THERE ARE LOTS OF MEANINGS AND DIFFERENTIATIONS THAT YOU CAN FIND EVERYWHERE BETWEEN RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY, HOWEVER, WHAT I AM JUST GOING TO SHARE TODAY ARE THE ONES THAT REALLY RESONATES WITH ME WHILE I AM JUST TRANSITIONING MYSELF FROM HAVING A RELIGION WHICH IS CATHOLICISM TO SPIRITUALITY.
LET ME TELL YOU GUYS FIRST ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE ABOUT HAVING A RELIGION BEFORE I BECOME CONSCIOUS ABOUT SPIRITUALITY.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED CATHOLIC IN THE PHILIPPINES. MY MOM IS VERY RELIGIOUS MY DAD IS NOT SO MUCH BUT HE TAUGHT ME TO FOLLOW THE GOLDEN RULE. WHICH IS “DO NOT DO UNTO OTHERS WHAT YOU DON’T WANT THEM DO UNTO YOU” —CONFUCIUS. MY MOM TAUGHT ME HOW TO PRAY AND TELL ME TO GO TO CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY WITH HER. I ATTENDED PRIVATE CATHOLIC SCHOOL FROM ELEMENTARY UNTIL HIGH SCHOOL. AND I REMEMBER AT ONE POINT I WAS BEST IN RELIGION IN MY CLASS.
BUT AS I GREW OLDER I STARTED QUESTIONING ALOT OF THINGS ABOUT RELIGION AND CHURCH. I START NOTICING THE HYPOCRISY AND CONTROVERSIES THAT TAKES PLACE IN AND OUTSIDE CHURCHES WHICH ADDED MORE TO THE REASONS WHY I GET DISCOURAGE TO GO TO CHURCH.
UNTIL ONE DAY, I REALIZED THAT THE ONLY REASON WHY I STILL GO TO CHURCH WITH MY MOM IS BECAUSE I FELT BAD TO LET HER GO ALONE. BECAUSE THAT’S THE ONLY TIME SOMETIMES WE CAN HANG OUT TOGETHER CONSIDERING WE BOTH WORK ALOT. BUT, I TOLD HER THE TRUTH THAT I DON’T WANT TO GO TO CHURCH WITH HER ANYMORE.
I KNOW SHE WASN’T HAPPY ABOUT MY DECISION YET, SHE JUST LET ME BE AND RESPECTED MY DECISION. IN RETURN, I DECIDED TO STILL GO WITH HER IN THE CHURCH EVERY CHRISTMAS DAY AND ON SEVERAL SPECIAL OCCASIONS.
FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AFTER I QUIT GOING TO CATHOLIC CHURCH I TRIED GOING TO OTHER CHURCHES AS WELL . BECAUSE I THOUGHT IF I CAN’T FIND SOME ANSWERS AND CLARITY TO MY QUESTIONS, BY GOING INTO CATHOLIC CHURCH I’LL PROBABLY FIND IT EVENTUALLY SOMEWHERE ELSE BY GOING TO DIFFERENT CHURCHES OR BY JOINING DIFFERENT RELIGIONS.
YET, I STILL DIDN’T FIND ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS, I STILL FEEL LIKE I AM TRAPPED IN A MAZE AND STILL IN A PROCESS OF FIGURING OUT HOW CAN I ESCAPE. SO I DECIDED TO JUST STOP LOOKING FOR ANSWERS AND AS I LET GO THAT’S WHEN I STARTED TO LEARN AND EXPERIENCE MORE THINGS . NOT VERY LONG UNTIL I FOUND ANSWERS TO MY QUESTION THAT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO CONNECT WITH GOD AND NOT ONLY THROUGH HAVING A RELIGION OR NOT JUST BY GOING TO CHURCH.
SO LET’S BEGIN WITH SPIRITUALITY FIRST
SPIRITUALITY:
IT IS NOT BASED ON FAITH. IT IS BASED ON DIRECT EXPERIENCES OF SOMETHING BEYOND YOUR 5 SENSES, SOMETHING BEYOND YOUR ORDINARY WORLD OR NON ORDINARY STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS. IT IS A DIRECT EXPERIENCES OF GOD, ANGELS, STILLNESS, NATURE, AND THE WHOLE ENTIRE UNIVERSE. THIS IS WHY SPIRITUAL PEOPLE DON’T NEED FAITH BECAUSE DIRECT EXPERIENCES TRANSCENDS FAITH.
SECOND, IT IS INWARD FOCUSED FROM IN (WITHIN) YOURSELF TO OUT (OUTSIDE) YOURSELF. YOU ARE NOT TAKING THE TRUTH OR INFORMATION FROM OTHERS. IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW MUCH VIDEOS YOU WATCH, OR LISTEN TO SPIRITUAL COACHES, GURUS OR READ BOOKS ABOUT SPIRITUALITY. ULTIMATELY, YOU CAN STILL GET MOST OF THE INFORMATION OR YOUR TRUTH BY LISTENING TO YOUR OWN SOUL MAP WHICH IS YOUR INTUITION AND BY ALIGNING WITH YOUR SOURCE.
THIRD, IT IS NOT BASED ON SET OF RULES. YOU ARE THE ONE WHO SET THE RULES BASED ON YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. (NO ONE IS TELLING YOU THAT YOU ARE OBLIGATED TO GIVE MONEY OR DONATE EVERY WEEK OR EVERY MONTH FROM YOUR PAYCHECK)
FOURTH, IT IS FREEDOM BASED. YOU HAVE YOUR FULL PERSONAL SOVEREIGNTY AND YOU ARE FOLLOWING YOUR HEART, NO ONE IS TELLING YOU WHAT, WHEN, WHERE AND HOW TO DO THINGS. YOU ARE THE HERDSMAN AND YOU ARE NOT THE SHEEP, YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF YOUR OWN LIFE AND EXPERIENCES.
IT IS BASED ON LOVE, UNITY AND ACCEPTANCE. (NO ONE IS TELLING YOU THAT YOU CAN ONLY BE WITH THE PERSON THAT HAS THE SAME RELIGION AS YOU, OR YOU HAVE TO DO CERTAIN SPECIFIC THINGS JUST TO GO TO HEAVEN AND IF NOT, YOU WILL BE PUNISH OR YOU WILL GO TO HELL, OR ANOTHER EXAMPLE, IF YOU DON’T BELONG TO THEIR RELIGION IT MEANS YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE SAVED THAT ONLY PEOPLE IN THAT RELIGION WILL BE SAVED).
RELIGION
IT IS BASED ON FAITH INSTEAD OF DIRECT AND OR INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES.
IT IS MORE OUTWARDLY FOCUSED FROM OUT (OUTSIDE)YOURSELF TO IN (WITHIN)YOURSELF. YOU TAKE MOST OF THE INFORMATION OR TEACHINGS FROM PASTORS, RABIIS PRIESTS OR FROM OTHER RELIGIOUS LEADERS IN THE CHURCH.
IT IS BASED ON SET OF ORGANIZED RULES DEVELOPED BY OTHER PEOPLE OR SCRIPTURES THAT WRITTEN BY PEOPLE .
IT IS NOT FREEDOM BASED AND NO FULL SOVEREIGNTY. YOU HAVE TO ABIDE COMMANDS AND CHURCH POLICIES FROM RELIGIOUS LEADERS OR ELSE YOU CAN GET KICK OUT OF THE CHRUCH
IT IS MOSTLY FEAR BASED AND ABOUT SEPARATION THAN LOVE, UNITY AND ACCEPTANCE.