RELIGIOSITY AND SPIRITUALITY: WHO IS RIGHT, WRONG AND WHICH WAY TO GO?

The emptiness, unknown or knowledge gap of mankind –yet most powerfully affecting life for the worse or good, is what prompts man to quest everyday for knowledge to understand life puzzles. His vigorous activity to assert himself through numerous discoveries has still been in vain or just temporary.

Certain forces beyond his understanding, some of which he can describe, continue to side-by-side affect human life negatively or positively. It is upon this background that the concept of spirituality could be divided into positive spirituality and negative spirituality, which both strongly influences human perception and events.

No wonder, people at one point could belong either way or make decisions that aligned to the two sets of spirituality. And, with the consequences faced in pursued on any of the two spiritual systems, lessons are learnt that help transform individuals, communities and mankind as a whole.

However, experience has shown that those who choose positive spirituality of the two spiritual systems never failed. They always attained their goals in life transferable to many generations a head. The opposite would be so to those –who choose to live under negative spirituality.

Religions, as an organized way through which mankind attains positive spiritual needs to inspire those that are physical have often been abused. Man’s magnetic ego and manipulative drives have soon prompted him to hijack the organization and use it to serve his economic and political gains.

Of course, with determination, adoption of religious and Christian values and seeing them work through every aspect of one’s life –as basis for decision making and for common good, could go a long way to bring about harmony and social or world order.

However, focus on religiosity and/or Christianity cannot be enough to create such a desired outcome, but rather, it could be a platform of positive spirituality to govern the common destiny of mankind through the common challenges met.

While religiosity potentially generates conditions for conflict, positive spirituality on one could foster global unity, solidarity and collective actions towards challenges that affect humanity as a whole.

With religion, the genesis could be sparks of different ideas that get organized, documented and linked to spirituality in general to satisfy man’s needs. If so many different ideas are created with equally huge following, fanaticism phase would soon ensue.

The pride and arrogance could be alone a source of conflict as members of a specific section accept to tolerate only those they either share values with or are accepting to their religious dictatorship.

As membership to particular religious group they set rights and privileges for each other, and with, of course, a leadership structure similar to a company or political party –through which they assume custody of morality and claim an unquestionable guardianship over their following.

While they judge themselves as righteous, others groups, to them, are “sinners”, “immoral”, and “evil.” That could eventually be followed by a hate campaign against the other group; a big sign of pending violence.

Orphans, because of the vulnerable position they are found, are forced to change faith to adopt that held by the organization that oversees their welfare. For them, it is not a question of being Muslim or wherever, but a principled matter of following existing instructions at the orphanage.

This has been evidenced at virtually all orphanage institution manned by born-again groups or reformed churches. Experience in Busia as a child care professional has showed that children are discouraged from re-establishing contacts with relatives –fearing that doing so could reverse progress made at the orphanage, as christianization of every beneficiary.

But does one have to be religious to display proper character? And is being religious or Christian, alone, a depiction of good character? Isn’t a religious organization just meant to channel man’s expressions of goodness and irrationality –at the same time?

Imagine, mere differences in ideology being a root for violent confrontations –leading to massacres or genocide! Does morality only come with religions? Why wouldn’t reason come into play to compliment illogic and irrational religious practices, so that it turns out to be a combination of atheism and religious?

Much as atheism never accepts the vocabulary of God, as if declaring independence of mankind and show of human power, evidence has shown that they often used either the word Jesus, Christ or God in expressing amazement or shock.

As an economic vessel, more people are coming up with an idea of taking on offering religious rituals or services as a professional and for a fee. Numerous papyrus and mud structures –serving as churches, as can be seen in the suburbs and rural semi-urban areas have in recent years sprung up. And, indeed, in a few years time they become wealthy –riding on the fortunes of their following.

At some stage, especially after successfully achieving their economic goal, religious leaders would release their ego –to then want to own the congregation personally and easily manipulating them to meet his or her ego needs.

Unlike for a nations with tax collection departments, religious movements never share their revenues Instead are channeled to a project of one, or group of people doing business, while emphasizing to their congregation that it best to live poor so long as they continues serving “god” by giving to the project’s cause.

They pray for their following to become wealthy, so that upon determination to work hard and making money, it finds its way into the gown of religious leaders –who later become filthily and lavishly rich.

Why wouldn’t one instead give to the poor wherever, rather than simply helping make canning individuals rich –under the guise of religion? Surely, the power and benefits of giving can be realized even out side religious organization or setting!

Because of their unquestionable word as attributed to God’s or positive spirituality, their following could remain unsuspecting and ready to die for the pastor and his word. This is how rocky and sometimes deceptive religious cultures can be held by those who subscribe to them –regardless of the consequences (to them and others).

