Taboo

To associate yourself with any particular religion has become taboo. Why? Because if you are religious, you are now deemed a zealot or extremist. Instead, it has become trendy to be “enlightened” or “spiritual”, but not religious. For those of you who haven’t received the social memo, what is the difference between the two?

If you are religious, you read designated scripture, consistently attend church, pray (a lot). You probably abstain, or try to abstain, from certain socially encouraged behaviors. You believe in God. Not some mystical, theoretical idea, but an actual loving Being who knows you and has expectations of you and communicates with you. You probably believe there are consequences to poor choices. Your values and traditions are often considered old-fashioned, but they have brought considerable joy and peace in to your life. You aren’t swayed by the latest and greatest theory or finding. You believe in a plan of self-improvement and work hard on inadequacies.

I can’t really define the new social “enlightenment” because there are so many contradicting attributes to those who have jumped into this category. From what I have observed (so a very biased perspective), enlightened individuals are the proponents of socially acceptable ideals. In other words, it’s the absolute correct belief until society in general disagrees. You have to be keen to societal inclinations to stay a member of this group. The great thing is you can almost always do what you want when you want, except call yourself religious, unless it offends another “enlightened” individual.

So, I’ve been shunned. I’m religious. And…hold on….I’m Mormon. My first, and main order of business, as a religious zealot is to take personal inventory each day and work on those things that are not in accordance with God’s will. Why? He loves me. I love Him. What’s important to Him is important to me and You are what is important to Him. So through my shunning, I will look for divine qualities in all I meet. And hopefully improve along the way.

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8: 35-36

Religiously Yours.