What is religion?

Do we need religion in our lives?

Is being spiritual enough?

Gandhi is right of course, and if God has no religion then all religions are wrong. Why?

Because they each believe they are right.

We forget that ‘God’ in all language translations — the Universal Intelligence — the Creator — it doesn’t matter what term we give to define ‘God’ — there is only one Formless Substance that gives substance to all form!

Religion is merely a method to wrap our heads around that. Not that that’s a bad thing. Religion can help to keep people centered. It’s when religion becomes intolerant that it becomes a problem.

December is a month to celebrate peace, love, and goodwill towards one another. No one religion owns the rights. Every religion offers something to its followers, typically forgiveness, love, peace, and inclusion.

What we need to understand is that religions are systems of thought, created by various cultures and tribes hundreds and thousands of years ago, as a way to understand the world and our place in it.

These systems of thought are taught to children according to where they were born and into which family they were born.

Religion is essentially an accident of birth.

December is a great month for holidays – Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and the Islam celebration of the birth of Muhammad.

Is it risky for me to mention Islam? 

As I studied for this post, I discovered that Christianity, Islam, and Judaism all honor sections of the same Bible — and the people in it. Abraham is the father of all three faiths.

Before I wrote this article, I decided to extend my holiday good wishes with: “Have a Happy Merry!” in protest to all the stubborn dissent I see on the web about how we should all have the courage to wish someone our version of the religion-in-the-holiday.

You’ve seen all the posts, messages, and headlines about ‘Merry Christmas!’ and ‘Happy Hanukkah!’ being replaced by ‘Happy Holidays!” and how it shouldn’t be allowed.

Has political correctness gone angry as it’s invaded our spirituality?

If you want to wish me a Happy Hanukkah, I’ll wish you a Merry Christmas. My sentiment behind the words conveys love and acceptance, as I believe do yours.

But does wishing someone “Happy Holidays” really taint the goodness behind the meaning of these wishes?

Does Starbuck’s red cup decision really make Christians feel slighted? Poor Starbucks is still being crucified for not writing ‘Merry Christmas’ on their red cups (they didn’t last year either) — but then again crucifixion and Christianity are not an uncommon pair are they?

Why is it that some of us want to own the holiday season? Perhaps it’s because being right is very important to the ego within us — all of us.  Whenever we get caught up in righteousness, it’s our ego that’s doing it, not our spiritual selves.

We forget that ‘God’ is the same ‘God’ in all religions.

Christmas

The first known celebration of Christmas was in Rome in the year 336. Today, Christians across the globe celebrate the day as a day of incarnation, which means ‘in the flesh’.

Christians believe that with the birth of Jesus, the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator came to earth as a man. He did this out of love for us and to spread His word of peace and love and eternal life.

 

 

Hanukkah

The Jews originally celebrated Hanukkah, not as a religious holiday, but rather as a symbol of freedom and the overcoming of oppression. It was not until the 19th century that Hanukkah became a time of celebration.

Hanukkah, once a holiday celebrating anti-assimilation, became an occasion for Jews to participate in the holiday season, along with those celebrating Christmas and Kwanzaa. 

 

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa — I originally thought Kwanzaa was a religious celebration for African-Americans — and considered it specific to the ‘accident of birth’ scenario.

And I found it curious that it gained so much popularity so quickly over the years in the United States — due to my own ignorance of what it is Kwanzaa celebrates I suppose.

What I now know is that Kwanzaa encourages people of all nationalities to celebrate a lifestyle of loving one another while honoring oneself. Its teachings encompass unity, purpose, and creativity to name three of their seven principles — along with a belief in one another.

Not sure about you, but how nice is that? Today, people of all faiths and religions join in the celebration of Kwanzaa.

Hinduism

Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion, originating in India and Nepal. Of stunning interest (to me anyway) Hinduism has no single founder, no single scripture, and no commonly agreed upon set of teachings.

Hindus do not celebrate a December holiday but may indeed set up a Christmas tree as a secular event to allow their children to feel included in holiday events.

Hinduism is possibly the oldest religion on earth, with many key figures having taught different philosophies and having written various holy books over the centuries. Hinduism is often considered a way of life, with nearly all of the wisdom masters — both past and present — quoting from two of its scriptures: the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita.

Central to Hinduism is the belief in a supreme God or Universal Soul, which is found in everything. If God, the Universal Intelligence, the Creator is everywhere; then every person is ‘God’ — as is every thing, every tree, every animal, and the earth itself. Shouldn’t we respect that?

It doesn’t matter which religion you practice — the answer is yes we should.

Hindus believe that life is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, governed by Karma and that every action has an effect. Hindus believe that the next life is dependent on how the previous life was lived.

Let’s make them good lives.

Buddhism

Buddhists believe something similar, going beyond religion to a philosophical way of life.

The love of wisdom, leading a moral life, and mindfulness are central to Buddhist beliefs. I must say, I like this too.

 

 

Islam

Islam is the second largest religion in the world, 60% of whom are Asians, 22% Arab, and 12% African. Curiously, Islam includes many of the same beliefs and honors some of the same religious leaders as noted in the Bible; including Jesus, although they see Christ as a man not a God.

Muslims (the term for followers of Islam) believe the Quran, or their holy book, was dictated to Mohammed by God through his messenger-angel Gabriel. To Jews and Christians, Gabriel is as familiar as Abraham.

The followers of Islam celebrate December 23, Mawlid el-Nabi, to honor the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. It’s important to know that alcohol is not allowed in the faith, so toasting Muslims with alcohol should be respectfully avoided during the holiday season. But saying Merry Christmas is okay as Muslims believe Jesus Christ was an honored prophet of God.

Of interest, is that Muslims value their society as imperative to their way of life. They strive to fit into a larger group of people in order to feel secure and belong. This could be an extended family or a network of friends — those people who have their back in case of crisis or need. Which may be one reason that some people join radical groups like ISIS — as a way to meet their need for belonging.

I won’t go in to ISIS other than to say that they are a small minority of severely disillusioned people who need our prayers and blessings. You may not agree, but what I do know is that what we resist persists, and that hate begets hate. The Bible tells us to: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”.

Hard, I know, but the next time you reach to forward that message or re-post that cartoon, remember:

Being ‘politically correct’ or wishing for the good old days can easily migrate into intolerance.

Remember Mother Teresa’s famous quote?

“I was once asked why I don’t participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I’ll be there.”

She knew. Mother Teresa, who just this week was awarded sainthood by the Vatican, avoided traveling the path of negativity — choosing instead to travel in the light of positivity. She knew that what you focus on expands.

So what did I learn researching this article? I learned what the Buddhists already know.

Religions that are founded on love and compassion are valid spiritual paths.

So let’s not worry about who owns the holiday season or who has the right God, and just wish each other peace and love this holiday season. And does it really matter what words you use to convey your good wishes? Just say them from the heart!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Merry Christmas!  Happy Hanukkah!  Happy Kwanzaa!

Namaste! — the spirit in me honors the spirit in you.

To learn about how religion and gift-giving during the holiday season evolved, check out The Gift of Holiday Traditions — Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.

Tune in next week for The Roles We Play. What you might want to know before all those holiday gatherings.

Is religion an accident of birth? Check out my post on Belief Systems – What Do You Believe.

As always, comments welcome! Thank you!

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