| - 147.5 million Americans claim affiliation with a religious | | | | begins with a premise that is offered as truth, and |
| group | | | | every soul involved in that culture must either accept |
| - 94% of those who claim affiliation are members of | | | | that truth or 'go off in their own direction.' What is |
| Christian or quasi-Christian denominations | | | | evident in the self can always be expanded outward, |
| Every culture offers every opportunity for evaluation | | | | and just as we as individuals pursue our own truth, |
| on the part of the individual as to whether the | | | | so groups (or churches, or religions) pursue theirs. |
| spiritual beliefs which that culture encompasses are | | | | Eventually, we all end up in the same place, |
| spiritual beliefs that are comfortable for the individual | | | | recognizing that Universal Law is the root of all |
| living within it; it is a matter of conscious choice on | | | | religion, and the doctrines which any individual |
| the part of every individual in every lifetime to decide | | | | chooses to apply to express that Universal Law |
| for themselves whether the doctrine that is being | | | | within their own life is purely a matter of conscious |
| taught - the doctrine that is predominant throughout | | | | choice. |
| the culture - is a doctrine that 'rings true' for their | | | | No small part of the transition currently taking place is |
| inner self. | | | | a need within the group consciousness to 'get back |
| In many cases, individuals have found that the | | | | to' the point from which we started: recognizing that |
| doctrine advocated by the Christian sect which | | | | Universal Law is the root of every major belief |
| constituted their upbringing did not 'pass the test' of | | | | system on the planet, and the only difference |
| meeting the requirements for being the spiritual | | | | between 'what you believe' and 'what I believe' is the |
| foundation on which their lives were based, and - as | | | | way we choose to express our spirituality on a daily |
| a result - many individuals have turned their backs on | | | | basis. We have all become lost in the doctrine of the |
| the Christian faith that dominates their society. In | | | | various religions - including Christianity - and as a result |
| some areas, a 'cold war' has been declared, with | | | | we have failed to see that the REAL core truth |
| Christians condemning free thinkers as 'false prophets | | | | around which the various religions have been built is |
| of God' and free thinkers condemning Christians as | | | | Universal Law. |
| 'narrow-minded and judgmental.' | | | | It's no wonder that those who have chosen to |
| From both directions, this separationist attitude is | | | | express their spirituality outside of the Christian |
| inappropriate and against the Universal Law of | | | | community are often confused as to what |
| Acceptance, which recognizes both the right and the | | | | Christianity really is; we should take the time to |
| responsibility of every individual to live their life | | | | realize that many Christians feel the same way. |
| according to their own personal truth. In an all too | | | | There are a bewildering number of Christian sects, |
| human need to justify our negative attitudes | | | | each working independently of the next, and each |
| towards each other, both sides prefer to focus into | | | | confirming, through their very existence, that |
| the 'negative aspects' of the other's belief system. | | | | Christianity has played a major role over the past |
| We can only bridge the gap if we are willing to move | | | | two thousand years in providing the 'core truth' |
| beyond our emotional need to feel that 'we are right | | | | against which each generation within each culture has |
| and they are wrong' and come to recognize and | | | | sought to find their own truth. If we are willing to |
| respect the positive aspects of all belief systems - | | | | look at the Christian religion objectively, instead of |
| including Christianity. | | | | feeling threatened by it, then we will see it for the |
| Modern society has a tendency to 'categorize' groups | | | | diverse religious organization that it is, and respect |
| of people by race or religion. We seldom take the | | | | that diversity as a perfect example of willingness to |
| time to look beneath the surface to explore the | | | | go against the popular conception of 'truth' to |
| differences that make for individual truth within an | | | | express the personal relationship with God in a new |
| umbrella spiritual foundation. We may unwittingly | | | | and different way. |
| judge others simply as "Christians," using our limited | | | | Life - and the learning processes that comprise it - |
| exposure to one or two sects as our justification for | | | | follows a natural sequence, and the spiritual growth |
| our belief that "Christians are narrow-minded" or | | | | sequence offered through the 2000 year history of |
| "Christians are anti-New Age." This is the equivalent | | | | the Christian religion is one that leads to culmination in |
| of someone deciding that anyone who believes in | | | | 'one truth for all,' recognizing Universal Law as the |
| God is "just like the Muslims" or "just like the | | | | framework on which life should be built. Contrary to |
| Wiccans" or "just like the Universalists." If we truly | | | | the popular Christian perception that this "one world |
| want to create a world where people live together in | | | | religion" will be a "false religion" that will lead people |
| harmony, then we must begin with the basics, and | | | | away from Christ, the recognition of Universal Law |
| one of those basics is not only understanding but | | | | as the core truth on which all religions are structured |
| accepting belief systems that are different from our | | | | will not change anything. We will always have a |
| own. | | | | diversity of religions, through which individuals will |
| Because we have chosen to be a part of a culture in | | | | explore their spirituality in a way that is comfortable |
| which Christianity IS the primary spiritual foundation, it | | | | for them and that agrees with their 'inner truth' about |
| is our responsibility to know enough truth - as | | | | how that spirituality should be expressed. The only |
| opposed to personal expression - about Christianity | | | | thing that will change is the level of acceptance with |
