Which is the right religion? For those seeking to widen their spiritual horizons, that is a very important question, and the first question which comes up. This question is identical to the questions when we are looking at a map of asking, ‘where am I on this map?’ and ‘which way on this map is up?’
We ask which is the right religion because of several assumptions we need to clarify:
First that there is a singularly right religion, and it must fit everyone and be the only answer spiritually. All religions would agree with you on that.
Next is in finding the right religion, immersion into it will answer all your questions and meet all your needs for which you are looking from this religion. Again, all religions would readily agree with you.
What I have observed is that anyone seeking to find the right religion may have emotional needs and are seeking knowledge about areas of themselves other than religious. It is possible that these other areas needing answers would not be answered or needs met by religion, any religion. Emotional, self esteem, boundary violation or disconnection from our personhood needs are not met by a religion whose only context is in judgement of sin. Those needs require nurturing, compassion, and building you up as a person for healing. Connecting you to the personal pride God gave you is the only answer. Religion is the last place from which you will ever get any endorsement of that!
What may be left out is the importance of the one who is looking. That is, you. Let us ask the original question another way; ‘Which is the right religion for me?’ This gives much more emphasis and significance on where it belongs, the one asking. Let us reduce the importance of finding the right religion and increase the importance of finding the right religion for the one asking. Let us assume for a moment that the right religion, much like the right size of shoes we wear, must fit the wearer, instead of being a universally right size that everyone should be able to fit into to be right with God. When we ask our original question in this way, we are giving more emphasis on another matter that is being overlooked. This matter is, ‘seeing things through our own eyes,’ the first of our seven spiritual activities and birthrights.
Asking ‘which is the right religion for me?’ now is asked correctly for which we can now select a right answer. If we increase our ‘seeing things through our own eyes’ perspective to search for other things in our life, we will find it will be of great benefit emotionally and spiritually there as well. It is not just a matter of fitting into a religious world somewhere, meeting their religious requirements to fit in, making God like us. It is more importantly a matter of the religion fitting into your world and the religion meeting your needs and making you more complete as well.
One spiritual lesson to remember here is: You were made by God to be more than a person, you were made with a life path, a plan for it and a world in which you are to live. This means in your world, you come first, and it is by invitation only. If a certain person or situation does not meet your needs, serving you, making you a more complete person, then you can deny that relationship entrance. I told that to young girls in our old church many times. Your religion you choose for guidance to live by is the same classification as the boys’ seeking friendship from the girls I knew in our old church.
By placing more emphasis on the ‘self’ in your life, and the sacredness of yourself, you are already acquiring one of the teachings of any God worshiping religion, which is the importance of you in the overall scheme of things. You are not only part of the world God created, and more than that, you are part of His creation process in the further building of it.
With your newly acquired glasses of the importance of ‘seeing things through your own eyes,’ you can now begin successfully looking for which is the right religion. There are many bad congregations out there. They are nothing more than cult isolationist groups run by power trip pastors and spineless non-persons who are followers conforming to everything the pastor demands. Acceptance is by conformity and sacrifice of individuality.
What you seek is a congregation whose values are based on character, honor, virtue, and recognition of selfhood. More than that, you are seeking a congregation that has the deepest respect for personal boundaries, your boundaries specifically. That will be a hard task to complete, and it will take much time and effort to be successful. It will require much trial-and-error searching, for rarely do you find it in the first, second or even third attempt to find pay dirt. Do not become discouraged, keep trying for yourself, your family and even for a future spouse if you are single. The exhaustive effort will be worth it, no matter how long it takes. Be prepared to visit many congregations of several religions. New Age Christianity is the closest for me, perhaps it will be a good fit for you and yours.
In Review, in seeking for which is the right religion, do not start with God, then find a correct religion that is the bridge to God, then fit yourself into the chosen religion being what the church managements want. Start with yourself, seeing things through your own eyes (your first of seven spiritual rights) And from there you can see God in your true relationship with Him. Then an agreeable religion or variation explaining it is much easier to find. You and God do not have to fit into a premade relationship the way all religions demand. Spirituality is about you and God, finding your life path and destiny as God created you to be. Do not accept any religion that limits this in any way.
Just for the record, this is an emotional and spiritual encouragement ministry. We are selling nothing here and are not at the present time even set up to take donations, and probably never will. Your healed life are our reward enough, and we are very pleased with that. If you want to, please share your strength with others in your future so our nurturing can live on.