Religion and Spirituality

Religion is about the community. Spirituality is about the person.

When it works well, religion is a coming together of people who are traveling similar spiritual paths. Through religion, like minds can find one another, compare notes, encourage one another, and support one another. When they share their experiences with each other, sharers and listeners both benefit.

When it isn't working well, religion becomes about power and control. It becomes divisive and exclusionary. Its goal becomes self preservation.

This is not in keeping with the Tao, as Lao tzu would say.

Spirituality is about our individual spiritual journeys. I am the only one who can travel my spiritual road. You are the only one who can travel yours.

But that doesn't mean we can't help one another through the rougher parts. That's one of the reasons we invented religion in the first place.

To help one another.