I recently read excerpts from a website authored by a person who mocks those who are religious or spiritual. The writer repeated the familiar condemnation of religion: it causes war, it’s the opiate of the masses, there isn’t some all-powerful giant sitting on a cloud causing calamity or salvation, and only the uneducated believe in a higher power. Apparently, the writer thinks he’s wiser than billions of people throughout the centuries who have worshiped and believed in God, a Higher Power, or various deities.
I’ve read several versions of the agnostic and atheist philosophies, and I’d like to offer a personal perspective. I’m a college graduate, and I’ve traveled to 32 countries around the world. I’ve watched a numerology service at a Chinese Sanctuary in Hong Kong. I’ve toured the massive, inspiring Alhambra Palace in Grenada, Spain which was rebuilt in 1333 for Islamic leaders. I wept in silence at the Dachau Concentration Camp outside Munich, Germany and offered prayers for the Jewish people. I’ve walked into the tombs in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt and learned about the hieroglyphics that depicted their various gods. I walked to a Hindu Temple on a hill overlooking Kathmandu, Nepal and spun the prayer wheels. I observed devoted worshipers offering fresh fruit to the Jade Buddha at a temple in Thailand. I hiked with a group of women across the Haleakala Crater in Maui, Hawaii and honored the Goddess Pele. I listened to Zulu guides chant around a campfire while on safari in South Africa. I stood in a two-hour Latin Mass in the Duomo in Florence, Italy and felt the Spirit of God wash over me. Through these travels, I’ve learned to respect the spiritual beliefs of other cultures and to solidify my own. I know, without a doubt, my redeemer lives.
Music can be proof of a higher power. As a child, I sang in the church choir and loved singing the expanded “Gloria” portion in the song “Angels We Have Heard on High.” That experience began my lifelong love affair with music. In college, I sang in a concert choir that toured Europe. We performed in cathedrals in six countries, and our last concert was in the ornate American Cathedral in Paris, France. The acoustics amplified the harmonious sound, and at the end of the final song every choir member was in tears. I’ll never forget that profound spiritual experience.
I believe “The Messiah” is the greatest piece of music ever written. In 1741, George Handel wrote by hand the 259-page masterpiece in only 24 days. It’s recorded that he was crying while writing the final “Hallelujah Chorus” and said, “I saw heaven open and saw the very face of God.” How else could he have accomplished such an enormous and lasting gift to the world without being filled and inspired by the Holy Spirit?
As my mother lay dying, I played her favorite spiritual songs from Tennessee Ernie Ford. She had been unresponsive in a coma for several days, but as I held her hand I felt a slight reaction when Ford sang “Peace in the Valley.” I believe the movement wasn’t an involuntary reaction but a spiritual release from a tired but faithful soul. She died several hours later.
I don’t endorse any one religion, but I strongly believe there is a higher power called God, and humans have a need for spirituality. God doesn’t cause war and hatred; people do. The God I worship teaches us to love one another, forgive each other, and show mercy and kindness to those less fortunate. People in organized religions and cults have distorted the message to their own corrupt rules, foolish agenda, and evil purposes.
I’m skeptical when I read that “God saved the child from a horrible accident,” or “God cured the woman’s cancer.” Does this mean God didn’t care about those who died in accidents or suffered from terminal diseases? God is not a fairy godmother dispensing magical surprises. My God’s magnificent omnipotence surpasses our mortal, earthly concept of humanity and gender, and I believe God is not limited to “Our Father” because God is everything – male, female, and spirit.
I suggest that the writer of the blasphemous website do more research, travel to foreign spiritual areas, and become less critical of other’s beliefs. I have faith that someday he will feel the spirit and at least begin to wonder about peace in the valley.
(Published on The Huffington Post Religion Page Jan. 6, 2016)
Amen to your beautiful post and moving experiences! I too am a believer. Having seen the birthes of many babies, I challenge the nonbeliever to ignore the presence of a higher power after witnessing life coming into the world.
Wow, What a stunning piece. I agree with you more than I can express here. I just popped over from Meno Mamma.
Recent events have once again placed faith/religion in a bad light. I do not subscribe to a specific church, although I was raised protestant. I have a very strong faith – I have seen things in this life that can be explained in no other way. Having faith that things you can not see are real or true is all part of this.
Condemnation of the sort you speak of is the result of a less than open mind and a lack of understanding of humanity. It serves no purpose but to exhilarate the person voicing it. But to me, using religion as the ‘reason’ for poor actions is equally bad.
People truly need to go back that that good old Golden Rule!!
Thank you for sharing this.
I find it interesting that there is such an adamant criticism of spirituality.
I can”t accept modern or for that matter ancient religion, except maybe the Pagan. It at least acknowledged the earth and the heavens as what kept this earth in order.. It is hard for me to accept the christian definition of “god” because of all the hate and killing that have been done through the ages, and currently, in “his” name. It is sad that so much negativity has come out of religion, because it could be a force that would keep us spiritual. Unfortunately, historically it is not so. We do know there is a difference between being religious and being spiritual. It is not necessary to be educated at some university to know that, but many times it is through education that we begin to open our minds to see all the options in the world around us, and gain an understanding that we didn’t have before.
That being said. I believe strongly in the a higher power, tho we don’t know exactly what it is, we know there is some force that keeps this universe in an order. it is a force larger than all of us, but we know it is there. We see it in nature and in our daily lives. It is important that we each have our belief, for some reason human kind needs to name the unknown and have a belief. The problem comes when we think that everyone else should believe the same. And if “you” don’t fit into the construct of my belief, that means you are not ok.. This thinking has caused war, and killing all over the world including our own country. Today we are finally beginning to realize that it is important to allow each individual to believe and live as they see fit, as long as you are not doing harm to others in your belief system.
When our belief becomes obstructive and hateful then it is no longer useful. We stop growing and find ourselves in a stuck place. Everyone suffers from this kind of system.
The balance comes when each can live in peace and allow all others to do the same. Maybe we can out grow the past and our world can become a place where all can live in harmony within their own beliefs.