Are the Teachings of Religions Becoming Irrelevant?
Posted: Wednesday, June 02, 2010
by Judy Merrill
Spiritual Wisdom
The exodus from the mainstream churches and synagogues is a clear and concise indication of the irrelevancy of the old outdated teachings of their respective religious followings. The churches and temples can take responsibility also for the lack of interest that the current populace has in religious thinking as a whole. The people are concerned and maybe even frightened off by the religious teachings of the past.
New Thought religious groups have arisen. Unfortunately, they tend to want to bring the old outdated book along with them and try to put a new spin on it. The books of the Bible have been interpreted by each and every age. And still the message is found wanting in its approach to human affairs. New Thought has not reconciled the irrelevant and outdated teachings with the new times we live in for a more updated version of religion.
Many psychic and spiritual not religious thinking has arisen that tends to open the seeker to so much more in the universe. It gives them something else to use in their search for answers to life's questions. And isn't that a responsibility of religious teachings?
With the industrial revolution of the mid 1800s people were freed from their labour intensive work to have more time to examine their lives and what they chose to put into them by way of thinking and religion. In this atmosphere of trying to outlive the old and bring in the new, many religious groups were formed that emphasized the spirituality of the individual, as well as the group responsibilities to each other.
Eastern philosophies of religious thought tended to take a journey into the western thought patterns. They brought the ideas of human oneness under one deity. As the new age thinkers got a hold on these ideas, they tended to take an ego turn into the importance of human being and its acceptance. And with it a full swing away from the outdated teachings.
Through all this new information came Spiritualism as a science, philosophy and religion. It uses science to investigate and understand our lives as we live on earth. But it opened the mind to more philosophies and truths that the old could teach. At the same time as a religion allowing the individual spirituality growth to be accomplished in the seeking after God in our lives.
As the old dated teachings of religion become irrelevant to human affairs, it will be replaced by the new, more modern thinking that sees a place for us all to grow and progress through thoughts on religion as well as science and philosophy. The truth never dies. It does not even change for each generation. What does change are the ideas of old fashioned methods and ceremonies that no longer keep us trapped in someone else's ideas of God.
Principle #5: Personal Responsibility (taken from Modern Spiritualism - the science, philosophy, religion for life).
The majority of people seem to be sheep. Always willing to follow the latest fad in religious thought, as much as any fad in clothing, hair style, or even life style. Tell them that they have personal responsibility for their lives and the run to find the nearest person to tell them what to do.
The harder life gets, the lowest ebb of our economic scale, the more we want answers. And that is when we most want those answers from either self-proclaimed or seen to be experts in the field. When the economy is functioning well and we have food on the table, a roof over our heads and new clothes to wear, we don't listen to anyone about sharing or caring.
The harder the life the richer those willing to take on these responsibilities for others. Just ask the local psychics how they are doing! Someone to give the answers when we are too lazy to seek them in ourselves.
And those new thought or spiritual churches that proclaim this principle of personal responsibility, what is their responsibility to these sheep? Just like the old time religions are they just seeking to fleece the unwary?
Our world seems to be based and functioning on material vibrations. The one with the most toys at the end wins! Is this really a goal to attain? After all, in all religious thought concerning the after life we are told, you can't take it with you. And then how does it affect the deceased to see how their wealth is squandered by their relatives and friends?
Lets get down to basics. We are here to live a life that teaches spiritual lessons.
Perhaps in exercising our personal responsibility, we need to ask also, how does this enhance my spiritual being? Each and every experience is designed to give us an opportunity to grow spiritually.
We can pay lip service to our life's experiences. Or we can take them deep within our being to the spirit and see how they enhance us as individuals. For it is only self who can change self, when all is said and done.
Socrates said it best: Know Thyself!
In understanding our own willingness to stand up and be counted in personal responsibility we can see who we are and where we are going in life's lessons. As soon as we think a single thought that says someone else is to blame for our life, we have let go our own personal responsibility.
Was it a philosopher who said: An unexamined life is not worth living? We can examine all our thoughts, even as they flow, to see how they enhance us as individuals. And perhaps, too, how this fits in with a plan of oneness of all humanity.
God is spirit! This is the spark of the divine in each of us. We are spirit even while encased in this material body. As we function we have the opportunity to face all our life challenges in spirit and in truth. That would be taking responsibility for all our learning and growing.
After all is said and done, the spirit body continues into the finer vibration as light. That light can only shine with our personal experiences when we have faced them with responsibility and in truth and in honor.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)I enjoyed reading your article, Judy. Thanks for sharing your own philosophy.
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