Before I start this article, I want to let you know that I am not an atheist and I am not a Catholic, but possibly somewhere in between. This is what I have realized in the journey of finding myself without following a religion.
In today's society, there has been a massive demographical shift from religion to spirituality and Atheism as science becomes more and more prominent. The understanding of science has caused people to find flaws in the theory of the Bible and religion as a whole. I have found myself researching different religions, backgrounds, and beliefs, just to become more and more knowledgeable about what other people may believe in. If I find something I want to believe in, or something that truly moves me, I want to make sure I know everything about that idea or concept and how to interact with others with different beliefs. Manyof the "Spiritual But Not Religious" are trying honestly to understand what it means to be both spiritual and scientific.
During my life, I have experienced religious intolerance and discrimination and have found my own definition of spirituality. I have come to realize that religion and spirituality, should be something you experience on your own, not by contemporary childrearing (being raised to believe in a specific God or being). Being taught religion in this way tells us what to believe; it doesn't allow room for questioning or thinking freely.
Spirituality is realizing that we are all connected in some way by an invisible, energetic force. This force can be tapped into when we raise conscious awareness of ourselves and others, and is not governed by laws or dogma. It is very beneficial to seek a spiritual life without deluding ourselves with laws, dogma, or others' ideas. We need not wait for experiences and become masters of a religion, but we need to recognize the nature of thoughts and being ourselves; thus, becoming better at contributing to the well-being of others.
As scholars have studied this shift from organized religion to personal spirituality without a religion, it has often been obvious that it is beneficial to seek a spiritual life without deluding ourselves. We need not wait for experiences and to become masters of a religion, but we need to recognize the nature of thoughts and being ourselves; thus, becoming better at contributing to the well-being of others. The reason for this spiritual awakening “is not just that we are too much in a hurry and have no sense of the present; not just that we cannot afford the type of labor that such things would now involve, nor just that we prefer money to materials. The reason is that we have scrubbed the world clean of magic," (taken from my favorite book, The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are, Alan Watts). This spiritual awakening should begin with a recognition of opening your eyes and experiencing life directly and will grant profundity of living a humble, pristine life.
Being spiritual without following a specific religion has taught me to have an open mind and to close my eyes to release any tension from my body. I have found meditation methods and personal ways to focus and feel my life-force energy. As I consider my life-force energy and where I want it all directed, I have to keep in mind how small I am in relation to the planet. No matter how big a problem seems, in the grand scheme of things, it's probably quite insignificant. Take a deep breath and move on. But on the opposite side of that, I have realized that no matter how small I am, I can also do great things. Gandhi was one person that made an enormous amount of difference in his life.
I have started to ask questions more often. Like, why do awful things happen to good people? Why do we watch loved ones die? Why do we get hurt? What is the concept of human meaning? I really wish I could answer those questions for myself and for others, but there are just some questions that we can't answer.
I am wary of people who claim to know that they know the answers to the questions, and wary of people who claim to know the correct way to live. If you're in a spot in your life where you are confused and you can't find a religion that rings true for you, I don't encourage you to abandon belief altogether. Because I can't prove the existence of God or anything else, I can't see with my own two eyes, I don't ignore the tug in my heart that tells me to keep looking.
Every person is unique. You will find a way that suits yourself. And like all free-thinkers, I'm tired of feeling like I should be ashamed of my spiritual orientation. I have come to realize that I do not need your approval of how I find peace, inspiration, and stability in this difficult world.
If you're interested in being "deeper than an atheist but smarter than a believer," being a free-thinker, or really learning about spirituality, read up on it. Sam Harris and Alan Watts, two philosophers, have written phenomenal books on being happy while existing truly as yourself.
