Why Organized Religion Has To Change In Order To Support Our Spiritual Growth

Right from the start I need to make it very clear that I am not entirely against religion and that I don't propose that you renounce your religion. My goal is to try and make you more fully aware of the limitations within many organized religions. This, in turn, may allow you to nurture a deeper spiritual awareness within your chosen religion.

One of the major problems with religion is that it can make us feel inadequate and unworthy. After all, if we are still facing problems in our lives, perhaps it is because we are not good enough people in the eyes of God. Or if adversity hits us, maybe it is because we are not trying hard enough to follow religious practices.

The truth is that we do not need religion to develop spiritually. Religion is not the goal; it is just a tool. Many people find it difficult to accept, but in fact religion is a human invention. Spirituality on the other hand is a universal, godly existence that is the core of life and not at its edge.

Let me ask you a question: How does religion try to force us to become better people?? Isn't it through promoting fear, shame, and guilt? I know this from personal experience, as well as from numerous patients whose fear and guilt, created by their own religions, made them feel miserable, ill, unhappy, inhibited, repressed, and at times almost insane.

Yes, mental illness can begin in religion. A disorder named Scrupulosity is a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. People experiencing this disorder are obsessed with sins, morality, and religion in general. Also, a phobia named peccatiphobia is associated with committing sins.

Fear, guilt, shame - is this what spirituality is all about? Obviously not. Such consequences only serve to remove people from spirituality. I believe that the big discrepancy between religion's offering and spiritual teachings? focus gave rise to the New Age movement. It's also the reason why many people moved from traditional religions to Eastern practices such as Buddhism and Hinduism.

Clergy of all denominations would want you to believe that this is how things have always been and how they should remain, but we all know that even what seems to be a 'full proof' system can be challenged. Communists, as an example, thought that their power would exist forever. But they were wrong. It collapsed in all of Eastern Europe. The Berlin Wall was destroyed stone by stone by people from both sides of the border.

Many people are coming out and saying in response to religion's dogma, "We don't want to follow any rules blindly; we don't want to be intimidated into behaving one way or another." Bishop John Shelby Spong, the author of "Why Christianity Must Change or Die" calls them "Believers in Exile." Such believers in a Creator want to focus on practicing spiritual principles. They still want to be mentored, but not always the way organized religion does it.

One of my biggest contentions with organized religion is that it has not evolved and adapted at the pace of the rest of society. The way some religions treat women is a classic example. Women cannot be ordained as priests by the Catholic Church; they cannot become rabbis or even sit beside men in orthodox Jewish synagogues. Islam is no different. This changed in some denominations like Anglican churches and Reformist Jewish Synagogues. Many women have pointed out to me that the percentage of women volunteering for the different Catholic Church activities is very high. Why is assuming significant lay responsibility acceptable but becoming a priest is not?

Almost every profession and institution has learned to accept and value women - medicine, law, sports, you name it. And yet most religious organizations remain stubborn on this glass ceiling.

That to me is not spirituality. Women were created equal and not as second-class human beings. Women tend to have a better ability to understand human feelings and conflicts. Most often, they become better able to relate and connect with people. Given the opportunity, women could provide excellent guidance in many areas of daily living as leaders for churches. I sometimes play with the scenario that if women ever decide to rebel by refraining from going to sermons, churches will be mostly empty. What will the Vatican do then?

Sexism is only the tip of the iceberg. Sexuality inspires greater efforts at religious controls. For instance, "The Catechism of the Catholic Church" (Publications Services, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1994), describes masturbation as an offence against chastity and, along with homosexuality, as a "disordered action." Fundamentalist church doctrines and rigid religious thinkers of all denominations are too often just as intolerant. These archaic attitudes cause people unnecessary shame and guilt.

Unfortunately, we can point to the private lives of priests and church leaders as a testament to what can happen when people are forced to repress their innate sexual desires. I have done a great deal of work with patients about their sexual inhibitions because they considered their sexuality sinful or "dirty." Where do these messages come from? The church needs to recognize that sex is not dirty. Sex represents powerful creative energy that we need to learn to express in natural, healthy ways, free of inhibitions. CNN recently reported the result of a poll asking priests about the church requirement of celibacy. More than 50 percent confirmed that they would want to see celibacy dropped as a prerequisite for priesthood.

I see the role of a religious figure such as a minister, rabbi, mullah, etc., not as a "religious guru," but more as a teacher, someone who can take you by the hand and gently lead you down the spiritual path, without rigid rules, intimidation or using negative motivation. Preaching produces only temporary enthusiasm or motivation. People must question religious leaders who only preach and promise, and begin to look for genuine teachers instead. If such leaders want to continue to play the role of spiritual mentors, they must genuinely teach their followers how to be in touch with who they really are, not what the church thinks they should be. This applies to any religion. If these leaders can teach people how to connect with deeper aspects of themselves, then their work is worthy.

To teach connection with the spirituality within each of us, clergy of all faiths have to figure it out for themselves first. Like any teacher for any subject, a religious leader is more likely to guide you toward spiritual understanding if he demonstrates awareness of personal, deep spirituality and encourages positive instead of punitive religious practices.

I have no doubt that numerous priests and other religious teachers do a fine job serving their communities despite many limitations imposed by their own organizations. Hopefully, with their good work and devotees increased awareness, organized religions can transform to respect and teach spiritual practices that can improve our lives in more meaningful ways.

Bob Gottfried Ph.D. is a psychotherapist and a Neuro-cognitive specialist practicing in Toronto, Canada. He is the clinical director of Advanced Wellness Programs and Advanced Cognitive Enhancement (ACE) clinics, and a consultant for the Canadian Centre for Integrative Medicine and Global Health Managed Care. He is the originator of an innovative therapy called Core Integration Therapy (CIT) and the author of "Shortcut to Spirituality: Mastering the Art of Inner Peace" a book that will help you achieve unconditional inner peace right where you are, right now, regardless of your life's circumstances. Check it out at: www.ShortcutToSpirituality.com.