Phoenix
by Dale J. Sprague
White Papers
Religion
Religion is a personal private affair. It is the practice of a human being, an individual in the deepest singular sense of the word. When personal accounts are made to a god, the God, or oligarchy of gods, it is not as partners or as a group, but as an individual within the private world of being human.
Religion is a private affair characterized by one's vision of god, or gods, or 'all and everything' with which through prayer, meditation, or atonement is achieved with one's articles of faith. Articles of faith govern the individual's spiritual course of heart and mind. Religion is the soul of human heart and mind, the ultimate affirmation about life that becomes more and more affirmed throughout life.
Religion does not work with absolute truth, but with articles of faith. Faith is not truth, it cannot be proved, and therefore requires courage to effect. Absolute truths are the origins of cults. With faith, judgment of another human being cannot be made, not even judgment of one's self by one's self. Judgment dis'empowers free'will. Absolute truths are sold to breed guilt. And guilt is used to control, breed inequity, and in the confusion, sell more guilt.
Members of a religion are individuals. Members of a cult are not. Within a cult, the individual soul had been sold for an icon of happiness tomorrow. Members of a cult are enslaved by divine absolutes. Members of a religion freely pursue their own holy quest. A cult oppresses life. A religion nurtures and reveres life.
Religion is a personal quest, and for its journey, whatever vision of god one may choose, supernatural being or otherwise, atonement shall give a poor pilgrim a moment of rest..in the bosom of heart, in the deep of soul.