So ... why is it lacking in this?
Well, if we look at surveys, most people seem to have a fairly negative view towards religion, and I suspect that many of those people also tend to conflate religion, in the sense of mainstream belief systems, with spirituality in the broader sense. Could that be because the mainstream churches are very effective at pushing themselves into people's lives (think of things like the opening of Parliament by a Christian prayer, the association of the English Queen with the Church of England, religious schools, and the struggle to separate church and state).
But they've also been spectacularly unsuccessful a meeting people's spiritual needs.
There have been problems with things like acceptance of women as equals, child abuse, prohibition on contraception (no prizes for guessing who I'm talking about there!), etc., etc., etc. - the aspirations of people have changed, certainly, but many of those aspirations are materialistic, and are harming both the planet and the people who spend time and energy seeking a flashier lifestyle.
Is it any wonder that spiritual matters are viewed so dimly, when many of the people who are considered as being it's most prominent exemplars or even advocates, are doing such a lousy job?
I left the Christian faith for a range of reasons - two I'll mention now are the attitude that animals don't have souls, and what I call "Sunday Christians", who spout the words on Sunday in Church, and stab you in the back on Monday (hmmm ... that could well be an example of "semantic theatre", perhaps :) ). I left the Buddhist faith for a range of reasons, including the hypocrisy and aggression of people (Westerners - they were nothing like the Thai guy, a work colleague, who I used to talk to about Buddhism) who were trying to advocate for Buddhism.
The pagan movement also has it's problem people.
Given all that, and the secular nature of education (which I think should be the case, although I think some comparative religion would be good), is it any wonder that we don't have a more widespread spirituality?
I actually think the "back to nature" movement and humanists have done more in the last century or two to satisfy many people's spiritual needs than organised religions.
So ... what should an effective advocate for spirituality be like?
Well, they should:
- be very aware of the differences and similarities between spirituality and religion;
- know the arguments for a less materialistic, more spiritual life;
- have good life experience and a capacity to understand people, and be compassionate towards them;
- be effective communicators;
- be credible and reasonably free of scandal or other matters that could taint their public acceptability (the qualification is because some of these people could well be, say, polyamorous, which would be, in some uninformed people's view, scandalous); and
- be public figures, or prepared to accept the stress and strain of becoming a public figure.
Still, it would be good for, perhaps, some of the multifaith or interfaith movements to start deliberately looking for people who could be good, effective advocates of spirituality. would hope such people could effectively lobby on behalf of people such as myself, who want to build simpler houses, when politicians are having a vote-scoring, public mud-slinging fest - er, "debate".
Love, light, hugs and blessings
Gnwmythr
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")
Tags: spirituality, materialism, religion, society,
First published: Manadagr, 23rd May, 2011
Last edited: Monday, 23rd May, 2011
