May 31, 2006
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We have all been conditioned from a young age to believe that our religion is the true religion. A Christian believes her religion is the only true religion in the world, all other religions are false. Not only that she believes this to be true, she may also believe that her denomination is the only true denomination that represents Christianity, all other denominations are false. This same belief applies with the Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim.
I have been thinking about organized religions and the beliefs they are teaching. There are advantages and disadvantages in having organized religion. Organized religions provide great tools in helping me finding the true religion. Organized religions act as rafts to help me get over to the other side of the river. At some point, I just have to find the courage to let the rafts go because the journey takes longer time with me hauling them around. I like the concept of traveling light.
A bonsai tree grows older but not taller because its roots have been pruned. Like the bonsai tree, sometimes I feel that religions have stunt our growth by pruning our roots. These include our doubts and our own nature. Having doubts allow us to grow taller, to experience, to inquire. When our own nature is being condemned or pruned, how can we flow, grow, and learn to take our own course in life? Without these roots, we know nothing about our own depths. We will remain superficial human being, with no profundity, and no authenticity. We need to nurture all the roots we have to anchor the storms of life.
Comments (3)
agreed.
Yes. I strongly believe that organized religions create followers and not seekers. They are harmful to the process of spiritual growth, especially when you are expected to “have faith” in what you’re taught with out question. It is an easy path through a dark forest, that may in the end lead to nowhere.
LOL! You would bring up roots! I have been diging up privit hedge roots for months now!