Religious Philosophy

What Religious Philosophy is for Me

By Rev. Sherryl Craig

As I think back to when I was a child I remember Sunday mornings in Sunday school class and those summer time vacation bible school classes. Even as young as I was I felt that there was something missing. There had to be something more to the stories I heard and what I was told in church. It felt like I wasn't getting the whole story. Lucky for me I had a wonderful teacher at home, my grandmother. My grandmother taught us, from a very early age, that we should treat everyone with respect, treat them the same and remember that we all came from the same place.

When I was six years old I decided that I wanted to attend several different churches so that I could get a better understanding of the vast differences in beliefs of other cultures. I still felt that there was a prejudice in the words. No matter what the type of church or religion, if I wasn't true to that one church I was doomed. It seemed as if that was the message in every sermon.

I could not accept it, even as young as six years old. So I stopped attending regular church and began studying independently. I felt so strongly that we were all brothers and sisters no matter what our nationality or culture. We were just given the opportunity to worship in different ways and that made us special. I hope even today that all humanity will one day grasp this outlook on life and spirituality. We are all the same. We are all different. We are all unique in our beliefs and who or what God is to us. It is the combination of sameness, difference, and uniqueness that makes up what I see as the One true religious experience. Unity and being as One.

Science in it¢s many diverse forms explains the vastness of our existence and the Universe from the chemical and atomic make up. It gives us the details of our DNA or how we are formed. But Science also gives us something else. It gives us the opportunity to explore more deeply who we are as spirit. The connection between Science and Religion being the key.

I believe our Spirit is the core of our being. Existing. It is the essence of what makes us who we are and who we become in our spiritual, emotional and psychological lives. It connects us to the universe and to God. Our Higher Power. Spirit exits in our emotions such as love, hate, compassion. To me God is a wondrous being, a higher power that exists in all of us and in all things. Through infinity. God gives us the ability to love and to be of service to others. God allows us to accomplish great things by filling us with a special gift. The gift of free will. When we open ourselves completely to the full true essence of our Higher Power we are able to bring all people, all faiths, all religions and all beliefs together as One, with a common goal to harm none. If we look at the one common denominator of all religions and belief we find that love is a constant in us all. I¢m talking of all positive religions. In doing so, we accept and understand that we all come from the same energy and source.

I know this is just my opinion but when I speak to young adults and children, to corporations and small groups I always try to remember that they each have their own faiths and beliefs and that to reach everyone I must be Universal. Religion is organized whether it be 2 or 200.

Spiritual Awareness is to me infinite.. Religious Philosophy to me is the philosophy or idea that we all worship and honor the same true Higher Power no matter what name we give him/her and we should hold true to bringing forth the positive energy and not the negative from such a mighty and exceptional power. Open your mind to the vastness of space. It is who we are.

What did I bring forth from this course. I think I brought forth the knowledge that no matter what country we live in, no matter what color our skin, or what tone our voice, no matter what name we call our Lord and Lady, we are all family and that is what I wish to teach.

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