Religion

Religion: Any specific system of belief, worship, conduct, etc. often involving a code of ethics and a philosophy.

There isn’t a topic more likely to generate controversy than to discuss the ins and outs of organized religion. This is a hornet’s nest inside a can of worms, which is locked inside Pandora’s Box. Many of us rebel at the rules and regulations; we don’t like ritual or specific instructions of any kind. Some of us are passionate about a strong structure – if it isn’t in our particular book or preached from a pulpit we dismiss it with a snort of disgust.

And when we have stayed loyal to a particular faith, our alcoholism and twisted reasoning cause us to misinterpret and warp what is often a good message. The stuff we have made up cannot be found in any religious book that we know of. The interpretations that we have hallucinated up are not in main stream thought.

Search out people with good, strong programs. Find out how they grew spiritually. If you avoid church like the plague, maybe you can learn from someone who attends regularly. If you show up at every church service, maybe the alcoholic who has found his own personal path to spirituality can help you strengthen your own faith.

All of us would do well to open up that bear trap of a mind and listen to the experience, hope, and strength of all of our members.