Exercise routines and religions share many commonalities. We follow them in similar ways. For instance, we seek structure to believe in and follow, allowing us to experience a sense of belonging. This means someone has to be a guide and provide that structure, because we often feel inadequate—not only due to our belonging groups but also because of our own self-doubt. We don’t believe we can be directly connected to the source. We’ve been told that we’re not worthy to approach God directly, yet we are the ones with free will, who decide and choose our paths.
Belonging groups typically don’t have a say in the decisions of the individual who is the chief executive officer of their life, unless that person has fully bought into the politics of the group. It is up to you to decide whether to change according to the times. Belonging groups often follow the agendas set by political powers.
If you believe your exercise routine is the best, you might automatically think that others’ routines are inferior, regardless of their progress. This bias is connected to the politics of belonging, which is tied to personal loyalties, ego, pride, and honor. You wouldn’t even know this if you weren’t taught by your belonging groups. I prefer to keep my eyes open to observe others’ progress, recognizing the politics of my sense of belonging. If I notice unfairness within myself, I remain open to learning, regardless of my accumulation of logical knowledge. Logic tells us that we only evolve if we seek growth; otherwise, we get stuck in a mindset where we believe our way of living is better than others’, breeding prejudice and discrimination.
There’s nothing wrong with following a set of rules to reach your goals. For example, all sports have coaches who create routines for individuals to follow and progress. These coaches often believe that what worked for them will work for everyone. They start to believe they can help others by making them follow the same methods. Regardless of the routine, people or athletes develop, compete, and win all over the world. When you look at the fundamentals of development, some basics apply. It always comes down to desire, drive, and genetics.
While achieving excellence requires further details like repeated and exhausting practice sessions, proper nutrition, and adequate recuperation, I won’t delve into those details because this blog is about spirituality. But even metaphorically, the connection is clear.
Let’s consider religions, ideologies, democracy, and all forms of governance—they all require people, and my logic says that any group of people will inevitably involve politics. When you mix politics with governance, anything goes. From character assassination to physical assassination and everything in between, it’s all fair game in the quest for political power. Whether ethical or not, false promises and manipulating people’s emotions are all acceptable in politics. An educated but emotional individual can often be persuaded to vote against their personal beliefs.
Do you really think this should be acceptable in the spiritual world of God or even in your personal sense of justice?
Personally, I believe all religions should be free from politics, even when it relates to a sense of belonging. Since religions are, and should be, connected to our spirituality, they should focus solely on spirituality and leave political issues to the politicians. As times change, we need to evolve to meet the challenges of an evolving world. Clinging to the glories of the past can disconnect us from the realities of the present.
When you bring politics into religion, you harm both. You may gain power, but it comes at a price. Injustice, prejudice, and discrimination are prevalent in most, if not all, religions. How can these imperfections and insecurities infiltrate our spiritual world?
It all depends on individual strength. If we are weak, we will not only allow it to happen but willingly participate. Any system that tramples on equal human rights is based on these three flaws. Religion or not, a spiritually aware individual with a personal sense of justice will always advocate for equal human rights. A religious system—or any justice system, for that matter—that lacks equal justice is impotent, especially if we start to think our routine is better than others, yet others can still outperform us. This ignorance cannot be addressed collectively because we all have a politics of belonging to our groups, making it an issue tied to individual justice.
Since every human being—regardless of color, gender, nationality, or religion—is equal in the eyes of God, I believe in standing up for equal human rights. I believe in the spiritual rule number one: “Don’t do to anyone what you wouldn’t want done to you.” This spiritual rule should apply not only at the personal level but should also be fundamental to all religions, ideologies, democracies, and any other governing systems. It should rise above the personal politics of belonging to specific groups. If you keep this principle in mind, both personally and collectively, you will be blessed with internal and external peace.
