We live in a physical human body that has spiritual qualities. It’s these spiritual qualities that separate us from animals. Our human tendencies create conflict and our spiritual tendencies create unity and love. Our human tendencies make us feel alone, afraid, isolated, defensive, etc. Contrastingly our spiritual qualities make us feel connected, joined, loved, a part, content, at peace, etc.
A new born baby responds to it’s spiritual environment. It wants a smile, a soft tone of voice, gentleness … it doesn’t like anger or aggressive tones. It knows before it can speak the difference. The child is molded from birth by it’s environment to develop it’s religious views, wanting to achieve a positive spiritual environment.
All humans regardless of race, color, religion are all molded by their environment, they desire a positive spiritual sensation. Consider a violent gang member … the most aggressive, angry, evil person you can imagine. The gang member wants the spiritual acceptance from their peers. Yes, they are full of negative spiritual sensations but still way down deep even they want love.
We all develop our spiritual qualities through association with those people around us, people “like us”, or better stated we become like them. This is a part of our nature we assimilate to to our environment, thus the growth of gangs in the inner city. Both positively and negatively we are influenced by our environment. We all experience both positive and negative spiritual sensations internally regardless of how spiritually mature we become.
Now let’s consider religion and it’s influence on humanity. Christianity flourishes in America while Islam expands in the Middle East and Hinduism in India, etc. The religious exposure is enlightening. All religions seek and teach spiritually positive sensations, but only to a point of conformity to those within their group. Strong religious doctrinal views will hinder further spiritual development. By rejecting other religious doctrines and holding tight to our personal brand of religious upbringing, we stifle further spiritual growth. Strong dogmatic religious views are “closed-minded”.
Being judgmental and closed to other religious perspectives will imprison us from further spiritual growth. Let’s face it we are quick to see fanatical religious views in others; although it’s hard to see it in our own religious views. Can we be big enough to see where our religious indoctrination is blocking us from connecting with religious people of other faiths? Respect the positive spiritual qualities of others regardless of how they reach that attainment. That is God’s love, that is genuine spirituality and that needs to spread across our planet.
As long as we hold tight to our brand of spiritual attainment as being the “only way” … “the one truth” … “the one path” … “the true religion” we are rejecting the Love of God. God’s love was implanted in every new born baby and only our human development determines our religious perspective. While there will always be those who fight against spiritual attainment, let the spiritually minded religious individuals from all faiths find common ground for Love and acceptance. Let us lead the way in moving mankind to a higher spiritual ideal … Love for all.