Is religion something to belong to, a new identity, to be part a group of people who like us and make us feel good about ourselves? Is religion a social movement to take over the world and convert it to a belief that is meant to arouse our missionary zeal? Is religion the certainty that we will have ultimate salvation or happiness, and that those we don't like will be punished by God? These are emotional and vital urges which, however comforting, have little to do with the search for Truth, which being universal cannot cater to human partialities.

Such urges cause us to distort Reality according to our personal and collective desires. They are not part of a genuine seeking of Truth or God, but a further development of our egoistic urges, which have no real place in the spiritual realm. Religion should be the human search, within our own being, for the Truth of this wonderful universe in which we live, its indwelling Spirit. Otherwise we should probably call it something else.

And what is religion meant to provide us? Is it merely a safe haven, a supportive community, or secure ideology? Is it a book that makes it so we don't have to think for ourselves any more? Is it a hero figure who substitutes for our own inner growth and self-responsibility, who saves us by merely believing in him? Is what we are looking through religion merely human or is it a transcendence of all social conditioning, including culturally conditioned ideas of God? Can our religions as we have formulated them lead us beyond death, hatred and suffering? Can they bring the peace and love that we all long for? Are they based upon a respect for all beings and an openness to Truth from wherever it may come? If not, is it not truly religious to look beyond our given religions?

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