The word “Religion” has gotten a bad reputation over the past two or three decades. Many of the young people today are suspicious of religion, they do not trust religious organizations as previous generations have. They hear about the mind-controlling cults, the unscrupulous religious leaders, the killing, and brutality perpetrated in the name of God, and so on. To the current generation, something is not right. The problem begins with one, not knowing the real definition of religion and two, how to identify a legitimate religion. Let’s start with the definition of religion according to the dictionary.
Religion – 1: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
2: commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
According to the etymology of the word “religion,” the above definition is inadequate. The origin of the word is Latin (religare). It is composed of the Latin prefix “re”, meaning again, back, and “ligare” means to bind or yoke. Therefore, the proper definition of “Religion” is – to return to and bind with the source of your being.
Based on the above, religion should be defined as the conduit that assist man in reuniting with God, the Supreme Being, while on earth. All things are spiritual; however, man was created for the sole purpose of serving as God’s vehicle so that God can have experience in his Creation. For God to do so, he needs man cultivate his or her Divine seed so that he or she may bind with the Creator, the Supreme Being. It is God’s plan for Man/Woman to be successful, but Man/Woman must choose to unite with God., because God has given Man free will, therefore God will not, and cannot force a human being to reunite with its source of being.
The misconception of “free will” is that you are free to do whatever you want, NO! Free will is the freedom to decide to either follow God’s Word or Man’s word. When you decide to follow man’s word, life becomes difficult, painful, stressful, lonely, depressing, and full of doubt and unpredictability.
Now that you know what religion should be, how do you identify the correct religion and have faith in its doctrine or concepts? First and foremost, the source should never try to tell you what to think or how to think, or to not question the hierarchy. The source should provide you with the information that you need to know, then allow you to absorb the information at your own pace and to ask questions as needed. The information should be logical, reasonable. It should be relative to every aspect of your life. It should build your confidence and belief in yourself; it should settle you into a peaceful state of mind. If it doesn’t offer any of these things, you should question it.
Transcending the Labyrinth of Life offers information that may put you on your proper spiritual journey, please check out our “Spiritual Teachings” section for more in-depth guidance.
