Many people who think they believe in God actually believe in a projection of their own mind. On the other hand, there are those who do perceive something of the reality of God within themselves and these are the only true believers because they believe in a reality not an idea. Consequently, their approach to the divine will inevitably take on something of a personal nature. It must and, what is more, it should.
Human beings exist on many levels but the great majority are focussed on physical, emotional and mental planes. They are conscious on those planes but not higher ones. A minority, though one that is growing, is awakening to higher levels and these people will often not be satisfied with an outer religion. They will seek to know God for themselves. They may make mistakes in the course of their search, and they may also be condemned by those who feel that all authority must derive from an external body, an official religion, but the law of life is growth and there is only so much spiritual growth you can obtain if you rely on outer things, whatever they are. Christ wanted us to become Christ-like ourselves, and if we talk about Christ being born in us what else can that mean other than we must seek him within? No doubt in the course of that search we will stumble and fall into illusion many times, but this is all part of the growing process. To risk going in the wrong direction is better than never to move.
It is not necessary to reject religion but it is important not to be bound by it. That is especially true for modern people who have evolved a greater sense of individuality. This is in line with God's will for his creation. We cannot become gods ourselves, which is our destiny, if we remain submerged in the group. At the same time, to be an individual in isolation is what caused Lucifer's downfall. We must grow into individuality but we must then grow beyond it, bearing in mind that each new stage includes and contains the previous which is not destroyed but incorporated in the new.
Every follower of a religion must ask himself the question, what is more important, my religion or God? Because they are not the same. Unfortunately, human nature being what it is, the religion that we give ourselves to often ends up possessing us if we are not careful and that is even more problematic now when all religions are husks of their former selves so their spiritual light does not shine directly but, as it were, through reflection. Just as those who feel they have gone beyond the need for a religion and can approach God on their own must be extremely attentive to their thoughts, feelings, motivations, egotistical impulses and prejudices so the religious must carefully discriminate between what in their religion is of God and what is of man. And there is an awful lot of man in every religion.
We follow Christ to become Christ not to remain a follower. That means that at some point on the journey we must take full spiritual responsibility for ourselves. Otherwise we will remain outside the temple. Ultimately, every man must become his own pope. There is no other way.
2 comments:
The difficulty is that many people almost wholly - and all of us to some extent - are trying (or hoping) to use of faith as the basis for living a better life. As part of this, they want to have a shared basis for devising social and political rules and structures - that would (they hope) lead to this better life.
Tis then gets mixed up with assertions (whether genuine or affected) of altruistic intent - such that some kind of public, objective, rational religion is regarded as a means to "help other people".
So, they aren't primarily interested in seeking inner religion for that reason - it could not "work" in the main way that they want and believe religion ought to work.
I also think there is a vague notion (which they would realize is not true, if they had tried it) that inner religion is "whatever you want it to be" - whereas to arrive at a *genuinely motivating and lasting* inner religion is a very rare thing indeed!
It's easy to "believe" anything we fancy, if such a belief operates just at the level of lifestyle choices, or is aimed at some kind of career. But when the chips are down and the situation is testing (as in 2020) mere wishful thinking or posing, just melts away and makes no significant difference.
A strong inner religion is a different matter, and is what we really need in tough times; especially now that "outer" religion (top-down, church led) is so corrupted, or indeed inverted.
Inner religion can certainly become what you want it to be and often does but that is because of the faults of those who pursue it. You have to learn the lessons of outer religion and have a reasonably balanced and integrated personality before you can successfully engage in inner religion. But just because there are pitfalls to the practice of inner religion does not mean it isn't essential for those who would really know something of divine reality.
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