"Some of the architecture of the Catholic Churches was pretty good too." - Ron Murdock

Back in 1987 I was reading an article in the Skeptical Inquirer written by Al Seckel. I read an expression that has stayed with me to this day, it went "people are told what to think as opposed to learning how to think."

Since then I found many times over that this phrase has a lot of merit and truth to it. One field where this is especially true is in organized religion. In most cases here people suspend good judgement and rational thought when tough questions need to be asked. These same people, though competent in other fields of life, seem to take one of two paths once involved in religion.

One is a passive approach, sitting on a pew, taking in everything without taking a good listen at what is being said. The other approach is an aggressive in your face one that claims "we are the elite and only way to Heaven is though our belief system." Sadly I wonder if questions are discouraged in either case or any real wisdom is passed on to those attending the service.

Organized Religion has stated many times what it is against, whether it be rock music, homosexuality, "shacking up", among other topics. But will religious leaders state what they are for as long as it isn't a theocracy, which in my mind is little more than religious communism.

Then there are those who believe in eternal damnation and the Lake of Fire. Whoever dreamt this beauty up must have hate people with an extreme passion. This type of mind set is little more than intimidation talk to keep people in line and keep them in mental cages. Scare tactics like this does nothing to uplift the human spirit.

I see a big problem in religion is putting too much emphasis on the messenger than the message. There are great spiritual truths to what Jesus, Buddha and other teachers have had to say. But Organized Religion has a tendency to fall into the cult of celebrity and has become part of the establishment instead of beng a place where people can come for spiritual healing, rest and renewal.

I've attended 4 Midnight Masses between 1999 and 2002. Each time I came across a sense of sacredness that seems to be missing from the rest of the year. I would like to see people connect with a heightened sense of mysticism if they haven't done so already. It would be the difference of living by the spirit of the law not by the letter of it. By mysticism I mean the sense of wonder and awe brought into a persons life whent hey open up to the Universal Spirit. When this is done it goes beyond wishful thinking.

People have to lighten up a bit and give themselves a break in life. Organized Religion has created a lot of barriers between people that need to be broken down. Then maybe we can start making the world a better place to live in. It just might take less effort than originally expected.

Ron Murdock
doc.ster@hotmail.com