As I sit in prayer this morning, I feel the presence of our Spiritual Family, each of us holding the others in Love and support. Thank you for you loving care of one another, and for the Love you offer in my life.

Last week I had a question posed that sparked some contemplation. I would like to share the thoughts that came forward around spirituality, religion, theology, and dogma. It seems as though many of us have had experiences with some form of organized teaching when we were children. Some of our experiences have been blessings all along, and some have created difficulties that have prevented us from continuing in our childhood traditions. Not that there is any rule saying we are meant to continue in the teachings of our childhood. My concern is that we sometimes throw the baby out with the bath water. We feel a sense of disagreement with, or even wounding by, our past religious experiences. Rather than looking for and keeping the parts that supported us and throwing out the rest, we build judgment around what we perceive as the whole mess.

I would like to clarify some terminology…words that tend to serve as triggers for those who have had negative religious experiences, particularly those inflicted by various branches of the Christian church. By clarifying our words, maybe we can come to a new understanding.

Let’s start with spirituality. In New Thought, we hear people saying, “I’m spiritual, not religious.” We believe that there is only One Thing going on here, and that One Thing is God taking form as all that is. If that is so, then everything is of a spiritual nature. That said, our spirituality is simply our awareness, our felt sense, that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. When we refer to ourselves as spiritual, but not religious, what we are saying is that we don’t follow a particular theology or dogma.

Let’s take a look at the word religious. What does it mean? Again, we get it confused with dogma. The Latin roots tell us that the true meaning of religious is that which reconnects us. So, spirituality is our inner knowing that we are part of some greater Truth, and religion is the particular set of practices we choose to reconnect us with that Truth.

So where does theology fit in? What is it, and where does it fit into our understanding of our spiritual lives? Theology, in its modern usage, means the study of God. The roots take us back to the word of God. And dogma, often confused with either religion or theology, is the set of man-made rules that leaders of a particular faith path have developed to serve as a set of guidelines, as a framework for people to refer to as they attempt to follow a particular spiritual path. Dogma, from its Latin roots, means opinion. So the main difference between theology and dogma is that theology speaks to us of Spiritual Truth and leads us in a course of study of that Truth. And dogma consists of rules made by people, based on the opinions of other humans, about that theology.

How is this helpful? First of all, we can release any resistance we may have around the idea of organized religion. (One of my Minister friends often asks, “Does this look organized to you?”) Humor aside, organized religion is simply a group of people who are of like mind and who wish to hold similar spiritual practices in community. A spiritual organization need not have dogma. It will, if it celebrates the Presence of God in our lives, have a theology. But again, that is only the course of study one chooses to explore Spiritual Truth.

Unfortunately, religious institutions have abused the power we have granted them. They have used dogma to try to gain and maintain control; to convince people that they are bad, and can never be good, no matter what they do; and worse yet, that punishment comes from outside of us, from a wrathful, vengeful God. This is not the Truth, only one worldview. But people become fearful, and that fear continues to create unpleasant experiences in their lives, experiences that seem to provide evidence that this worldview is accurate. It’s a vicious cycle.

Fortunately, there seems to be a shift happening, away from such legalistic and punitive teachings to the Truth that the Master Teacher Yeshua (and the Beatles) brought into the world: All You Need is Love. We are learning that forgiveness of a sin or mistake happens when one forgives himself…accepts it as a decision that was not grounded in Spirit, and starts again with the intention to stay in alignment the next time.

 This country was (partially) formed by people seeking freedom from religious persecution. We are each free to claim and know ourselves as an adherent of whatever faith path we choose. It is my heartfelt prayer that we do so without the baggage that past experience has left on our doorsteps. I  know that over time, for reasons of maintaining order, or even power and control, dogma can develop within any religious group; but with awareness, I need not take part in that aspect of any organization. I  realize that making a choice to practice a religion does not hold me to living according to each and every tenet of that faith path. I believe that at the heart of every theology there is only Love. I choose to practice as an expanded Christian…one who practices the Love taught by Jesus, but not the dogma developed by bishops, priests, and ministers  much later on.

For reasons unbeknownst to me, New Thought tends to attract a lot of ex-Catholics. Maybe there are simply  a lot of ex-Catholics around. I see many who have crossed my path moving into expanded-Catholic status, claiming some of the ritual, ceremony, and practices that touch their hearts, and leaving the dogma behind.

I believe that this is the future of religion…the practice of Love and devotion to God, to self, and to others; and the sharing and celebration of the beautiful, heart-opening rituals and ceremonies offered by all religions. I am honored to be a leader in a tradition that is open to, and honors, Spiritual Truth in all of its forms, and the many, many paths that lead us to find our Home in Spirit.

May we all be well…stay in touch…know our unity…and thrive!

And may we know the Absolute Beauty and Wonder of this Grace-filled, once-in-a lifetime day…