Is everyone on a spiritual path, or is there a general assumption that you should have a religion?

Question

I am not...but it does feel that there is an assumption that you should.

Answer 1

Not me! I need no mythical beings or pink fluffy unicorns on some mystical plain to know the difference between right or wrong.

The one thing I know about religion is that it is the single biggest cause of death on this planet throughout time. IT's WORSE THAN SMOKING AND EVERYONE SAYS THAT IS BAD!!!!!

Therefore, I am going nowhere near it.

Answer 2

When the an all encompassing word such as "everyone" is used, the case is usually not true. Not all follow a religion. There are athiests and others who may believe in religion, but don't follow one.

I, myself follow the Pagan religion. In my area, that means alot of ritual and observing the sabbats is a solitary or personal thing. There are those, of course, of other religions that also contend with this way of practicing as well.

Answer 3

I think that there probably is a general assumption that everyone should have a religion - but I believe that you should not just have one for the sake of it.

Answer 4

I don't know about a "general assumption" but I think that religion serves as our structure, sort of our frame work, to unite with God.

When Jesus became man, he did so for us. We are flesh, physical, and need something tangible. We continue to need that on our journey. We need those tanglble things that connect us to Christ. This is why we have the sacraments and religion is the vehicle for those sacraments.

Answer 5

If you believe as I do that we were created by a Loving God then yes everyone is actually on a spiritual path to this same God even if they do not know this or are in denial about it.
I think that it is an instinctive drive deep within all of us and while it may take a lifetime to find this truth and also while many of us will take different roads, we all will eventually finish our journey accepting or rejecting this God.
You know it is within our beings to belong to something or someone greater than ourselves and so all or at least most of us will at sometime try to search for this Person, it is natural for many people who were adopted for example to find their birth Mother or biological Father at sometime in their life,I think the need for God is like this too.

Answer 6

Religious people not only assume that everyone should have a religion, but they should convert to THEIR religion.

I am not on a spiritual path, nor do I think that anyone should have religion if they don't want to.

Answer 7

I worry about associating with people who don't believe in an after-life .... so why would their be any accountability?

I speculate that if a person could be invisible, and there would be no consequences for bad behavior, then many or most people would do some pretty rotten things.

I admit to my shame that much of my behavior is because of concerns for being caught. There have certainly been "benevolent dictators", but most dictators eventually succumb to the temptation of doing whatever they feel like doing. They literally can "get away with murder".

Answer 8

I am on a spiritual path and I would heartily discourage you from having a religion

Answer 9

apparently we are all supposed to believe in some kind of supreme being(s). and those of us who say we dont have any type of religion we are made to feel dirty, from friends, family, even complete strangers. i see no real reason to have a religion, they only cause pain and suffering. not bliss and happiness like they are supposed to.

Answer 10

but you first have to assume people are on a 'spiritual path' whatever the hell that means.