Religion

Disclaimer:  I have no intention of offending anyone with this post.  I respect and honor everyone's beliefs.  Please keep in mind that if you call yourself 'religious,' your form of religion might actually be synonymous with my 'spirituality.'  These two words have taken on the meanings I speak of below in my mind, perhaps not yours.  Just remember that words are not important, as long as your actions speak for themselves.  

Spirituality is different from religion.  For me, spirituality is a belief in something greater than ourselves, whatever that may be, and it is unique to each and every one of us.  Religion is a strict set of rules, a profitable enterprise, a belief in a god forced upon us by which the truth has been silenced and the facts have been formulated by man.  It is the corrupt version of what was once spirituality.

I am spiritual, not religious, and I have a very different form of belief than most in the western world.  I may write about it in the future, but for now I would like to comment on the wonders of religion- namely art.  Because organized religion is so lucrative it is able to fund and compile some of the most beautiful pieces of craftsmanship I have ever seen.  Stone work, stained glass, architecture, gems, and wood carvings are a few examples of some of the finest pieces belonging to religious sects.  Though I am not religious, and some may think me an intruder for entering them, I love meandering through religious buildings of all sorts to lay my eyes on these works of art.  They evoke feelings of awe, tranquility, and peacefulness that I normally can only find in the outdoors.  These pieces are true testament to what these religions once stood for and have evolved from.  They are traces of the spirituality that once existed and still attempts to shine under the watchful eye of power-hungry corruption.