Anything that stifles this growth is anti-spiritual. Religion in some forms does just this. However this does not have to be the case. However religion is man's attempt to understand and define life's mysteries. Sometimes when man's understandings are challenged, he resorts to desperate measures out of fear to hold on to his understanding. This can resort to hate and violence. This is why sometimes those who claim to be spiritual or religious can be filled with such anger and hatred. This is also why some of the world's most vile acts of violence are carried out by those who hold to such extreme and fundamentalist ideals. Whether it is an act of terrorism or a hate crime carried out against a young man in a Midwest town or a crucifixion of a prophet and teacher these people feel justified and feel they are doing God a favor. When in fact the truth is they are trying to rid themselves of a threat that challenges their limited and narrow understanding of Life and the Universe.
Many fundamentalist ideals are beginning to crack under the pressure of real life. Many people are beginning to question the relevance of faith and religion. However Faith and true spirituality are still relevant. However our attempts to package and contain God may have become outdated and obsolete. How do we determine what is irrelevant and what is valuable? For this answer we go back to our original definition of true spirituality. Whatever causes us to connect with God, resolve and find forgiveness and reconciliation, and causes us to grow in our love for God, ourselves and others should be embraced. For myself I find this in Christ. However everything that calls itself "Christian" is not necessarily Spiritual.
I once lived a version of "Christianity " that was based on fear and stifled my identity and espoused shame and guilt. This was what I had been taught to believe was true spirituality. However in truth it did not work, or live up to its claims. I did not need to throw it all out, but I did have to look at it from a new perspective and realize that much of what I held to and had been taught was not a source life but instead hindered me in my spiritual journey. In order to live it out I had to deny truths about myself that I knew to be true in my heart. Denial of truth, is a sign of a toxic religion. Coming to terms and peace with my own heart was the start place of meeting God in an authentic and real way. I found that God was not repulsed by this honesty but encouraged it. I was now ready for a real spiritual journey, one that would face the challenges of life and transcend them instead of deneying and creating a pseudo spirituality.
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