Discuss pilgrimwb's answer to: Why do some confuse rejection of religion with a rejection of "God" ?

Question: Why do some confuse rejection of Religion with rejection of "God"?

pilgrimwb
pilgrimwb Answered:

Because, by mostly universal consent, the word "religion" means "in relation to deity." You can split hairs with people on the inside of a given religion (i.e., preaching to the choir), but not with the dictionary.

Life is a voyage that's homeward bound. –Herman Melville
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Faith
Faith

 


I am using the word "religion" here in the context of  dualistic belief system  rather than the mechanism by which one  simply meets "God",  outside of any belief system, formal or otherwise... which insists that its belief system is necessary to know "God"
By my own experience, though the Grace Bestower is absolutely essential, any dualistic religion which might spring up around such a rare and divine One, is not at all essential or necessary and in fact can OFTEN get in the way of True Knowledge.
It is true that more and more are identifying with non-dual spiritual paths which perceive no separation between Creator and Created, rather than with dualistic  religious  BELIEF systems which teach that there is an absolute distinction between Creator and Created... as the ultimate reality.  with dualistic religions one ends up with TWO as the supreme Truth   ~ ME AND God~   rather than  "God" alone, the One without a second,  as the ultimate and absolute reality .. so ONE.   
 The Grace Bestower REVEALS that though the ONE can have the experience of Two or "Other"  THAT ONE can NEVER actually become TWO.   THAT which is the cause is ALSO the effect. The dream can NEVER actually exist as something separate from the Dreamer... they are ONE and the same and this becomes perfectly  clear ONCE Grace awakens the dualistic mind from its contracted dream of "Not God" 
  A True spiritual path is one which depends on direct, and  Transcendent "Experience" via an act of supreme Grace,  and who's goal is not simply heaven but rather  SELF Realization, true ONEness with everything.  
Dualistic Religion can, at times, indirectly, lead to the seeking of a Non-dual Path of Grace, by sparking one's interest in the Divine,  but it is certainly not necessary... and becomes just an extra step to be dealt with, since no belief system or individual person can OWN Grace.. the actual manifest Power of "God".     When the student is ready The Master appears.  God comes looking for YOU...when the time is right AND.. there is no Judgment involved.  
 From the Perfect comes the Perfect.  If the Perfect is taken away then ONLY the Perfect remains. 
IT is the veiled mind which judges and perceives difference where ultimately no difference actually exists.  This is NOT something the mind can come to on its own... it can never be only an intellectual understanding.  Grace IS essential for the mind to KNOW , while religious BELIEF is irrelevant, since Grace shatters all the mind's beliefs and replaces all that with Transcendent Knowledge.
Note: The dictionary references only dualistic, mundane language.  The language of Truth Absolute must be learned ... from Grace itself.   Grace is the ONLY  dependable translator when it comes to the language of the Divine Heart. The unawakened mind cannot enter there.  Grace innitiation is the key.

 
jameslee102447
jameslee102447 Thinks this answer is Helpful:

Very nice Faith, your comment has inspired me to write and complement much of what you have already said.

Religion is an organized fellowship with rituals and different spins on scripture. Most religions believe in God yet believe in different Deities. Then we have those believing in the same Deity who have adopted different historical events. These are fellowships and they build moral fiber and are recognized in our experiences but not necessarily in our academic thinking. Remembering significant facts regarding the written word of the bibles of the world is not a measurement of religious or spiritual thinking. Remove the rituals and identify and define scripture for yourself is transcending religion. This is not to say not to consider the different spins that religions have to offer, they may all be right depending on ones own experience.

 

The human race is living under the duality of ego and spirit, the two fold nature of mankind. That part of you that is self-centered is ego, that part of you that knows itself is Spirit. Bottom line is that we are all left alone to discover for ourselves the Holy Spirit for the benefit of all.

 

This discovery is not always comprehensible because the ego is always in opposition to the Holy Spirit since this discovery means its death. This may explain the self proclaimed agnostic, atheist, and non-believer, persons who have not discovered self. Variances in man to what is just and unjust or right or wrong is a reflection of his total freedom and this encompass’s mans choice to choose total independence from God, a belief in separation. Don’t allow the ego to deceive you in believing that you are what you are not, and that includes separated from God, we are all the children of God. The awareness of this is first cause to self discovery, the effects of which leads to our At-one-ness with God. Understand this, you cannot fail, spiritual progress is inescapable for it is not in your thinking but in your experiences.
 
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From the mind of Jameslee:       

" Don’t allow the ego to deceive you in believing that you are what you are not, and that includes separated from God, we are all the children of God. The awareness of this is first cause to self discovery, the effects of which leads to our At-one-ness with God. Understand this, you cannot fail, spiritual progress is inescapable for it is not in your thinking but in your experiences."

 

Beautifully stated Jameslee.  Thank you!
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