Whenever we talk about our religions, regardless of their political pollution, people often assume that whatever our religious leaders say is based on spiritual truth—implying that everything is legitimate and full of integrity.
Now, if everyone across the more than 4,200 religions believes their faith is purely spiritual and just, we’ve got some problems. Unfortunately, when it comes to our governing systems and religious beliefs, things get complicated because group politics demand individual irrelevance. To control their members, leaders may preach things that rob individuals of their self-esteem. While some may be ready to kill or die for their religion’s political side, not everyone is willing. Spiritual integrity can be immensely beneficial, but it can also tear individuals apart, especially when their spiritual values clash with their political loyalties.
Throughout history, humans have killed each other over their belief systems. To me, if you are spiritually aware, you can connect the dots: you didn’t just show up here because you wanted to be alive. With spiritual awareness, you can see God within yourself and others. When the politics of belonging pollute our religions, things go south, especially for us as individuals.
When group leaders mix religious beliefs with their political agendas, it becomes a toxic cocktail—much like mixing alcohols to increase intoxication. This is evident in history and still today. When politicians give inspiring speeches, individuals often become intoxicated with fervor, ready to kill or die for the cause. This intoxication is not unlike the effect of alcohol—it mixes with human chemicals, or hormones, that provoke alcohol-like emotional responses. If an individual is not the CEO of their own life and unaware of the power of these chemicals, things can quickly spiral out of control.
An emotionally intoxicated individual can’t see God within themselves or others. Regardless of religious beliefs, being spiritually blind or emotionally drunk on political belonging can lead to recklessness and a loss of spiritual integrity. When people speak of God, they often talk as if God is exclusive to their group, creating a version of God that is bigoted, prejudiced, and discriminatory. Would you want to commit that spiritual crime? Just look around and see how many of us are doing exactly that. God won’t tell you that you’re on the wrong path, and your religious leaders won’t let you question it. Right or wrong is secondary; group leaders care only about the politics of belonging.
If everyone is intoxicated by the lethal mixture of politics and religious beliefs, killing each other becomes easy—not in the name of God, but in the name of group or tribal belonging. When we talk about spirituality, justice, oxygen, water, food, love, favorable life circumstances, our mortal bodies, and humanity, what comes to mind is the universal nature of being human. If God were political, why would universality exist for all of us?
If you overcome the influence of your hormones and political affiliations, you will not only feel a direct connection to God but also to your own and others’ universal nature. That’s where you’ll understand the value of the atom of autonomy within you. Otherwise, you remain trapped in the group politics of belonging, just as humanity has been for thousands of years. You can choose to be an irrelevant political puppet or the CEO of your life. Politicians, whether using race, gender, nationalism, or religious rhetoric, are still human. So, the responsibility of letting others rob you of your self-esteem and self-respect ultimately falls on your own shoulders.
We need to critically examine our evolutionary nature, personal insecurities, and the political rhetoric of belonging. We are chemically influenced by the love of our families and communities, naturally drawn to the politics of belonging. It’s all fine until we start to go against our personal and spiritual nature, committing spiritual crimes in the name of our political affiliations and disregarding our own autonomy, which lies encased within us. This connection to the source, or God, can be confusing, especially because some deny its significance.
Some atheists may claim they don’t believe in God, making the encased irrelevant. To me, that’s being biased. On the other extreme, some focus solely on the encased and life after death, neglecting the importance of protecting the encasement. They believe God controls everything, rendering human action irrelevant—again, a biased and political stance. Whether you prioritize the encased or the encasement, you face a problem either way. The spiritual sound of life requires both hands—spirituality and physicality—to clap.
So why doesn’t God intervene before a crime is committed? Why do we experience inner conflicts, torn between belonging and freedom? Why can some be compassionate, loving, and giving, while others are the opposite? These questions can be answered by believing in your own atom of autonomy, which grants you free will and a personal sense of justice. Reflect on where you got these abilities; if you fail to use them, you can easily fall into the traps of politically dubious integrity set by others.
As individuals, we possess immense responsibility. Our ocean-like brains, free will, and sense of justice empower us to act justly—treat others as you would want to be treated. Yet, politics of belonging often lead us to inner conflicts, which can be a dangerous place for a mortal being. Group leaders thrive on making their followers feel insecure, ensuring their dependence and allegiance. An insecure individual feels the need to belong, whether to a gang, community, nation, or religion, to feel relevant. However, in pure spiritual reality, things are quite the opposite: without the physical input of individuals, God and groups lose their significance.
Since humans have free will and an evolving nature, things can and should change with our expanding knowledge. However, political pulls are exceptionally strong, and not everyone ventures into their ocean-like brains to make sense of their lives. It’s not often taught to believe in or understand the nature of our autonomy as the CEOs of our lives.
When we talk about justice and integrity, they should be universal and free from political influence. If one is not the CEO of their life, they may easily believe whatever their leaders preach, even if it’s a distorted version of truth masked as integrity. Politicians twist truth into something that serves their political ends, cloaked in so-called integrity.
When discussing universal concepts like God, spirituality, and justice, we must also speak of compassion, love, truth, and integrity. Otherwise, politically influenced individuals with emotionally compromised logic and dubious integrity become a danger to themselves and society. As autonomous beings, we carry more responsibility than we’re taught to believe. True justice is universal and unbiased for all of humanity. If justice serves only a group, it is politically tainted and not true justice. True integrity requires purity, free from the stain of group politics.
