I believe that faith resides in the hearts and souls of human beings. It is that which ideally guides our deeds…that which guides the talk we talk and the walk we walk. Regular readers of this blog know that I am spiritual but not always a fan of organized religion. My primary struggle with organized religion is that it often tends to have an element of exclusivity and I don’t believe in exclusivity when it applies to God’s grace and redemption.
Yet, having said the above – I do appreciate the value so many folks find in the brotherhood of organized religion and the strength of community that lives within most churches. I personally have always fancied my church as being all that surrounds me and my brethren as those that cross my life path. I believe that we all have a piece of divinity within us as children of God.
I don’t do well with folks who are judgmental, particularly those who cloak that behavior in religion. I find that to be incongruent with God’s message of love, grace and redemption and I struggle with that behavior. I really struggle with it when I see folks I know and love affected by this type of judgmental behavior.
I am not a fan of the holier than thou crowd. I think that they will have some explanin’ to do when they meet their maker, but I try to still respect their beliefs and not judge them. On this last day of 2010 I offer a prayer for those who judge others and who seek to distance others from God in their own march to be closer to God. I hope that they realize that true divinity in themselves lies in their ability to embrace the divinity within others. We are all children of God – are we not? That means that we are all divine in our own right and have the challenge of living up to our divine potential; therefore, no one is holier than thou…really we are all just as holy as thou.
I wish all of you a 2011 filled with both a recognition of your own divinity and the divinity in others.
Day five hundred and forty-three of the new forty – obla di obla da
Ms. C
THE NEW FORTY 
Interesting read.
I was told as a child, when you point a finger at someone….there are 3 pointing back at you…..
I am a “fan” of organized religion. IMO, people need to find a “church” that speaks to them, that makes them feel welcome and at home.
To some degree there is “exclusivity” in every form of religion. For example, take Christianity; there are more denominations than I can count. They disagree on small, minute philosophies or doctrine. But they are “exclusive” compared to each other.
Look at any great religion: Islam,Buddhism, Hinduism, Judiasm, Taoist, Confusism……or more specifically take the 3 monotheistic religions: Christianity-Islam-Judiasm. All very similar in that they define Abraham with their beginning but all very different and……”exclusive” in their own right.
Exclusive is not bad…it depends on the definition being used.
My tae kwon do club is exclusive…….
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Ya funny how you bring this up, as I was a kid growing up baptist, there was the neighbor lady who was like you put it holier then now…she didnt like catholics….often said how they are wrong…….oh was it a shock to the neighbor hood when her daughter married a catholic. She actually just passed away last week. She would say anything and everything etc….in the community where I grew up, the back door of the bar was known as the baptists door.
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Thank you. Absolutely perfectly said. All the best to you in 2011.
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My primary struggle with organized religion is that it often tends to have an element of exclusivity and I don’t believe in exclusivity when it applies to God’s grace and redemption.
I agree with you.
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