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