scientists are not yet able to create a condition where something besides the human spirit can experience faith?

4. 2 and 3.

5. All of the above.

Religion and spirituality have evolved and will continue to do so. There are several human approaches to the development of a religious philosophy:

1. Acceptance of human authority, satisfied to conform to traditional religious practices and theological doctrines.

2. Mediocre achievement satisfaction level, fearful of losing what little they have attained, they suspend the pursuit of the majestic.

3. High level of intelligent spirituality, but fearfully enslaved to their culture, whether religious, philosophical or science-minded.

4. The free one, the one who dares to believe in their own personal experiences, lives in truth, thinks fearlessly, acts majestically and wisely, and is not enslaved or handicapped by culture or tradition.

Number 5, the next step in our conscious evolution, has yet to evolve on a very large scale, but includes the ability to allow faith in one's own experiences to shape their lives and motivate their actions. Faith releases, liberates, nobilizes (produces fine character), exalts and expands our creative imagination; and produces a religion and spirituality of sublime peace, profound conviction and enriched human living. In order for us to have a real religious and spiritual experience, we must seek it (Seek and you shall find.). Faith, unlike the physical mind, cannot be enhanced or nourished by science or philosophy; it develops gradually through personal experience.

Q3: How do we develop a faith that releases, liberates, nobilizes, exalts and expands our creative imagination?

True religious and spiritual experiences produce faith in God, which produces love, which motivates and shapes our lives. This type of faith courageously and successfully withstands the attacks of the unaware and unbelieving scientist, atheistic philosopher and Godless religious organization members. Your unshakable, unmovable faith will challenge even the most unenlightened, ardent opponent. Science and philosophy are good, even desirable, so long as they do not oppose your rational and true personal experiences.

Q4: Do you have doubts about your personal religious and spiritual experiences?

Theological doctrine (organized religion) is our attempt to explain the unexplainable, to define and institutionalize the personal experiences of the spiritualized individual. Sometimes in some areas we get it right, but obviously, with so many denominations out there, some get it wrong sometimes. Theological doctrine carries us only so far, after that we're on our own. Belief in a system is limited, experience which produces faith is expanding, it sets us free. The bridge between human wisdom and Godly wisdom is one we must cross on our own – this is the faith factor. Fear prevents many from crossing, what we really need is a sense of adventure, a rebirth, push yourself to get out of the earthly womb (atmosphere) so you can experience the joy of true religion and spirituality. God is with you and can be known by you.

Q5: Are we free to explore our spirituality and trust our religious experiences? What are some barriers that keep us from doing so?

Note: Questions 1 thru 5 are for group discussion or personal reflection.

Movie Review: CANVAS - Coping with Mental Illness

ENRICHING HUMAN SPIRIT MOVIE:

CANVAS

Synopsis:  When Mary's (Marcia Gay Harden) mental illness puts herself and her family in jeopardy, her husband (Joe Pantoliano) and son (Devon Gearhart) helplessly watch as she is torn from the family by the police. Forced to raise a boy on his own and cope with his wife's schizophrenia, father and son learn what it is to truly be a family through a experiential knowledge of the human spirit. Inspired by a true story, this critically acclaimed and award winning film is as full of hope and humor as it is heartbreaking performances. 101 minutes.

Review:  Each of the actors plays their part with great passion and excellence. Harden is a wonderful actress and seems to capture the essence of her mental illness, schizophrenia.  Rather than focusing on some of the more severe symptoms, the film centers around the difficulties associated with having the dis-ease and how it affects family and friends.

The film is consistent with the reality of how difficult and of how long the road can be, while it encourages us to keep going, to look for the truth, beauty and goodness of each individual personality and spirit.  This is evidenced by the workmanship and the sails on the sailboat that father (Pantoliano) and son (Gearhart) build together while learning to cope with the effects of mental illness in their family. 

Treating Mental Illness:  A friend and associate, Steve, a retired Therapist, tells me he is convinced mental illness can be treated with therapy and proper medication, making life more bearable for the individual.  The problem is not over-diagnosis, but under-diagnosis.  Many people are afraid to seek help or don't believe they have a mental illness that cannot be cured by human will alone.  Mental illness is often diagnosed as a chemical imbalance, meaning that there is a direct physical correlation between the physical body and the brain that is out of sync in some way.  Steve's advice is to seek help, start with your family Doctor.  Psychotherapy and psychiatric medication are two major treatment options, as well as supportive interventions and self-help.

The integration of spirituality and mental health occurs when spiritually minded individuals and faith-based organizations are welcoming and understanding of those with any type of mental illness, providing love, support and prayers for the individual and those affected.

For more information and support - please check with your Doctor or Pastor.  General information about mental illness can also be found here:  National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) 

 Purchase the movie here:  CANVAS