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Are Organized Religions Opposed To Spiritual Experience?

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
Are organized religions opposed to spiritual experience? Do they distract people from their own spirituality or do they enhance people's spirituality? What do you think?
 

Pariah

Let go
How do you define a spiritual experience?
Do you mean a mystical experience such as an OBE (Out of Body Episode?) (Not sure of the 'E' letter stands for), astral travel, or meditative trances?

Most likely, if one were to experience such a thing (a mystical experience), it would embolden them to believe further due to the very nature of the experience, it affecting our senses directly. As such experiences provide the basis for religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, needless to say, they are necessary, but both of them have several interpretations on how it may be used. Some see it as an end while others view it as a means or a realization to do better things, such as help others.
 

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
Are organized religions opposed to spiritual experience? Do they distract people from their own spirituality or do they enhance people's spirituality? What do you think?


I hope they wouldn't. I guess the "organized" ritual of worship is hardly conducive to promote spiritual experience, and that is one of the things that disappoints me in "regular" religious sects.

I can only speak for the religions about which I know- and the churches (and therefore priests) who lead the worship, but I have never seen any form of "encouragement" of any form of teaching that might lead to such experiences..........
 

jacquie4000

Well-Known Member
My thoughts are it would enhance your spirituality.
However I could see Religions could be against it if
it is something they truely don't understand.
 

Mister Emu

Emu Extraordinaire
Staff member
Premium Member
I would say no...

In fact, almost every religion that I can think of is based on a spiritual experience.
 

lombas

Society of Brethren
I think individual free will makes you embrace an organized religion, whether you think you will find spirituality in it or not - I'm not sure everyone in search for a belief is also out to have spiritual experiences. You must consider the thought that the individual, or the commune or whatever, always exists before the religion; like Jesus and the twelve apostles, or Muhammad, or Buddha. Whether the religion itself was supposed to distract or enhance people's spirituality, is for the people themselves to decide.

But, like Pariah said, what's spirituality? Again, I would say, it's all up to every person to find out.
 

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
I would say no...

In fact, almost every religion that I can think of is based on a spiritual experience.

Don't you think though (to be fair) that Religions "feel safer" with Group spiritual experiences, rather than the individual ones ?
 

earl

Member
I hope they wouldn't. I guess the "organized" ritual of worship is hardly conducive to promote spiritual experience, and that is one of the things that disappoints me in "regular" religious sects.

I can only speak for the religions about which I know- and the churches (and therefore priests) who lead the worship, but I have never seen any form of "encouragement" of any form of teaching that might lead to such experiences..........
I tend to agree with you Michel. While I miss the community aspect of church attendance, I do not attend a church as I've never related to their services-I'm not a hymn and sermon type of guy. My spirituality is more in practices-contemplative practices-which of course are rarely a part of the typical church service. have a good one & happy Easter, earl
 

Mister Emu

Emu Extraordinaire
Staff member
Premium Member
I guess the "organized" ritual of worship is hardly conducive to promote spiritual experience, and that is one of the things that disappoints me in "regular" religious sects.
I just saw this... and I must disagree...

Every time I have stepped into a church of God(admittedly only two different churches) I have literally feel Him there, another presence, and had 'spiritual experiences'... My last Easter Mass literally left me in tears because of the 'spiritual experience' that happened.

Don't you think though (to be fair) that Religions "feel safer" with Group spiritual experiences, rather than the individual ones ?
I don't know all the religions, to be fair, but no. I don't believe so. Both denominations that I have been affiliated with have encouraged individual along with communal experiences.
 

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
Are organized religions opposed to spiritual experience? Do they distract people from their own spirituality or do they enhance people's spirituality? What do you think?
Spiritual experiences are what Mormonism is all about. I guess that's what I was trying to say in your thread about which religion is the most practical. I said Mormonism was a non-credal faith. Several people took issue with that statement (although in a very nice way :) ). Sure we have our doctrines, but each person is encouraged to seek out truth through our own personal spiritual experiences.
 