Look into human history, and you won’t find an era free of human bias. Group politics have always claimed innocent lives. Seeking pure spirituality and blind justice may seem like a dream, but we have an opportunity now. This is the first time in history where people are asking for and willing to fight for equal human rights. Students protest wars that go beyond their racial, national, or religious interests. This shift should serve as a wake-up call to those willing to kill for their groups. Humanity may finally be ready to evolve beyond divisive group politics.
How long will it take? That’s a question for future generations. They must be more spiritual than religious, more just than political, and more willing to give and receive equal rights than we are today. If they embrace these values, they will continue to thrive as a united humanity. They must prioritize humanity over group affiliations, climate control, and global issues over resource exploitation. There are clear signs that they are against racism, gender bias, bigotry, and discrimination. They live in melting pot societies, coming from all over the world, unified in their values. They can see the wrongs and seek spirituality over religion. They stand for universal justice and empathize with the suffering.
Governments have been toppled, and the future remains uncertain. But one thing is clear: the days of authoritarianism, religious politics, and localized justice are numbered. In this age of social media, scandals can destroy a politician overnight. Yet, despite all these changes, our religious beliefs remain intact. Why? Perhaps our loyalties to our groups prevent us from questioning the integrity of our faiths. As individuals, we all come with the ability to use free will and a personal sense of justice. If we fail to comply with our atom of autonomy, we risk falling victim to the politically dubious integrity that plagues our societies.
Look into the history of humanity and find a time or era that was free of human bias. There has never been—and still isn’t—a time when group politics didn’t claim innocent lives. Searching for pure spirituality and blind justice often seems like a dream for humanity. Yet, we have an opportunity now, as this is the first time in history that people are actively asking for, and willing to give and receive, equal human rights. It’s heartwarming to see students protesting against the war between Palestine and Israel, even when it’s far removed from their racial, national, and religious interests. This is unique and should be a sign to those who would kill in the name of their groups. Humanity might finally be ready to take the next step on the ladder of evolution, overcoming the politics of belonging to specific groups.
How long will this take? The answer lies with future generations from all groups, nations, and religions. If they are more spiritual than religious, more just than political, and more willing to grant equal rights to one another, they may achieve what we haven’t. All signs point toward a future where humanity can thrive, provided they prioritize the collective over group interests and wars, and focus on global issues like climate change instead of exploiting others for resources.
Today’s youth, against racism, gender bias, bigotry, prejudice, and discrimination, live in diverse, melting-pot societies, and yet they connect with humanity as a whole. They recognize injustice, seek spirituality over organized religion, and empathize with the suffering of others. Governments have been toppled by uprisings, raising questions about the future. Regardless of predictions, it’s clear that authoritarianism, religious-political rule, and localized justice are losing ground, thanks to the power of social media, which exposes corruption and deceit in real time. However, despite all the scandals, our religious beliefs remain largely unchallenged.
What makes us spiritually corrupt is our failure to question the integrity of our own religions. Is this due to our loyalties to our groups? It’s a question worth asking. As autonomous individuals, we each possess free will and a personal sense of justice. If we ignore these qualities, we risk being spiritually and politically torn apart from within.
History shows that many groups have tried to dominate the world, believing their race, nation, or religion to be superior. Not only did they oppress others, but they also distorted their spiritual principles to justify their actions. They followed bigotry, prejudice, and discrimination openly, cloaking these practices in the name of religion and constitution.
To those who are taught that God does everything and humans are merely puppets, I ask: how does anything happen without human action? If you see yourself as powerless, you risk losing faith in your abilities, your autonomy, and even the universal blessings we all share, like life itself. Life circumstances can challenge our beliefs, traditions, and rituals, leading us to blame God or our belief systems for our failures.
There are over 4,200 recorded religions, a testament to our search for answers in different belief systems. But changing religions is often more a shift in political alignment than a spiritual one; the essence of God and spirituality remains constant, untouched by human politics. If you blame God for your hardships, you need to reassess your belief system. The path may change instantly, but it alone cannot solve your problems.
Putting God on a pedestal while devaluing your own contributions leads to shattered expectations and lost faith. You must respect the physical aspect of your nature, which is crucial for spirituality to be meaningful. As we evolve, having faith grows more complex, and everything points towards our responsibility to take control of our lives. An individual with shattered expectations needs more than a preacher; they need to recognize their role in the broader spiritual landscape.
If your group diminishes your self-esteem and self-respect for political gain, you can’t look to them for solutions. You live in an era of equal human rights, and centuries-old answers may not suit modern problems. If your sense of irrelevance stems from beliefs instilled by group politics, you must learn who you truly are. If your shattered expectations stem from waiting on divine intervention that didn’t come, reflect on the unseen damage caused by your group’s politics.
Every human has a duty to turn spiritual principles into physical actions to make them meaningful. Even divine work involves human input—what more do you need to feel relevant? If you don’t see your own worth, no one else will convince you. Those with low self-esteem are easier for political forces to control. To rise above being a political puppet, you must understand your value as an individual. If you continue to feel irrelevant because of group influences, question yourself until you see your importance.
Believing in your irrelevance is like denying the significance of a thread in the creation of a grand tapestry. My message is simple: stay grounded in the era you were born into. Science and religion must find a middle ground within each individual to make sense of modern life. In an age of equal human rights, fostering inner and outer peace requires a balance between our spiritual and scientific understanding. As humanity evolves with scientific discoveries, we must not neglect our spiritual side, as inner peace remains closely tied to it.