"Religious vs Spiritual" Perception of Reality

gosh, i just love listening to John Trudell speak...
so much wisdom

this video from 1996
and is pertinent now
(only 3:24 minutes)

I had not heard him before. I agree he has things figured out. I am going to look for more of his info.

What I find everywhere is mixed messages, with truth buried in polarized arguments.

Religion is about finding and loving the God who created this beautiful world. Nowhere in His Holy Law is there anything about Sovereignty or Dominion being USED AS AN EXCUSE to wrack and ruin the planet. Many of the hypocritical behaviors we observe in the Church go directly against everything the church teaches.

How can this be? Well, there is also a Spirit of Rebellion in the world, which we see manifesting consumerism, elitism, jingoism, nepotism, favoritism and war-profiteering every day, even among people who talk broadly about morality and how we should all be ethical.

But the business climate is not ethical, does not tell the truth. And the media does not tell the whole truth; and the Government obfuscates what they say so the money they get will keep coming. The Official system is all about lies.

Spirituality is about finding oneself, inside, taking responsibility for the thoughts one takes in, and behavior one puts out. Jesus taught :: Let your yes mean Yes; and your no, No. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Be not anxious over what you will eat or what you will wear. That's not religion! That's spirituality.

See, how it's gotten all mixed around?


Shech--

I kinda like the way people like the Lakota and various other primitive tribes put it -

The Great Mystery.

Whose to say that all the religions we know today did not have a principal base such as Animism ?

I really have a hard time accepting Modern and Historical 'Gods' as nothing but evolved or enhanced concepts of earlier deities. Is it possible these deities, or concept of god were personalized to fit the lives and customs of individual tribes, nations and kingdoms ? Different geographical locations ? How much prepping would a 12th Century Catholic Priest have to give to say - a Mississippian Mound Builder in order to make him understand a Bible Story, like The Egyptians in Chariots chasing Moses across parts of Northern Africa ?
"What's a Chariot ?"

"What's a Wheel ?"

"What's a Horse ?"

Of course if that same Mississippian Tribesman showed up lets say in 12th Century England at some stately court going on about the Spirit World, ancestor worship, The Great Sun, or strange Birdman deities, well you can probaly just imagine.

To me it's a power so great and mysterious that I could never be serious when refering it as a religion or knowing it by a god's name.

At one time across most of Europe and the Middle East there is evidence of EarthMother worship. I often wonder what became of it, especially in the Middle East where the present day Monotheistic Faiths have their origins. What event/s put the Fertile Earth Mama in her place, beneath and in service of The All Powerful Male Deity/God ? Did a group of primitive slash and burn farmers and herdsmen get together down by the Euphrates River one day, well away from the WomenFolk and decide enough is enough ?

"We'll all go back to the village together, lay down the law, smash all those big-busted, big belly faceless carvings and ceramics and tell those women, there's a new god in town !"

Could of happened.

Are concepts of god/s the product of culture, language and geographical locations ?

Then I ponder, at what time before did that Great and Mysterious power become Female, or better yet anthropomorphized ? Humans with Human-like deities ? Abit selfish or personalized some would think.

Over a short span of time Zeus became Jupiter, just as Ahura Mazda may of evolved into the single all wise and powerful Monotheistic concepts of Yahweh, Jehovah or Allah.

Whose to say perhaps in another 2000 years, if we're still here as a species that the one all powerful male deity takes on the appearance and characteristics of Elvis, and his followers wearing gold chains with little gold toilets in memory of how 'The King' died ? Sounds kinda stupid, but Faiths or Religions are for ever changing, adapting and evolving.

I'll stick with Animism.

Quote :

Are concepts of god/s the product of culture, language and geographical locations ?

I believe so.

Humans strive to find a way to ascend back to Unity.


Shech--