How do you approach religion/spirituality?

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Do you look for a group that tells you what you already believe or a place that will teach you ancient truths that you may not know about/ not agree with (at first)?
 
with an iron fist and a breakfast bagel.
 
As far as assigning myself a label or membership in a 'group', I look for what lines up with my already-determined internal belief system, which has stayed the same for almost as long as I can remember. What has changed over time is the spiritual or religious term that I've used to make sense of my belief system. The more I learn about different belief systems and philosophies, the better I'm able to choose an external framework for my internal beliefs. I really enjoy learning about all types of belief systems because I never know when something profound might reveal itself to me or I'll have a light-bulb moment, incorporating something that I had never before considered into my own framework. The process, at least for me, is rather unpredictable.
 
How do you approach religion/spirituality?

-I don't. It works for some people, but it doesn't for me. My belief or disbelief does not change a thing about reality, so I don't spend much time worrying or thinking about it.
 
well i didn't set out to find any spiritual teaching as i knew little about them and pretty much generalized them as irrelevant to me at least. i was just looking for something that would give me a base in terms of understanding bc i felt confused about a lot of things and wanted a concrete answer. heck i still feel confused sometimes, but at least i feel headed in the right direction. but i thought it'd come from the purely scientific perspective as it seemed the most objective to me at the time, it just happened to be a blend of both.

as far as not agreeing i do doubt it sometimes, even beyond consciously, id suggest its healthy to. but it's part of the reason this process can take awhile i think, for me it just falls on such a personal level its bound to require some convincing. on that note bc its personal, i think its a valid reason to inquire into what i doubt, but its equally important to inquire into why i doubt it.
 
No religion. Though, religion has certainly influenced me in life. Not so much anymore though. I am now a hard agnostic. However, I am still interested in spirituality, God, and religion, and read about it often.
 
Most certainly while wearing clothes and, preferably, with a drink in my hand.
 
mf said:
How do you approach religion/spirituality?

-I don't. It works for some people, but it doesn't for me. My belief or disbelief does not change a thing about reality, so I don't spend much time worrying or thinking about it.
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I found a group that agreed with the basic foundation of my morality/spirituality/faith and that path provided many tools for me to use and many new ideas that I had not considered before. So, kind of sort of both?
 
I approach religious philosophy, not religion. Religions are organized groups of people who follow (or supposedly follow) a particular religious philosophy.

But unless I find a good reason for joining any group I'm not going to bother. I can learn what I need without joining any group.
 
i seek no group as i believe everything must come from the self, i use groups information, but most give this freely so spending time with them seems redundant as they may skew the words in the text with emotional babble. Also i come across as a prick as I question everything :) which hinders their trust in me. On reflection this looks like i am a anti-social dick but how can you contenplate whilst dealing with the human condition (namely chatter). Philosophy, i find only works with the written form (for true clarity) or people with a high disipline for listening and having no emotional bursts (this used to be monks and wisemen in times past).
 
I approach it with an open mind. And I question everything I am told.
 
I found my way within the Catholic community. Yes, yes, I know it all seems horribly restrictive and legalistic but I think that is more of the perception from the perimeter than what it is really all about. Try this on...and no, I am not trying to convince anyone to convert. Trust me, my path is based on my own personal experiences and there's no way I would, or could, overlay that on somebody else.

The Catholic experience really does stretch back quite actively to the Apostolic times and as a community we hold all that diverse and rich experience in balance all the way up to today. Catholics are among the pack-rats of Christendom...we tend to keep stuff. This offers vast resources of wisdom and experience that I feel is the rightful heritage of all Christian people. It is even a superb platform for understanding the meaning of Scripture and how these developed within the community.

For me this vast diversity of experience (good and bad) and wisdom, once understood, allows a stupendous platform for freedom and personal liberty. It's like having a map....you know where the journey is taking you, you know others have found their way, you even know where the chasms and other hazards are. Once one has the basic lay of the land, one can launch out one's self without fear of winding up totally lost. The way is there, yes, but if I want to take this route, that route, go rafting, climb that hill, stop and have a picnic....it's all good!!

Also, Catholics do have codes and dogmas, true, but these are there mainly for defining and perpetuating essential truths over time. That is not all there is...in fact, these are in many ways semi-peripheral (although definitely meaningful). If you want to really understand the Catholic heart, listen to the Mass and to other common prayers of the community. Ponder the creeds. These are the definers, but even these are only part of the picture. The ultimate truth we thrive on is this: the journey to God, and this through Christ who creates possibilities we could not create for ourselves. Why? Because in the end the entire spiritual journey is about connection and a partnership, human with divine. It was this way in the story of the Garden, and it is still essentially this way now. One has to set aside ego-centricity that wants to do it all ourselves, and allow/invite this connection to be. We say our "yes". The work of the Spirit helps this happen within us each and every day. I cannot begin to describe the heritage and experience that exists around all this throughout time...it really transcends all boundaries and boggles the mind. It is a very rich world to work within. I like having some room in which to spread out!

Well, I don't want to go on too much here....I just wanted to present this as a spiritual path and to show it in this light rather than a cartoon version we are commonly presented with. There is something under the surface here, a great mystery of great beauty, and it is this that provides the best sense of an actual approach to spirituality. I've been actively engaged in all this for the past 40 years and it continues to open up before me as if I've barely even started.

I do very much respect other approaches...that is part of the diversity. But there is something very weightly and conspicuous in this Christ-thing that ought not to be overlooked. Oh, one last thing....I do not necessarily understand or agree with each and every thing that people in my church articulate. Much of this is also secondary. It is a family...and you know how families are. :)
 
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