“It is interesting to note that in almost every field or specialty, common sense tells us that we need guidance and such is sought from experts. But when it comes to spiritual matters the greater majority have no hesitation in choosing themselves as both expert and advisor. This despite the Muslim aphorism that he who uses himself as his own director has Satan for his guide.” – Rama Coomaraswamy
How many times have we heard “I believe in a supreme energy, something like God, but I’m against organized religion” or “I’m spiritual, but not religious”?
As we explained before, the socialization of spiritual experiences can give us a compared perspective, and a way to share values. Nonetheless, people opt for building their own spiritualities in a mix of concepts and spiritual-like media. People become lone wolves in their spiritual pursuit, but being realists, lone wolves aren’t precisely the most efficient members of the wolf pack.
The Jesuit priest James Martin says:
“Being spiritual but not religious can lead to complacency and self-centeredness,”…”Religion is hard,” he says. “Sometimes it’s just too much work. People don’t feel like it. I have better things to do with my time. It’s plain old laziness.”
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/personal/06/03/spiritual.but.not.religious/?hpt=C1
The truth is that people choosing their own ways of spirituality, besides lacking compromise, misunderstand the basic tenets of religions they conveniently cherry pick from. Let’s remember: “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18:20, or in the words of Buddha: “Well awakened, they’re awake, ever the Buddha’s pupils, who constantly by day, by night, are mindful of the Sangha. [community]” Dhammapada, 298.
Religions, despite the obvious human mistakes, have been protectors of sacred literature, that literature which holds the concepts “God”, “soul”, “spirit”. Nevertheless, people believe that these concepts are simply there, in the books, DVDs or websites they consume, thinking that they need no further discipline and organization to dwell deeper in the concepts that, in the best case, are just theoretically correct.