Is religion passé?

Christian blogger Michael Bell recently found his blog linked in a Drudge Report headline because his series on “The Coming Evangelical Collapse” had aroused interest – probably not all of it favorable.

Though we probably disagree on the reasons, I thoroughly agree with Mr. Bell’s premise. In fact, I would go a bit farther and postulate that religion of all stripes is on the way out as part of the ongoing Paradigm Shift.

As we approach the peak holy season for Christianity, it’s a great time to review the reasons that led to my own departure from the Faithful Fold. You see, I once counted myself as one with the Evangelicals – with a bit of Fundamentalism and Pentecostalism thrown in for good measure. And though I am loathe judge anyone’s beliefs from a distance, or anything with which I lack familiarity, I am more than happy J to deconstruct for your reading pleasure, that with which I am most intimately experienced.

Religion thrives because people seek to connect with an elusive part of themselves; that which we identify as “The Divine”. While to be a seeker is a good thing, religion unfortunately claims to have all the answers, and thus places a quick damper on further seeking.

I would have no quarrel with religious practice that holds no claim to exclusivity. Some find value in liturgy and ritual, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Religion that honestly recognizes that it promotes one possible understanding of the Divine among many, would not discourage the seeker from continuing the quest. The adherents of such a religion would be able to realize whatever beneficial aspects to be found, without their spiritual quest being locked into a dead-end.

My main objection to religion, and to Christianity in specific, is that it tends to discourage spiritual inquiry and discovery. Though generally thought of as being spiritual, Christianity actually contains elements of materialist philosophy.

Oh sure, belief in God and the Afterlife is considered spiritual, as opposed to the secularist view that physical reality is all that exists. However, very little attention is given to the dynamics of the Soul, and its reasons for incarnation into flesh. Believers are taught to fear an invisible God in the sky, and to follow the Church’s creed, or risk damnation in the afterlife. The end result is a life lived within the narrow confines of dogma, with the expectation that the afterlife will merely be an extension of physical life in another location (heaven or hell).

Summary of Common Errors within Christianity

1. The belief that God is external from creation
2. The belief that God wants humans to live and behave in a certain way, and is angry at humans for deviating from this standard (“sin”), and will punish this.
3. The belief that our souls are created at human conception, and we live only one life, upon which our eternity thereafter is judged and determined.
4. The belief that the God of each particular religion is the only “true” God, and the God worshipped by those with different beliefs is false.
5. The nature and description of God is compiled from projections of human-like emotional traits, such as anger and jealousy.
6. The “God is Love – God is Vengeance” dichotomy establishes a very dysfunctional model of parent-child relationship.
7. Rather then empowering the believer to reach one’s potential, Christianity teaches powerlessness and dependence.
8. The belief in duality – that the universe is divided between “two kingdoms”, that of Good and Evil.
9. The belief in Armageddon – That God is soon coming to shred and destroy the world and all the wicked within, and He is going to be very pissed!

Rather than encourage the seeker to understand who we really are (as souls), the focus is on adherence to a narrow creed.

Rather than understand the challenges of life for what they truly are (choices made by the soul for growth and experience), believers are taught to blame every bad thing on “The Devil”.

Rather than encourage believers to expand their understanding of spiritual issues, they are told that anything outside of the official viewpoint is “of the Devil”.

Next: A profile of what true spirituality means.

-Darkwave