“Isn’t spirituality a far larger concept than religion, being to the latter what the Universe is to Planet Earth? And are the religious or people of faith the only ones who can lay claim to being spiritual? What about the spirituality of atheists, communists and millions of people who don’t need the megaphone of religion to advertise their innate human quest for rising above purely material ambitions or desires?”
“These are questions that are relevant at a time when a rash of neo-fascist regimes pop up around the planet, using the hold of religious faith over the masses to propel themselves to power, with thoroughly irreligious motives. From the Hindu revivalism of Narendra Modi to the evangelical Christianity of Donald Trump through the Islamic nationalism of Tayyip Erdogan the contemporary world is rife with examples of fascists and rightwing extremists, backed by billionaires, misusing religion for achieving and consolidating power.”
“Spirituality—that yearning for meaning beyond material existence, that sense of connection to something larger than oneself—transcends religious boundaries. It flourishes in secular spaces just as vibrant as in temples or churches. The time has come to openly acknowledge and celebrate the fact that even the most ordinary folk are often far more spiritual than all the snooty, self-appointed custodians of the Gods.”
“However, given religion’s profound influence on human society, I think that abdication of engagement with religious institutions represents a strategic error on the part of atheists and the non-religious. After all, Marx also called religion the ‘sigh of the oppressed, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless”.
“Rather than dismissing religion entirely, those concerned with human wellbeing should actively participate in religious spaces, working to transform them into more democratic, inclusive, and genuinely spiritual communities. The manipulation of religious institutions succeeds partly because progressive and secular voices have abandoned religious spaces rather than contesting their direction.”
posted by f.sheikh