"Forced prayers are nae [no] devotion."
___ Scots proverb
Too often, religion is a forced devotion, coercively thrust upon unwilling souls. used to keep people submissive and obedient - an approach that smacks of the reformatory, the orphanage, or the prision, a mode that infantilizes and imprisons the soul. Wherever we are in our spiritual search, we must each worship according to the needs of our heart and nature. To do other than this is to betray our soul. But it is not an easy path. Many confusions arise, especially when we find helpful clues within spiritual traditions and writings whose primary tenets we abhor, or when we discover that our chosen way of worship, though satisfying to others, has become savorless to us. Who or which is right? Those who want ultimate certainty and reassurance in their spiritual lives often choose fundamentalist modes of worship; those who want to be always right choose dogmas that exlude everyone who is remotely wrong.
It is worth realizing that the many factors that comprise our religion of the heart may be shared by different spiritual groups, and that our most potent spiritual experiences and clue may lie not in scripture but in nature. The fact that there is not only one (even any) right way and the possibility that our spiritual questing may not have an ultimate solution or destination are hard to accept. We can only follow our heart's leading to our soul's home.
"What is the religion of your heart? Of what factors is it comprised?"
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]
Great post.I'll post a link on http://eag-oncewasvon.blogspot.com hope that's ok.
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