What do you think...?

Question

When someone's sense of spirituality is so great that it acts to push that person to self discipline, self-criticism and therefore, at its presence make the individual be efficiently moral... could it in the end be more powerful that the rules a religion imposes?

Isn't it true that when someone is moral out of own ethical judgements, it holds more value than if someone does it out of fear that he will be punished if he does not obey the rules?

Where should the emphasis lie? in truly believeing that the morals we follow are ethically correct? or in being accepted in a religious society in which morals are shared, and if u follow them, then you were in the right?

Answer 1

Before indulgence in spirituality and religion... we need to understand the meaning of spirituality and religion. Spirituality is diving deep into the bottomless pit of our real self... the world of souls' atmans! Spirituality is traveling the spiritual path and gaining enlightenment (kaivalya jnana) and finally salvation (moksha) at the earliest. Only then our soul atman within regains its pure original pristine form... goes back to the kingdom of God (aka Baikuntha in Hinduism)!

Religion is following the dictates of an enlightened master. Buddhism religion is practically the teachings of Gautama Buddha... Christianity that of Jesus Christ! Living in the society... one needs to follow the covenants of religion we are born in. It is almost mandatory! But to travel the spiritual path is the sole prerogative of every individual. None can force other to travel the spiritual path.

For living the present physical manifested sojourn of 70 to 80 years... we need to follow religion! Following of religion if done forcibly is never effective! Every belief must stem from within! If we have faith in a religion... where is the cause for force! The spiritual path is always chosen by one. The sweet small inner voice of our soul atman within that seems to come from our heart always guides us on the right path.

We need not search for spiritual masters that the difficult to find! Furthermore... the form of a human being is the highest manifest stage in the cosmic life cycle. The power of discrimination available to human beings makes it so! In the circumstances who can dictate us... Can our thinking be bound by one? Bodily yes... but mentally never!

When young I decided to go in search of God. I searched for many years but could not get a spiritual master to guide. Ultimately out of nowhere I requested God Almighty to become one... he gladly agreed! Traveling the spiritual path at 37 years of age I finally realized God. How many times I ate hell for breakfast, how many contemplations of suicide... what ultimately matters... I achieved the only goal of my life! I never cared for criticism at any stage of my life. More on Religion and Spiritualityhttp://www.godrealized.org/spirituality_and_religion.html -

Answer 2

I appreciate your question and I'll try to give answer that reflects your intelligence and good sense. I don't have a solid answer to this but it's been on my mind too.

I don't think a person's "sense of spirituality" alone can cause them to act morally. And I'm not sure that someone can actually act morally out of their "own ethical judgment" as you put it. Everyone's morals are different, as is everyone's sense of spirituality. Sometimes the differences are too great and cause conflict.

It seems a person must obtain a sense of spirituality from something or someone. Their spirituality must be founded upon some principles that influenced them, as their own ethical judgment would be. A person, living without any guiding principles whatsoever and having never been exposed to any morals, rules for living, etc., may not have the same values as someone else in the same circumstances.
Values, rules, morals, are learned. Most of us learn them from our families, churches......something. We don't just blindly acquire them.

We're are fallible. It's what being human is. If we're held to a higher standard, most of us will respond and live to a higher standard. Most of us do not have the discipline to do it on our own, so we join a community of people with similar beliefs to help us, to whom we might feel accountable so as to keep us from straying from the truth. So, in general, I think it's probably best that people go to church to give us a reminder of the way Christ taught us to do that. It's not perfect, because people are not perfect. Including those people who act on their "own sense of spiritualty" and "ethical judgement."

Answer 3

I deeply believe in the God of kindness, and of everything that is beautiful, good and right.But I do not totaly agree with the so-called "religious" behaviours, which sometimes are the result of fear, or need to apear better, smarter in the eyes of the world.
Sometimes, religious behaviour is only a routine, something superficial. Only deep feelings count,I say. And I think that only superior inteligence can have own ethical judgement.
About your question, I think the truth is somewhere between moral and religion. What we read in the Bible: " happy those pure in their heart " and " believe and doubt no more" . Sorry for the translation, I read the Bible in another language.

Answer 4

We are social animals, so religion does definitely has it's place.

One answer is to follow your own spiritual understanding above all. I disagree. My thought is that there very well may be some moral absolutes in your own personal philosophy, but in most cases it should be possible to incorporate your society's religious tenets within your own spiritual norms and vice versa.