| to deny or confirm its place in our spiritual foundation. | | | | which each religion views the others, and it is the lack |
| Too often, we have allowed extremists to stand in | | | | of that level of acceptance that stands in the way |
| the way of our personal pursuit of spirituality through | | | | of practical co-existence now. |
| the Christian belief system; our emotional response | | | | The purpose of any religion is to open the door to a |
| to those who judge anyone who thinks differently | | | | higher awareness of the role that God intended them |
| than they do is a major obstacle to peaceful | | | | to play in life, and a higher understanding of the way |
| co-existence. Both factors say, "Judge not, lest ye | | | | God intended life to be. Christ taught Universal Law, |
| be judged." Both factors DO judge the other as | | | | but through the centuries, many of Christ's teachings |
| 'wrong.' On both sides, we are not living according to | | | | have been twisted, and it is disagreement within the |
| what we say we believe: our actions and our | | | | Christian community as to 'what teachings were |
| attitudes are in direct conflict with our words. | | | | twisted when' which has historically been the driving |
| There is a common bond that neither side recognizes: | | | | force behind the establishment of new sects. |
| there is no such things as "a Christian," anymore than | | | | I would remind you of a basic thought that is too |
| there is such a thing as "a new-ager." The strength | | | | often lost in the doctrine today, and that is that |
| of the Christian religion (and 1.5 billion adherents | | | | there was no 'Christian church' during Christ's lifetime. |
| world-wide - one in three adults in the world - DOES | | | | Christ chose not to teach in the synagogues; instead, |
| constitute strength!) lies not in a passive acceptance | | | | he taught informally, sitting on the grass, or standing |
| of doctrine as it has been taught by the Church over | | | | on a mountain, or sitting in someone's house, and it |
| the centuries, but in a continual need on the part of | | | | was the followers of Christ who established the |
| the followers to break away from the predominating | | | | Church and in turn established the doctrine that would |
| belief system and 'find and follow their own truth.' | | | | govern that church. The Catholic Church - and I |
| Depending on the source you turn to, there are | | | | would remind you that the Latin phrase for 'universal' |
| between 200 and 1000 Christian sects registered in | | | | is 'catholic' - was the original Christian church, and the |
| this country alone. | | | | majority of individuals within the first one hundred |
| Such diversity in beliefs has not been accomplished | | | | years after the death of Christ were a very loose |
| passively, and the reception to the changes | | | | congregation of individuals who saw the church as an |
| advocated by each budding denomination was similar | | | | opportunity for fellowship and interactions with other |
| to - but much more intense than - the reception | | | | followers of Christ's teachings, much as today's |
| being given by the 'core Christians' to those free | | | | seekers congregate loosely in their personal pursuit |
| thinkers who are seeking a new truth that will, | | | | of truth. |
| inevitably, threaten the position of the core. It has | | | | Having been born into a culture in which Christianity is |
| been - and will continue to be - an ongoing cycle, a | | | | the predominant religion, we cannot hope to come to |
| cycle that is not exclusive to the Christian faith. | | | | terms with our own spiritual foundation unless we are |
| Every major religion in the world experiences this | | | | willing to work with the learning tool that Christianity |
| cycle, in which a basic truth on which the religion is | | | | provides when it serves as the catalyst for |
| built serves as the catalyst for spiritual evaluation on | | | | confirmation of our own belief structure. We must be |
| the part of the followers, and - inevitably - the | | | | willing to move our focus away from those 'die-hard' |
| catalyst goes in one of two directions: either an | | | | individuals who fear change in any form, and focus, |
| individual agrees with the truth offered, and "follows," | | | | instead, into following the example of those who |
| or disagrees, and "leads" in a new direction toward a | | | | have come before us, and drawn their own |
| new truth. This cycle of spiritual evaluation and | | | | conclusions regarding spiritual truth in spite of Christian |
| confirmation is the purpose of organized religion: like | | | | majority within the culture, and in doing so, we must |
| most other elements of life on the physical plane, it is | | | | come to respect the fact that - as evidenced within |
| a learning tool, but it is useless if we are not willing to | | | | the diverse nature of what is all too casually referred |
| use it as the tool it was intended to be by thinking | | | | to as 'the Christian community' - the past two |
| about the truth it offers and comparing it to our own | | | | centuries have been witness to drastic changes |
| instead of ignoring it as 'inappropriate to our needs.' | | | | within 'the church' as generation after generation has |
| The order of God's universe is evident everywhere, | | | | done what it is that we are hoping to accomplish. |
| and the cycles through which the learning process | | | | They have explored, and they have found a |
| takes place are always the same, following the | | | | different truth, and they have suffered and died in |
| pattern established when the souls split into | | | | their efforts to live by that truth. |
| multi-dimensional aspects and 'left the whole' (God) in | | | | There is much to be learned about 'finding and |
| pursuit of truth. They have gone off in innumerable | | | | following your own path in life' by exploring the |
| directions as they experience on innumerable levels | | | | history of Christianity. Take responsibility. Study. |
| of existence, and it is only when they all return from | | | | Evaluate. Find your own truth, for it is only in doing |
| the deviations of truth, and their learning process has | | | | so that you can objectively explore the entity Jesus |
| been accomplished, that they all agree that Universal | | | | Christ and the role, if any, he plays in your belief |
| Law is truth, and they become a Whole again. | | | | system. |
| So it is with religion: every major religion in the world | | | | |