SECURITY IN RELIGION
There is something about spirituality that is attractive to almost everyone. Whether it is God, or Satan, or Buddha, Mother Nature, or some other spiritual entity, there is a tendency in people to want to relate to it/him/her, and the closer the better. These religious inclinations are all predictable outcomes due to the spiritual famine that exists in the World of Religion. Lacking real spiritual food that comes from God, people will do what they can to create a counterfeit god.

For people who live in communities where name brand religions are an important part of the culture, it is important for individual religionists to somehow communicate that they relate to others who share their spiritual affections and beliefs. This relationship affirms individuals and strengthens the religious community.

There are a variety of ways that individuals communicate their membership in a religious community. Each religion has distinctive beliefs and practices by which adherents demonstrate that they are members in good standing of the religious community.  It is necessary for individuals to constantly reaffirm their standing within the religious community for the sake of their personal comfort, security and reputation. Constant, heavy participation in religious activities also contributes to the survival of the religious institution that meets their needs.

In addition to regular observance of religious traditions, there are several other ways that people communicate their membership in a religious community. These ways vary from person to person and depend on their roles and religious traditions in the community. In most religions,  it is possible to ascend from a lesser to a greater role by faithfully and aggressively exhibiting the more highly valued public behaviors that, according to the religious culture of the community, indicate a higher level of spirituality and relationship with the spiritual entity (i.e. god).

These patterns all work very well for individuals and the religious communities to which they belong. They are normal, accepted, and necessary to the stability and vitality of all religious institutions. And, as far as the members are concerned, they are justified and confirmed by the doctrines on which the religious community was established. But that is not the case for Judaism and Christianity.

The difference for Judaism and Christianity is that their doctrines do not line up with the Bible which they claim is the source of direction for all their religious activities. The way we see it, however, is that their doctrines and practices are based on wrong interpretations of the Bible. They are based on literal interpretations of what God said — not on the spiritual intent of what God represented symbolically through the words written in the Bible.

STUDY TIP: See Literal or Symbolic Interpretation Part 1, Literal or Symbolic Interpretation Part 2, and Literal or Symbolic Interpretation Part 3 for discussion on interpreting the spiritual intent of the Bible.

Failure to obey the spiritual intent of what God said in the many MYSTERIES and Symbols, Signs, Types, Allegories, Parables, Copies, Shadows and Patterns found throughout the Bible keeps deceived, well-meaning religionists in Old/First Covenant religion where they will work hard to comply with all the Laws, Commands, Decrees, Statutes and Ordinances detailed in The Law of Moses. In doing this they fall into the trap of The Law as a Stumbling Block and remain in bondage to RELIGION that, in God’s eyes, is Defiled — not Pure.

One common indicator of Defiled Religion is the presence of one or more of the many subtle manifestations of spiritual pride and boasting that inspire religionists to develop and maintain their place in a religious community. These behaviors are obscure to the point of invisibility within individual religious communities because everyone does them and they are encouraged through common public practice. No one within a particular religion questions or doubts the appropriateness of the behaviors because they are the norms of behavior, affirmed and strengthened by generations of tradition, for each religion. They are hidden, powerful strongholds that subtly influence everything religionists do within their religious community.  But they are not hidden from God nor are they prescribed by God. In fact, God has given clear warnings about these behaviors which we have exposed throughout this website.

While religionists do not see their public speech and behaviors as pride and boasting, or as efforts to create reputations as spiritual people, those who are outside a particular religious tradition have a keen eye to perceive what religionists do not see.  And when they are noticed, it is usually with a sense of disdain that creates distance between religious and non-religious people. This result, of course, is contrary to God’s desire for oneness among people. It is no mystery, therefore, that God should make clear his views about pride, boasting and public displays of religion.