I'm Not Spiritual, I'm Extremely Religious

                         I'm so pleased to see the rush of readers coming from Indonesia. Here in the U. S. spirituality is quite divorced from the practical beauty of our religions. People go to church because they are afraid of death or their family. Understandable, but I love the observations of our traditions and faith. I find the western approach to meditation to be equally clannish and spiritually selfish. I myself personally love the sensation of meditation or prayer, but when I talk to god I know, no one has to hear me. It is my heart that sings, this is my joy of life. This is my religion. My work in the para normal is love. I don't speak for a personal god. But when possible I try not to speak at all. This is my religion. I do not care for "Spirituality." What I believe just takes us back to that, "Self Defined, Opinion Biased, Ego Identification." I am a Christian, or I am a Buddhist, or I am a Moslem, (all selfish,) etc. I find religion much more practical than I do the pretense of a spirituality. How can something as beautiful as the tithe, charitable giving, be confused with something that is used for payment into heaven? Or how about the way that puja, the ritual act of purification, is used to justify the prejudice of the caste system? Or the how about superior attitudes of the western meditators whole cling to their smug sense of fragile calm? Sorry, my problem are not with religion. Maybe it was a problem at one time, but today it is the pretense of spiritually that has perverted my craft into a "New Age" consumer sport. The pretense of "Spirituality" makes me ashamed to be called a professional psychic. As if I am supposed to be better than somebody else, just because I have spent my life in worship and study. Nothing qualifies me to get to speak for someone else. Because of the hatred and the hero worship I am expected to endure, I'm not allowed to just be another man like any other. I am expected to be what people expect me to be, pro or con.

                         Here in the west people can often be heard to say, "I'm not very religious, but I'm very spiritual." I like to say the exact opposite. I'm not very spiritual, But I am extremely religious." Thank you.