In Reply to: Re: This is a perfect time ... posted by Kathy (Board Coordinator) on July 01, 2003 at 10:02:21:
I personally don't think spirituality has ANYTHING to do with religion. There are people that are very spiritual that are atheist, agnostic, buddhist, hindu, jews, moslems, catholics, protestants, or nothing identified. I think that when a person identifies their religion that this is a very personal issue.
Spirituality, to me starts with how I feel about myself and relate to the world around me. I think we were, and many still are, very wounded after the family experience. So from this frame of reference, is this board a place where people could feel safe to discuss their spiritual journey regardless of whether they are christian or atheist or other religion or whatever?
I have gone from yrs and yrs of staunch atheism to believing in a loving God, but don't like much even to call it god. Perhaps because of all the garbage that is stuck to "god" "jesus" or any other religion via it's followers.
Certainly the fam. is not the only ones to have lots of garbage stuck to "god", but probably has one of the greatest garbage content when it comes to "god garbage."
Where I am at in my spiritual journey is getting out of a very angry and sarcastic phase (while still keeping those feelings on the legal-for-me but not usually preferred list) to a more recovery oriented support phase, both for myself and others.
I think that we have all gone thru so much to survive the group and reach support outlets that we all deserve all the support we can get for being who and what we are post family.
When I read what Jesus talked about (according to the people that recorded it and then translated it) I see a liberation and departure from religious dogma. The family was dogmatic to the nnnnth degree and very legislative as to belief system right down to how to walk, talk, dress, be, act, think, "smile", "be an sample".
I have great admiration for Ghandi and Mother Theresa. I think they were extremely spiritual people who held different religious beliefs but their spirituality over-rode their religion.
And there are many anonymous people who live very "spiritual" lives. Many without ever doing any special good deeds, but just being the kind of person that you want to be around because they reek of feeling good about themselves and bolstering others esteem, or are just subtly warm, like a toaster. I think that pretty well sums up what I would like to be more like and how I see spirituality.