Original Faith

Topics/Categories: Religious Exploration, Spirituality

Something that touched me: So, here you are reading a post on a "spiritual" blog, reviewing other "spiritual" blogs. And since you're here, I can presume you most likely consider yourself "spiritual" or perhaps you find you have a tendency to explore areas tangent to religion and religious beliefs with an emphasis in spirituality. And what the heck does THAT all mean? And why the HECK am I talking about it? Having reviewed many blogs at this point, in areas that I would consider "spiritual" I find that many of the authors of those blogs shy away from that title, citing potential duality, snobbery and a host of other negative connotations the word can imply. So maybe it's time to back up and let's start from the beginning with an analysis of spirituality. Does spirituality preclude religion in your mind? Let's all start here, with this post entitled "Lost and Found and All Around." What is the central purpose of religion and spirituality? What's it for?

Review: Finding this site was a godsend. Yes, that was slightly mischievous, and I wonder how many of you shifted uncomfortably in your chair. But truly, this is a very real, under discussed field here simply because of mental limitations many of us have placed on the words we use. To some, the word "religion" may invoke night sweats, while others may shiver at the word "spiritual." The author of this blog, Paul, rolls up his pant legs and wades in to these discussions with a gusto I've only seen in fisherman looking for the "big one." To be fair, he also has an M.A. in religious studies, and an M.Ed in counseling so he has some experience in grappling these giants. The interesting thing about his blog, is that it is an almost linear read...that is, while you can read it in random post order, you may want to start at the beginning. This is where he defines terms a bit, hooks up his breathing apparatus (and yours) and begins the deep dive where unknown (soon to be known) creatures may be lurking. To Paul, these thoughts are real and very tangible...you might want to take a look at his history, and how he has persisted, remaining true to his belief in "Original Faith." (That also, is the name of his upcoming book.) Don't be fooled by the words here---religion, faith, spiritual...here we're ripping open the envelope, dumping out the contents, closing our eyes and feeling. You might be pleasantly surprised...I was. Thank you Paul for such an excellent swim in your ocean.

Feed: Yes

URL: http://www.originalfaith.com/blog/index.html