1And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain, and when he was set down, his disciples came unto him.
2And opening his mouth, he taught them, saying:
3Blessed are the 'spiritual': for theirs is the kin-dom of a new way of being Church.4Blessed are the politically correct: for they shall possess elected office.
5Blessed are they that recycle: for they shall feel good about themselves.
6Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after organically grown non-processed vegan food products: for they shall have their fill, but for only an hour or so.
7Blessed are the sustainable: for they shall be shown wind farms.
8Blessed are the carbon-neutral: for they shall see Gore.
9Blessed are the justice-and-peacemakers: for they shall get jobs at the USCCB.
10Blessed are they that suffer persecution at the hands of the institutional church hierarchy: for theirs is the kin-dom of victimhood.
11Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake:
12Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in Call-to-Action. For so they persecuted the faithful dissenters that were before you.
It never fails to amaze and amuse me the measures people take to prove their spirituality while insisting they want nothing to do with 'organized' religion. I'm tempted to ask - "What? You'd rather have disorganized religion?" Instead, I hold my tongue and listen as they go on about how much closer they've come to God since leaving the Church. Well, the reason for that is because God is still calling them, and He will use any means possible to inspire them to return. The problem is, they want to deal with God on their own terms, rather than on His. So despite their feelings of closeness, they're really telling God "Whoa! Close enough, dude!" Kind of like a restraining order - they know He's there, but they want Him to stay 50 yards away at all times.Or, perhaps what they mean is that they've come closer to being their own God since leaving the Church, because they've decided for themselves what's moral, virtuous, good and heavenly. And the sad thing is, the stuff they pick is such a pale and weightless alternative to the full and total package that God offers.
Either way, the "being spiritual without being religious" tag sounds nice and all, but at the end of the day, it doesn't mean a darn thing. It's Mad-Lib Theology - a fill in the blank, do-it-yourself, it-makes-me-feel-good-therefore-it-makes-me-good, liberal-theme-of-the-day belief system. And it shows itself in a myriad of ways.
For example, here's an op-ed at the NCR Today blog, titled Spiritual, But Not Religious
There are probably hundreds and hundreds of thousands around the country now who make some deliberate effort to live simply.
-- Myra and John live in the suburbs of Chicago and keep plastic bins in their garage for recyclables. They spend a few minutes each day sorting and separating, then an hour a month taking the bins to drop-off centers. Both also choose to ride public transportation to their jobs weekdays rather than driving. When they recently bought a new car, they opted for a hybrid. The whole family chooses to eat a bit lower on the food chain than is widely done, limiting their meat consumption. They also limit the amount of time they watch tv, choosing to read to and talk with their children most evenings.
-- In rural New Mexico, Cyril and Ed card the wool and spin yarn from a dozen sheep they raise in their four-acre back yard. They also keep goats for milk and make their own cheese when they have time. Both are self-employed computer programmers and work as consultants out of their home, a sprawling adobe structure they built themselves. When they must travel to faraway cities on business, they take the train.
The author provides several more examples of 'people' (who can tell if they're real or just fictional?) down-sizing their lives and changing their habits. The vignettes provide little indication of any deep level of spirituality going on. These are snapshots into people's lifestyle choices, yet they're presented as examples of diverse yet equal styles of spiritual living. These examples are rather tame. I know people who prattle on that God demands eco-justice, or gender neutrality, or any other form of heresy de jeur. And if the Church disagrees, then the Church is oppressive and no longer following the Gospel yada yada yada. Read any progressive Catholic blog or publication, and there is no compromising with them.
Don't get me wrong. It's certainly commendable to live within one's means, and to practice temperance in everyday living. The only problem I have is that none of the entries make explicit mention of Christ.
Which is not a big deal if a person is Buddhist or Hindu - but...this is an article written in a Catholic publication. Can a Catholic be spiritual without Christ? Would such a person rightly be called a Catholic?
If a Catholic's priority list does not have Christ at the top, then all the good they do is for naught. And if Christ is at the top of the list, then the Church has to be there as well. There is no separating the two. The charitable actions become empty and lifeless, because Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, isn't the focus. And without recourse to the Sacraments - the means of supernatural grace - then only natural means are being relied on, and that is unsustainable.
Instead, the focus primarily becomes themselves - 'doing such and such makes me happy' - then others - giving back to the community, helping others who are unable to help themselves, etc. The underlying basis is 'feeling good about myself'. Add to the mix this prevalent attitude of "saving the planet" - among a large number of Catholics even - well, that's just ridiculous. No merit there whatsoever, if the priorities are backwards. If Christ and his Church aren't at the top of the list.
Here's the article's conclusion:
Whatever the reasons for practicing simple living, the daily choices, prioritizing, and wider decisions that must be made – the conscious “life-style” involved – embody, I believe, a practical description of some spiritual condition. The consciously simple lifestyle is an outward reflection of some developed and developing inner reality.
Quite often, it’s what is meant by the clichéd declaration: “I’m spiritual but not religious.”
Christ was spiritual AND religious - he was about being and doing. Christ was an observant Jew, participating in the feasts and holy days. And he started a Church - which is a rather religious thing to do.
A person claiming to be spiritual but not religious is not following Christ. They've fallen for the allures of the world, the flesh and the devil. And Satan was the original "spiritual but not religious" guy.
