Spiritual Segregation
by L.M. Kenney

It is human nature to cling to that which is familiar. It is also human nature, dating back to instinctual survival mechanisms, to fight off or flee from that which is different. We are more evolved humans than our caveman ancestors, however. Why do we continue to separate and condemn those who are different?

All over the world there is a common theme of people congregating with like interests or beliefs and then rejecting or even fighting others who have different beliefs. This is so often the case with spiritual and religious matters.

There's a joke that illustrates this. You can substitute any religion or faith in the parts of this joke. It goes like this:

There was a man who'd led a good life. He was a good person and worked very hard. He had a Jewish mother and a Catholic father but had never adopted a religion of his own. He knew God in his own private way and had no need for organized religion. When he died his soul arrived at the gates of heaven and he was greeted by a beautiful angel, surrounded by light.

The angel said, "Welcome! We've been waiting for you. We're so glad you are here. Come, let me show you around." The man gladly followed the angel on a tour of heaven.

They came to one large area surrounded by a very tall wall. On the other side he heard thousands of happy voices, celebrating and singing. The man asked the angel, "What's this? What's on the other side of this big wall?" The angel smiled and said, "Oh. That's the Born Again Christians. They think they are the only ones here."

In the United States, especially the southern states, there is a predominance of people who identify as "Christians." With tele-evangelism, in particular, the word "Christian" has come to mean many things beyond simply following the teachings of Jesus Christ. Many Christians are intolerant and condemning of Buddhism, Judaism, Muslim, Wicca or any religion different from Christianity in any way. In fact, people are taught to be frightened of other religions. They are taught "Satan" is lurking behind smiling faces of people who claim to be anything other than Christian.

The teachings of Jesus are a beautiful thing. They are so very simple, really. Why is it that people have had to go and complicate it all? I truly believe if Jesus were here today, he'd be shaking his head, frustrated and sad with the way his teachings have been twisted and used as basis to condemn others.

It's not only Christians who are guilty of spiritual segregation. Farakan and the nation of Islam has come out with some pretty strong statements against other religions. Farakan would not dare equate his God with the God Christians and Jews worship. Why is that? What are the grounds for one religion believing they are the only one worthy of God's love?

In Ireland, Protestants and Catholics kill each other over the difference in their views of God and Church. In Africa, there are tribes who slaughter one another because of their spiritual differences. The Serbs murdered and tortured thousands of ethnic Albanians based on the fact that their beliefs are different.

Thankfully, we are not wildly violent toward one another because of religious differences here in the United States. After all, this is a free country where citizens are permitted to worship in whatever way they wish or not worship at all.

Isn't that the whole reason this country ever came to be? People in England didn't want to worship God the way the King told them they must, so they set off for the New World? And the Revolutionary War was fought so that people of this country could have these freedoms. Why is it that despite this freedom, people continue to segregate and exclude others because their views and beliefs are different?

There are churches such as Unity Church and Unitarian Universalists that advocate for inclusion and acceptance of all, seeking that which we have in common rather than that which makes us different from one another.

There are more and more people in the United States who are completely turned off of the entire idea of spirituality of any kind because of the way religion has become so rigid and judgment-based. It is sad to me that so many people may be missing out on what if feels like to be connected to the Source of Divinity because they've been so turned off by organized religion.

I feel we are doing ourselves a great disservice by practicing spiritual segregation. Think of all we could learn from one another if we were to open our minds and hearts and drop the judgmental mind-frames.