“Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized; nor should any organization be formed to lead or to coerce people along any particular path.”
This quote, from J. Krishnamurti, has stuck with me since seeing it in one of the books I’m currently reading. I’ve often struggled to figure out how I felt about faith and religion, and reading this quote was like being hit over the head with the perfect synopsis of my feelings.
We don’t need a specific religion to connect to truth, to a higher power, to our higher purpose.
So often it seems, especially lately, that specific religions are being pressed and forced on us. We’re being told that to be good, to have faith, we must follow XYZ religion. We must follow their rules. We must do what they say.
But faith doesn’t work that way.
Many of us have been conditioned by society that to have faith, we must belong to a religion. And for many of us, that leads to so much anxiety and mental overwhelm, especially when we don’t fit the mold others want us to fit into.
I’ve always been outside of the mold that others have wanted to put me in when it comes to religion. I’ve felt awkward at family gatherings, where I know my views clash greatly with other family members, who I love dearly. While I’ve been lucky in my life to still be welcomed by family and included and loved for who I am, there are many others in this world who don’t have that same luck.
And then, when we’re outside of the mold, how do we go about raising our kiddos? Being outside the mold when it comes to faith and religion has contributed to a lot of my anxiety as a mom, as well.
As I continue to come back to the quote from Krishnamurti, I’ve felt my anxiety around this start to lower. I know how I will raise my kiddos to have faith, while not being restricted or controlled by any specific religion.
Because faith is about believing in something greater than yourself, in a higher purpose, in a higher power, something the universe itself controls. It is not about belonging to a specific religion.
This is what I will teach my kids. I will teach them to forge their own path. I will help them to learn about the different religions, sure, but they will learn that there is no singular “right” way to have faith.
It is far more important to have compassion, sympathy, empathy, and love for our fellow human beings than it is to force ourselves and others into one specific mold.
How do you approach and overcome the anxieties you have around faith? I’d love to hear from you in the comments or through a private message, if that’s more comfortable for you.
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