Labeling Beliefs

     I hold a belief. I have spent time finding out what it is I think, what I feel, & what seems to make sense. I suppose you could say I've always held a belief, technically that’s true. I mean, as a child I believed that there was a world out there. As I grew, I learned about God and believed in him. Later on that there are spirits/souls out there without a suit of their own. As I became a teen I started to ask ‘why’ after some hard times occurred. From the very beginning, we all hold a belief. Even NOT believing is a belief in its own right. (Please note that I’ll write something up on that last part later. There is a bit of obscurity on that one. Wording is key, as is with anything.)

     Having a belief then, doesn't mean much. As with many things, it is the substance that has value. What do you believe? What then… are you? Oddly the belief itself often comes second to the categorization of it. The category is a bit ambiguous. What I might consider to work, others might not. A category has a rule on what makes it so, yet there is always grey area. A poster in my mailbox is still IN my mailbox even if half is hanging out. It fulfills the category even with something leftover.

     This is how I view religions… well “organized” religions. I don’t know if there is a difference between ‘Organized Religion’ & simply saying ‘Religion’. They’re used the same. “What’s your religion?” is just short for, “What organization of religion are you a part of?” That is something I wonder about. Why the need for classification and what does it mean if you lack the ‘required’ organization. I’m a Spiritualist if I *need* to be defined, but what of the Catholics, Muslims, Jewish, Hindus, or Non-denominational groups? And to take two of those a step further, what of Christians (Non-denominational & Catholics)?

     All of these groupings have a familiarity attached to them. Anyone that is a member has common attributes, or rather common beliefs. While there are common thoughts within a religion; it is another thing to say ALL thoughts are common among them. We all have differences in our beliefs due to our own perceptions. This makes the idea of a ‘One True Religion’ a hard concept. If all Christians have slightly different thoughts about all the nuances that makes someone Christian, then how can Christianity be 100% correct?... when it isn't agreed upon completely by its subscribers. It doesn't falsify any truths within mind you. Just as science has known facts… new knowledge can change those facts yet still hold the truths outside of the changed concept. The same holds true for Spiritual Knowledge.

     One of the biggest issues I have with organized religion is the idea of worship. Simply put, I refuse it. I refuse to worship someone(/thing) simply because they are superior to me in some way. If someone wants my respect they’re welcome to have it. But worship? I don’t deal well with people that expect or need to be looked up to. In my mind ALL are equal. All are on a level playing field: Gods, advanced races, ourselves, & dogs… past all of our physical selves, we’re equal. Nothing will get my submission simply because. To me, a god or driving energy should be something close, something personal. I would rather view a god as a best friend than something I’m unworthy to look upon. If you've ever made a friend out of a boss or parent, then this concept should be easy to understand.

     Although I’m not fond of labeling faiths, I’ll admit that it does aid in a basic understanding of another’s beliefs. With a label, one can easily state a lot of information in a word or phrase. Even as a self-described Spiritualist, there is still meaning. Positive meaning. What we could do without are labels that aren't so positive or simply are too vague. Pagan is one such word… told to the world that Non-Christians are Pagan. There are many Powerful & Personal beliefs that are swept under this term. How about instead of having a world where we find the ‘One True Religion’, we embrace all religions, learn all religions, and discover the greater truths that are nigh impossible to decipher on our own?