| Religion can loosely be described as the | | | | indeed connected to God. This is a personal |
| formalized ideas held by a group of people to | | | | relationship to God and an insight that you |
| define their understanding of God and their | | | | don't need to go to a special building to |
| relationship to the creator and creation. In | | | | find God, but that you simply have to look |
| some shape or form, religion has been present | | | | deep within yourself. It means that you don't |
| in human civilizations since the beginning of | | | | need some special person with a college |
| time. Throughout history cultural development | | | | education to lead you to God, but that you |
| has been inextricably linked to people's view | | | | simply have to turn inwards to find divine |
| of the world and their relationship to the | | | | guidance. |
| mysterious and the unknown dimension of life | | | | |
| that we've come to call God. Religion has | | | | It's been said that you can't get wet from |
| taken on many different forms and many | | | | the word water and however strange the idea |
| different views in many different cultures. | | | | is, it is very true for many people's |
| The one common idea is that the religion will | | | | spiritual journeys. Until and unless you dive |
| collectively value, uphold and even impose a | | | | in and make personal contact with God by |
| set of beliefs which they consider the path | | | | turning inwards and following your inner |
| to God and 'the truth' about this mysterious, | | | | guidance your life will always be dictated by |
| yet ever present force of life. | | | | other people's ideas - ideas that are mostly |
| | | | designed to keep you thinking and acting like |
| Along with religion, came a certain level of | | | | everybody else. |
| power - especially for those who 'made the | | | | |
| rules' and who were believed to be appointed | | | | True freedom comes from this personal |
| by God to rule the people. In the early | | | | relationship to God and knowing that you |
| Christian church, the religious leaders were | | | | don't need to be saved, that you are in fact |
| also the politicians and they ruled by fear, | | | | born a good person and that God cares about |
| violently imposing their ideas upon the | | | | you regardless of whether you comply to some |
| people. You were told what to believe and how | | | | religion's rules. Spirituality will lead you |
| to behave in virtually every aspect of life. | | | | to the realization that you are whole, |
| There was absolutely no room for really | | | | complete and magnificent in every possible |
| getting to know God, because those who | | | | way and that you are unique and special with |
| claimed to know God were the only one who can | | | | your own grand mission in life. Your purpose |
| speak to God, and be spoken to by God. | | | | in life in not to live up to the expectations |
| | | | of other in order to be a good person, but |
| Some of the earliest meaning of the word | | | | rather to live up to the expectations of your |
| religion comes from a Latin interpretation | | | | Self, your spirit (or your soul) and to |
| that means 'to bind' - an bind it did, | | | | become, in form, the kind of person you were |
| keeping people tied to silly ideas for | | | | destined to be. |
| centuries. Religious ideas have been | | | | |
| developed and refined for centuries and is | | | | You can get to know God for yourself. It will |
| almost exclusively designed to keep people | | | | lead you to the realization that you are in |
| from stepping out of line and 'being | | | | fact "God' - you are a part of God and |
| different'. The fundamental difference | | | | contain within you a portion of this Divine |
| between spirituality and religion is that | | | | force that makes up the very essence of life. |
| religion is based on knowing ABOUT God, while | | | | Listen to other people, hear them out and |
| spirituality is based on KNOWING God on a | | | | discover their view of God, but then go |
| personal level. | | | | within and find God for yourself. This is |
| | | | where all the power is. This is where the |
| There's a big difference between knowing | | | | freedom lies and if you need a religion to |
| about God and knowing God. Knowing about God | | | | help you develop your understanding of God, |
| is about intellectual knowledge and relying | | | | then practice it! Remember to keep and open |
| on the testimonials and experiences of | | | | mind and don't just focus only on what you |
| others, while knowing God is a deeply | | | | are told about God but rather what you feel |
| personal and 'inner knowing' that you are | | | | to be true deep down inside. |