At the bottom of the Slippery Slope is the Final Adventure. Alpha and Omega. The Beginning and the Ending. Birth—a space—Death.
Raised Episcopalian for 18 years by god-fearing parents led to rejection of their religion and a long search for something different. Like all the cool people of 2022, I call the results of my search spirituality.
This is how spirituality happened to me. Christianity was the first casualty on the journey. Jesus ascending bodily into heaven after being born of a virgin was too much to fathom. Hugely patriarchal in organization, Christianity smacks of torture of the infidel, sexual abuse, tremendous hypocrisy led by evangelical money grabbers. If Jesus did indeed exist, I do believe he spoke the truth. Love each other, turn the other cheek, help your neighbor and take care of the marginalized. His message has withstood the test of a very long time. There is comfort there and I get that.
If one chooses or accepts being born into Christianity, the Final Adventure is eternal bliss in heaven. There is nothing I have experienced in this mortal flesh that was so good I wanted it to continue for infinity. No heaven for me. Seems boring…but better than the hot place, also a myth for this rational woman.
I discovered Buddhism, which is a philosophy more than a religion, but also espouses much dogma. Impermanence, one of Buddhism’s basic tenets, is so absolutely true it hurts. I like meditation and find it valuable. But reincarnation? Over and over, maybe as an ant, until you get it? You lost me there, Buddha.
Spirituality to me means I reject all religions as invented by humans. Instead I have pursued the thread clearly visible in the natural world and the cosmos which connects us all without regard to rules or punishment for transgression. I feel the inspiration in the stars and the oceans and the trees which others may feel in church singing praise to Jesus.
I, who cloak myself in spirituality, not religion, will participate in the Final Adventure with a different perspective. What will happen when I die? I do not know. Spirituality has no prescribed steps like the Buddhist’s Bardo or Christianity’s ascension to the presence of God. I suspect I will ease into oblivion, a void into which my personal self will dissolve. Death is vastly intriguing because it IS the Final Adventure: Going on a journey, destination unknown.
First, thanks for the comment! Next, I am embarrassed to admit I never heard of old Bronislaw, but I have now, thanks to you. One of his tenets, if I got it right, is that "every belief serves some vital function". If your comment alluded to that conclusion in his work, then it would seem that I AM a fan. Religions serve extremely vital functions in our cultures. Because I have decided to reject organized religion does not mean that I can live well and happily without something to prop me up--for me, nature and its beauty and stability (if humans would stay out of it). He is right---what humans consider religion is vastly important.
If you meant something else, I would love for you to expound.
Thank you for taking my scrambled thoughts and feelings and putting them into words that so closely align with “my spirituality”.