I'm Spiritual but not religious
You often hear the phrase, “I’m spiritual but not religious”. The phrase is uttered by many young people today, especially cradle Catholics raised in the faith and many sent to Catholic schools. So, what do they mean?
It’s meant to portray a person who is not completely devoid of any moral character, hence their description of themselves as “spiritual”. They know a human being needs to be directed by some moral agenda, lest he fall into barbarianism. Most have flocked to social justice as the way in which they perceive themselves as a good person. Help out the less fortunate, march for justice, call somebody a racist, cancel someone, if necessary. “My spirituality in action!”, the chant is repeated over and over again in a smug and self-righteous tone.
For them, spirituality becomes free flowing with an openness to change. while making one feel good about themselves and judgmental of others. What’s there not to like? Traditional religion on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be as enlightened, it is so old fashioned and has no sense of today’s needs and wants. More than that, religious tradition places shackles around hands and feet, limiting human freedom. No wonder they are not religious, if they were, they couldn’t live how they are living.
For those who claim to be spiritual but not religious, are tragically dishonest to themselves. Religion has become their enemy because it demands an obligation and a spiritual relationship with God who asks them to live in his love and truth, i.e., a moral life. Interestingly, they are honest in one sense. The distance from God is real and true because they have broken the covenant with him by the way they choose to live.
religious people tend to follow sexual moral laws
The major crux for millennials is the beef they have with traditional religion which teaches about Jesus who sets boundaries and rules about human sexuality they do not want to follow. It is one thing to fall because of human weakness, it is quite another to summarily dismiss it completely. Regrettably, dismissal is more common.
What used to be scandalous in the not-so-distant future is now commonplace. Premarital sex and contraception have to be assumed by couples who have chosen to live together before marriage. The trend is so ingrained in the secular society that anyone who doesn’t follow the immorality of these young people are considered weird and strange.
The desire for children no longer is dependent upon marriage, if a woman wants a child, they by golly, she should be allowed with no judgment, only congratulating her as if nothing is wrong. Conversely, if a woman is promiscuous and finds herself pregnant, then by all means she should be allowed to kill her baby because it is woman’s health. Yea, right.
Surprisingly we are still not done with the sins against the great gift of human sexuality. The rise in the immorality of same sex conjugal relations and the folly of marriage in direct defiance to God’s eternal plan for humanity. Unacceptable and somethings got to go, and its religion.
Part two of the essay will be posted on Thursday, May 27, 2021.