I would have my emphasis in balancing the two so that you can live within your religious community without betraying your own values. If that community cannot accept those morals, then find a community that can.

If you or your religion is too rigid, maybe you should reconsider those limitations.

Peace

Answer 5

It is simple: you have a head /mind and a heart. They create the balance of soul/spirit. When a decision needs to be made and they are in conflict your choice is probably wrong you will know by how long you think about your decision and how you feel about it (conscious), when in agreement (head and heart) your choice is probably right. Ex: you are at a fast food place you see a homeless person: your mind says get a job and your heart is pounding and emotion is strong you could be a millionaire and not give them a dollar for food. On the other hand: if your brain thinks no one should be hungry and homeless and you feel like you want to cry you will do what you can to help. One way is the right way the other is not.

Answer 6

To me, Religion is the epitome of hypocrisy. A spiritual person has faith in a creator and a personal relationship with the Creator. Truth is universal and values, morals and ethics are part of truth. Life should be lived in love not fear.

Answer 7

Your question is much deeper than my ability to understand it completely or answer it properly.

I will answer based on my feelings and opinions of religion.

Religion, to me, is a belief in something. Unfortunately most or the time, that belief is based on fear! Fear of people, fear of the church, fear of doing things that would be wrong, and punishable by a "superior being" that knows everything that you are doing.

All religions have various forms of written "guidance and rules" for living your daily life. If you put the "fear" factor into such rules, of which were usually written thousands of years ago, never changed or modified as our world changes, you find youself trying to 'live by' rules that probably no longer apply to the world we live in.

But because of such fears, you strongly defend the writings of your guide books, becoming angry and even hostile against anyone who does not have your beliefs. You also, for reasons I do not understand, feel you have to "save" other people by approaching them with your beliefs, many time people who do not want to be approached because they also have their own beliefs and fears, who become angry and hostile toward YOU because they are too afraid to discuss your beliefs, because they may go against THEIR beliefs.

Then there is the third and most disturbing part of religion I have ever found; churches created for only one purpose; to make money! A great example is the church "churches without walls." They 'gave' a house to a poor black woman and her children. The actual "gift" was the 'church,' and I use the term 'church' loosely, because it is nothing more than a corporation that appears on tv, the "downpayment" on a house that a mortgage she would NOT qualify for.

Of course, she did not qualify. But the church continues to show on TV the day she went to 'claim' her house, with a significant "DONATE NOW" in the bottom/middle of the tv screen.

Thank you for taking the time to read my comments.

Hope you have a great day.

Answer 8

Whether rules are adhered to out of duty or out of punishment, there is one motivator that transcends them all

- and that is love.

Love here is defined as wishing, willing, or working for the true good and happiness of the other - as an interest in justice for the sake of justice is also included in that.

When true love is properly followed, all the moral commandments are followed in that - for when one loves, one will not wrong another person, diminish the over-all good for one's own gain, or commit any form of injustice.

The Bible has all sorts of rules and regulations, and even threats of punishment (for as a psychological principle, man in his fallen nature, needs the "stick"), but the very core of it is love of God and neighbor, so as a result, all the rest of the Bible is essentially detail.




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Answer 9

What you are saying is true except for the self criticism part. That is something negative left over from religion. You need to purge this idea with the rest of the nonsense. Spirituality never criticizes. It only loves.

Love and blessings Don

Answer 10

contents of your first para if followed by all, this world will have an everlasting pleasure. rules framed by administrative agencies, norms prescribed by religious agencies, moral expected by the society, are not fool-proof. all these have been prescribed with the background of specific difficulties faced in running the institution of nations, religion and society. a realised soul will behave in such a way that he is honest for himself which obviously would not clash with any of the ideologies supposed to have all the 3 agencies named. having said this, question may arise, how to ensure this with everybody. it is a long answer.............

Answer 11

When you have to "push" yourself to do anything you are doing with your mind, not your heart. The spirit does not "push", it grows and blooms naturally, the pushing comes from fear, we must act a certain way or else we must be a certain way or else, this is not the way of spirit. Spirit is gentle and loving and providing and abundant, it is growth and nurturing and patient. Any belief, when connected to heart will always lead you the right right way, when connected only in mind will not produce fruit.