A sense of justice for all depends on how you feel inside or how you were taught to feel. If you were taught to feel superior to others, you need to consider your mortality as a mortal being. That realization should automatically humble you. If you still feel superior, you need to find a spirituality that aligns with a personal sense of justice. If you can’t achieve that, you are a victim of out-of-control politics tied to your belonging group, to the point where you have lost the meaning of having God-given free will and a personal sense of justice. Not only are you unable to use your free will, but you are also denying your direct connection to God. It is time for you to seek belonging in humanity as a whole.
We are all equally blessed with free will directly from God. If you follow the politics of your belonging group without examining it through your personal sense of justice, you are undermining God himself. You have surrendered your powers to your belonging group instead.
Always remember, we are human beings, not worker bees or warrior ants; they are genetically programmed. We are more advanced than cats and dogs because we can self-regulate without the carrot-and-stick approach. Human beings have free will and always have a choice. If you choose to follow a particular routine, do so—you may benefit from it. However, remember that there are many routines to follow. Believing that your routine is the best and that you are the best may give you a politically inflated sense of self-esteem, but spiritually, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re achieving anything.
If you harm others by adhering to your routine or set of rules, you’re missing the point. Worshiping and harming the same entity makes no sense to me—it would be akin to a Hindu killing a cow. Most, if not all, religions emphasize that helping the needy is crucial to being a good person in God’s eyes. Yet, we see that religions often create needs rather than addressing them. Seeking spirituality in today’s politically driven religions is like searching for a needle in a haystack. Nowadays, many still try to control you by threatening hell and judgment, using fear to maintain power.
A mortal should never fear mortality, as it doesn’t change the facts of life and death. Fear-based politics have been and continue to be used to control the general population. Politics, whether from religions or other governing systems, often resorts to terror tactics and heavy-handed responses, which haven’t changed and likely won’t change in the future. Spiritual and social crimes are present in all societies, regardless of their governing systems. Religious societies are not exempt from crime either, so what should we do? Education helps individuals self-regulate—perhaps not perfectly, but it’s better than fear-based control.
If you feel superior because you follow or belong to a certain race, nation, religion, or strictly adhere to religious texts, ask yourself why you still live like everyone else. You need oxygen, water, and food, you get sick, age, and die just like everyone else. What makes you superior? Is it your worship of God? God values your spiritual intentions and actions to fulfill the needs of others, not mere worship without deeds. If you harm others who are helping God’s work, what is your real contribution? Should God reserve a spot in heaven for you?
You must think for yourself with a personal sense of justice because your belonging group has a political agenda aimed at gaining power in this world, not the next. Unfortunately, it is often you, as an individual, who either robs someone of life or sacrifices your own life for the political power of your religious group.
Political religions are devoid of true spirituality because our ongoing conflicts over who is right demonstrate our ignorance and rejection of God’s will. A spiritual being believes in God’s will, yet many religious people support harsh punishments, the death penalty, and killing those who disagree with their belief system. Where does God’s will fit in? We readily accept natural disasters as God’s will but question it when it comes to human actions. Remember, it was religious people who threw virgins off cliffs during natural disasters.
On a personal level, with your free will and sense of justice, where you are directly connected to God, you should be aware of the politics within your belonging groups. Understanding this will reveal that your path to God requires some fundamental elements: desire, drive, and genetics.
- Desire: Help others because it fulfills the reciprocal meaning of a human life. It’s not about praying to God, but about helping God fulfill the prayers of other people.
- Drive: Use your free will with a sense of justice, even if it means standing against your own group when they commit spiritual crimes.
- Genetics: Recognize that you are not a worker bee, a warrior ant, or a creature controlled by a carrot-and-stick philosophy.
This approach has contributed to the declining popularity of religious institutions because humans are not like other creatures. Training an animal is one thing; dealing with a problem-solving brain is another. If you continue to treat humans like animals, you will eventually face a reaction. Religious authority is waning worldwide, and democracy with equal human rights is becoming the preferred form of governance today.