Rolling_Stone

Well-Known Member
Are organized religions opposed to spiritual experience? Do they distract people from their own spirituality or do they enhance people's spirituality? What do you think?
I don't think organized religions are knowingly opposed to spiritual experience, but they expect a degree of conformity that for many get in the way of spiritual growth for some, but not all.
 

lunamoth

Will to love
I would say both. In Christianity anyway the character of heaven is communal, a feast, a city, and community is a very important part of our spiritual life. But personal spiritual life, prayer, contempation/meditation, charity and living out the fruit of the spirit are also central. Most Christians who consider themselves minimally active will at least participate in prayer, and our personal practice is as varied as we are as individuals. I would say that unless a person finds a personal connection to God, the continuation of their life in faith would be very hard. What that personal connection is, though, is not something I could explain or define for another because it is an experience rather than information. However, it does not usually happen without intent.

Organized religion can help an individual as they develop their own connection with God. My experience of God is a relationship and it feels like a circle with love flowing from God to me to community and back to God. I "think" about God and theology quite a lot, but this is only a fraction of my experience of God. In fact, sometimes I feel like my intellectualization of God can be a hindrance at times. But, not only through community, but also through the teachings of my religion also I have grown in my connection to God so my experience is that religion has encouraged my personal spiritual practice. I have had a priest as a spiritual director (he himself had actually gone through Buddhism back to Christianity) and his gentle direction was very helpful to me at a time when I needed it. Further, in the Episcopal church anyway, I have never been discouraged from exploring different religious avenues. Before I became a Baha'i I actually asked a priest about it and his response was along the lines of 'everyone needs to follow their own path' and a couple of positive things about the Baha'i Faith.

Having said all of that, I also think that there will always necessarily be tension between individuals and any religious institution, or at least this must be the case in Christianity. Yes, we are the Body of Christ, but we must always be on guard against stiffling doctrines or abuse of the trust that people put in their churches and religious leaders. I think that a certain amount of radicalism is inherent in Christianity, a radicalism that always lifts up the marginalized members of society and opposes oppression, and oppression by definition is a systematic problem. Further, I am something of a 'Tolstoy Christian' in that I think that no form of government whatsoever can be put first in the life of a Christian because governments by definition are upheld by the threat of force. And the same tension that a Christian must always have with regards to civil governemnt can also be extended to our church governments if ever they threaten to uphold their authority by punishment, force or coercion. So bottom line, as there is always tension between organized religion and individual spiritual experience, there is also always tension between our trust of governments/religious organizations and our own conscience.

The way to do this? You must know my answer by now. :)
 

Quagmire

Imaginary talking monkey
Staff member
Premium Member
I would say alot of the orthodoxy is freaked out by personal spirituality.

Most of the saints/prophets/mystics were considerred heretics by some church at some point in their carreers.
 

Comprehend

Res Ipsa Loquitur
Are organized religions opposed to spiritual experience? Do they distract people from their own spirituality or do they enhance people's spirituality? What do you think?

I couldn't tell you about other organized religions but mine definitely facilitates spirituality. Spiritual experiences which we refer to as revelation is the key to our religion.

EDIT: Great.... I see I am the last one to explain this about my religion....
 

Runlikethewind

Monk in Training
Are organized religions opposed to spiritual experience? Do they distract people from their own spirituality or do they enhance people's spirituality? What do you think?
The Catholic Church is not at all opposed to spiritual experiences. Saints like Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross where both very spiritual and the whole history of the Church is filled with stories of people having personal spiritual experiences. I have had one of my most profound spiritual experiences while praying the Rosary.


I guess the "organized" ritual of worship is hardly conducive to promote spiritual experience, and that is one of the things that disappoints me in "regular" religious sects.

I would have to disagree here, speaking from personal experience only, the experience of receiving what I believe to be the true body and blood of Christ at the Catholic mass can be a very profound and moving spiritual experience. And as another point what about all those more charismatic movements with people falling all over the floor and speaking in tongues? Does that count?
 
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