And this goes way beyond any religion. Because often I have noticed that people's religions are often like Country Clubs that people go to for socializing with people of (similar beliefs?). But, what I have found is most people do not really believe their parents religion even if they go regularly to church. But, they aren't going to tell you that simply because they feel their emotional and financial survival is tied up in the cultural parts and socialization parts of their religion or church. (which has nothing at all to do with what people really believe).
I found this article that I wrote in 2003 and found it interesting and decided to share it with you today.
Creating ones own personal religion
March 14 2003 2:19 pm pst
I was thinking today how extremely important to my personal survival creating my own personal religion that stems from all my own real and personal experiences with life and God. It is not something that I share much of with the average person for it is my personal relationship and covenant with both life in all forms and God. It is my belief that all must at sometime in their lives create their own philosophy or religion to have personal integrity.
I share sometimes here at this website as God inspires and directs me but most of the time I say nothing about any of this to anyone. Only if I see it will be received in a useful and productive way for all concerned will I share any of my life experiences outside of this venue.
When anyone grows up in any country or religion I see both those things as entirely cultural and not necessarily really having to do at all with that person's personal experiences with God. It is what one actually experiences along the way that makes a person actually real and not just some fake clone of their parents. When a person of any age says to me I believe such and such at least half of the time when I look into them I can definitely see what they are saying is complete bullshit. A person in order to be respected first by oneself and then hopefully by the world has to have integrity. What does integrity mean? The word stems from the word integrate or integration which means basically, all parts together as a whole. In order to have wholeness one cannot lie to oneself. Sometimes, we all lie to ourselves if we are physically threatened with death or dismemberment. However, outside of these types of situations there are very few situations that warrant lying to oneself or to others. But I will say that when I have always had to be the most truthful with myself is when I was closest to death through illness or accident. In theses times one must be honest or die. In these times one slowly forms ones personal relationship with the universe. In other words "brushes with near death creates ones personal religion of integrity.
As one ages one begins to see that the wise people of the world respect most those with integrity. It does not matter so much what they believe or what religion they are or even if they have a religion. What matters most is that person has integrity and is honest with themselves and others to the best of their ability. That to me is what a personal religion is all about: being honest with oneself, being honest with others when not being threatened with death, being honest with all life and God himself, herself itself. To be whole one must be real and to be real one must have integrity.
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