THE WORLD IS IN A MESS BECAUSE IT HAS TOO MUCH RELIGION AND TOO LITTLE SPIRITUALITY

Toronto, Canada      Jeffrey S. Ram, Editor    June 8, 2025

Religious symbols of world religions

Religion and spirituality, though often used interchangeably, represent fundamentally different aspects of human belief and experience. Religion is a particular faith or worship of a superhuman controlling power, generally accompanied by a set of doctrines, institutions, and rituals. But spirituality is about pursuing inner peace through connection with the Supreme Being, loving Him, and loving His creation.

The domination of religion over spirituality fosters intolerance, conflicts, wickedness and the subjugation of moral values to material interests and physical possessions. Historical examples and sociopolitical implications demonstrate that this is one of the primary reasons for global chaos.

THE AUTHORITARIAN NATURE OF RELIGION

Spiritual people founded religions that fostered relationships with the Divine Power and civilized their followers with moral codes. However, when less spiritual leaders took control and management of religions, their greed for power, wealth, possession and control changed religions into authoritarian institutions. Most religions began to require rigid compliance with their beliefs and suppressed critical thinking, questioning and scientific advancement.

The ambition of religious chiefs created jealousy, hatred, division, narrow-mindedness and disputes. History has witnessed many religious wars that have caused massive bloodshed and destruction. The Crusades (1096-1291) and the European Wars of Religion (16th -17th centuries) are prime examples. The Crusades involved religious warfare between Christians and Muslims. In the European Wars of Religion, Catholics and Protestants engaged in battles and killed each other.

At present, religion-based terrorist organizations like ISIS, the Taliban, RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), and even Buddhist politicians and monks use religion to justify their acts of terrorism and brutality to acquire and hold a dominant position.

THE POLITICS OF RELIGION

The dangerous mix of religion with politics enables political leaders to gain and maintain authority by taking advantage of the religious and emotional feelings of the public.

Religion-inspired laws, policies, and governance take away the freedoms and rights of people in general and women and minorities in particular.

Most Islamic countries have blasphemy laws to justify hostility and savagery against religious minorities. They also have anti-women statutes and customs that allow men to oppress women.

In India, Hindu religious nationalism promoted by RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and supported by the Bhartiya Janata Party governments has led to many laws that legitimize the state-sponsored barbarity by the Hindu majority against the Muslim and Christian minorities.

Among the Christian-majority Western nations, Christian nationalist and conservative-right political parties generate prejudice and animosity against immigrants, refugees, migrant workers, and international students.

The above examples demonstrate that many religious leaders and their followers often indulge in worldly vices and fail to practice spiritual virtues. Consequently, there is more evil than good in the world.

RELIGION VS. SPIRITUALITY IN THE MODERN WORLD

 Despite modern technological and scientific achievements, religious and political extremism and bias thrive. Many people neglect moral values and mindlessly follow religious leaders in bigotry and cruelty. Some others get more pleasure from materialism and consumer culture rather than from deeper spiritual thinking and striving.

Religion without spirituality is useless. Only the revival and pursuit of ethical values of spirituality can resolve humanity’s crisis by creating more compassionate, harmonious, and peaceful societies.

A GUIDE TO SPIRITUAL LIFE

The global indifference and insensitivity to widespread poverty, hunger, homelessness, ongoing wars, atrocities, oppression of the weak and vulnerable, and subordination of women prove that, even though religions are prospering, spirituality is declining in practice and influence.

Several spiritual practices guide seekers in their spiritual journey. Reading spiritual texts, singing hymns, listening to devotional music, practicing meditation, engaging in contemplation, and demonstrating service and compassion develop ethical values to build a more open-minded and compassionate world.

SOLUTIONS: BRIDGING RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY

Not religion itself, but religious authoritarianism, rigidity, bigotry, and exploitation of religion for political or economic gain are responsible for division and conflict globally. On the contrary, spirituality nurtures understanding, empathy and inner peace. 

By renouncing religious extremism and narrow-mindedness and pursuing spirituality within their faith, religious people can utilize the fruits of spirituality to create more compassionate, harmonious, just, and civilized nations.

Today, with the rapid increase of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, the only solution for humanity to save itself from self-destruction is spiritual, not political or religious.

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