Living Spirituality Religiously

      

     Recently, I have always used the term, "Spiritual, but not religious" to describe myself with religion. I struggled forever to to want to belong to Organized religion, for the reasons that people and organizations often used spirituality or 'God' as means to control the lives of others, and commit awful acts in the name of god, the divine. Also, I blamed religion as source for which the world was not united. I just couldn't believe that this kind of religion should have anything to do with spirituality. Religion, touched by men, and therefore, corrupted by men is nothing like the pure spirituality that it's often connected to. Most of these religious men are "Religious, but not spiritual". Spirituality brings kindness, moral, and understanding to religion. Religion without spirituality is worthless and corrupt. I have seen religious organizations do nothing but show "power" and "wealth", when they should be even more concerned with those suffering. In the past, I have been very wary of religion.

   However, my mind had changed once I looked into the meaning of spirituality and it's connections, yet differences with religion. I had recently realized that the two need each other. Spirituality needs religion to thrive daily and to be practiced constantly. At the moment I noticed this, and thought it over for sometime, I realized that I needed religion to thrive and become spiritual. But the problem alone is to whether I can keep my own religion, my own way in which I feel will correctly help me live spiritually, or will I have to conform to organized religion?

     For now, I do not know, but within my daily schedule, I want to practice such values that will connect me to my spirituality. Values I must practice are patience, respect for others, kindness, determination, dedication, integrity, balance, simplicity, and to cherish. 

     I don't want to be part of a religion that will put me in a group that will only look inward towards itself and help those alike. I want to be part of a religious group that respects the beliefs of everyone, even those opposite of. I want to be part of a religious group that will help everyone, no matter what, even suffering Atheist! I want a to be part of a religious group that will never flaunt its power or wealth, or cause war for "religious" reasons. I want to be part of a religion that sees all living forms equal to each other, even that of this planet. I want a religion free from discrimination and and prejudice. To have all of this, would mean a religion totally dedicated to spirituality. I refuse to have my religiosity with without spirituality.