Religion leads to war. Spirituality leads to peace.

Religion leads to war. Spirituality leads to peace.


It's an interesting statement. Granted, on some levels it is just another bumper sticker that can say a lot or say nothing at all depending on the reader. But take a minute and think about it. On your way, do a Google Images search for "religion war" and then do one for "spirituality war". Interesting, no? Almost 4 million violent images versus a hundred thousand images, many of which are artful.

I listened to a couple people speak this weekend on the difference between religion and spirituality. While I of course learned something about them, after the fact you start to learn something about yourself as well. I have said before that I like UU because one can receive a spiritual connection to the community without being religious, and this is a key point for me. My issues with organized religion are many but easily illustrated by a few uniquely Catholic issues like the Nicene Creed and the recent discussion of what happens to unbaptized babies. The specific challenges are that you've got a belief system literally configured and shaped my plain old men in fancy hats. Men of power surely, but no closer to God than the guy mopping their floors. Why is it up to them to tell me that an unbaptized baby spends eternity in limbo or they really can go to heaven? Instead of providing structure for one to realize their own personal spirituality, religious institutions dictate a belief system to their flocks. Free thinking is not allowed. The cynic in me says this should be OK for the average American given their typical intellectual capacity - but maybe people are narrow-minded and dim because they've never been forced to think for themselves in the first place? Cause rather than effect.

Forgive the rant. Think about the title.