More specifically, I've been contemplating what would the core message of this coming leader and her/his/hir religion? Christ is generally considered to have brought through the message of Love, although that has been sadly warped and misinterpreted (in what I would describe as an immature way) by others, Buddha brought the message of wisdom, etc. What would the new message be?
Well, perhaps it could be maturity - in the sense of a mature expression of love, wisdom, etc.
There's nothing wrong with the original messages brought by previous World (Spiritual) Leaders: the problem is the followers. Perhaps one of the ways to get around the problems that those followers create is: express the lesson in a genuinely mature way. Such would fix some of the problems that go with oh ... say, the Golden Rule, as in what happens when someone does to another as they would wish to be treated, but maybe one is a sadist: it's a rubbish argument, and approaching the rule from a mature position - in my view - caters for this.
I've written about this previously as well - see here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Actually, as I've planned this post, the thought came to me that the Pope, head of a large, OLD (not mature - just old) neo-Christian (not Christian, in my view) sect, is, perhaps, in many ways the worlds ultimate spiritual (stereotypical [1] - this has nothing, necessarily, to do with ANY teenager: it relates to the stereotypical image of teenagers which is pushed in the media) teenager. Consider this:
Stereotypical teenager: I know it all
Pope: I know what's good for you
Stereotypical teenager: I invented sex
Pope: I , a celibate man, know what's best for your sex life
Stereotypical teenager: I am the only one allowed to have sex - parents are NOT allowed to do so
Pope: I am the only one allowed to communicate with God - women in particular are not allowed to
Stereotypical teenager: you're embarrassing me
Pope: you're doing evil
Stereotypical teenager: it's only for my age group - you're too old!
Pope: toe the line, or you will be excommunicated!
Stereotypical teenager: what's your complaint? You tell me to do as I would be done by, so OF COURSE I made you hash cookies!
Pope: I tell you no-one in their right mind would want
Further thoughts:
In much the same way that, if you teach an immature person to negotiate, they will wind up being a manipulator, does teaching an immature person about spirituality result in someone who is religious? I know from my life that, as I matured, my tendency towards religion altered to what I consider a truer form of spirituality.
Love, light, hugs and blessings
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")
Notes:
- I am VERY aware that there are exceptions to ALL stereotypes - after all, I've been lumbered with stereotypes as part of the discrimination I've encountered in this life, and have broken many - beginning with the stereotype of a teenager :)
Tags: maturity, religion, spirituality, discrimination, society,
First published: Sunnudagr, 26th June, 2011
Last edited: Tuesday 12th July, 2011