They make it a tactic or as part of initiation to have a potential member surrender his or intellect and logic powers for unfiltered orders and instructions, which prepares ground for newer worlds of irrationality in thought and behavior. No wonder, under mental health dispensation, the tendency can be categorized as a disorder.

That could be the same time when dangerous vices begin to crop up like alcoholism, discrimination, sex immorality, self-glorification, and show of greater masculinity and femininity among fellow men or women respectively. It is obvious that competition among fellow religious leaders could be inevitable.

Because traditional cultural infiltration or cultural-religiosity, the masculinity-driven religious leaders will want to assume total political power or participate in political developments.

Others contribute to division and violence in marriages –through promotion of gender inequity, discrimination and unavoidable or possible violence in the country as in homes. But violence in homes, alone, has been known to cause pychoticism and/or odd behaviors in adolescents and aggravated mental breakdown later in life.

Failure for religion to equally provide roles and responsibilities, equally shared by all men regardless of the sex, race, region and faith or belief has in turn failed efforts to pacify the world and protect the environment.

Religious pride, then, linked up with man’s greed to exploit and degrade the environment –without reservations as well as generation of conditions for conflicts, wars and misery. This could be calamitous if there was a marriage between religion and politics to give birth to political-religiosity (ies).

They will want to show individual worthiness and power –on the basis on their ability to do miracles or magic, size of the congregation, beauty of prayer houses and oratory powers, and wealth. This, alone, could trigger conflict scaled up suspicions, mistrust and insecurity of each other’s activities.

Evidence, however, has showed that positive values helped one develop a good personality ethic and character –which in turn directed him or her to important life achievement and assurance of more of the unknown positive outcomes (what could come from positive spirituality).

An example of such values could be; reconciliation, meditation or silent review of enriching values, courage in pursuit for the truth and good, patience and calmness when the unexpected strikes to cause draw-backs, determination, self-trust, healthy social relations (consisting of respect, cooperation, responsibility, understanding and caring) and focus on what is good, right and rewarding to one self and others. Researchers have shown that positive values came along with interesting healthy outcomes like reduced stress, strong immune system and high productivity.

The basic question, thus, is: can we achieve success, good health, wealth –through formation of nature-friendly ideals pursuable for the one’s better end –without having to join or getting harmed (psychologically, physically, economically and culturally) by practices of existing religious organizations?

In Uganda, as it were else-where in the world, due to the religious persecution in the pre-colonial times and post-colonial period between 1971 and 1979, a neutral faith cropped up, related but autonomous called balokole – the born-again churches. Like hyenas moving after lions, they mushroomed following liberation struggles against former dictator Iddi Amin.

But, most prominently, showed up when president Museveni –under NRM/A revolutionary guard came to power. As part of their program, the new regime in Kampala allowed freedom of expression. They never minded about having to enact policies that would govern the new faith movement.

Such a weakness was manifested itself when a former catholic cleric, Kibwetere led a cult that muted themselves with fire –to “have its membership go to the creator. Numerous other cults with independent constitutions too have sprung up in the country-side unmonitored by government –notably; Mukono district.

In the same way media reports have continued to highlight irrational activities within those unmonitored groups, but in the name of freedom of expression, government remains unbothered. Perhaps, another inferno as the kanungu type must occur for government to learn how to take precautions. Is it only mindful of limiting political freedom and expressions?

In recent times, as would be expected of any religious organization, balokole now have a similar movement with structures that govern their operations, yet it was the same religiosity and related traditions that prompted their break-away from the main stream religious organizations.

And similar crimes as sex immorality, slander, power struggles and lavishness are about to create new phases of counter-liberation – to help harmonize moral activities in society. On the other hand, while harmonizing the concept of morality, there must never be prerequisite to surrender one’s power of reasoning.

It can be this same act that would act as a betrayal to one’s achievements and subsequently stall his or her progress in exchange to giving others the right to use their intellect to exploit, cause misery and social breakdown.

While using any amount of intellect, everyone must have an opportunity to positively advance his good intentions for the benefit of himself and the world –without ideas like custodianship of morality as to a particular individual or group.

And groups with ideas that in a long run make others poorer, con other of their money, carry messages that promote poverty, dehumanize others, selfishly assume the right to know whilst automatically turning others into fools, claiming to own god on behalf of others, block one’s success, are discriminative, violent and a danger to one-self and others must never be subscribed to.

History has given enough lessons to learn from. It is time to rise and eliminate foxes that masquerade or call themselves the beginning and end of success, wealth and good health (God or positive spirituality) in favor of shared learning and perception of the unknown (spirituality), as well as shared responsibility towards fulfillment of requirement to making progress in line with benefits attainable from links with positive spirituality.

Jacob Waiswa
Community Psychologist

RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY: MAN'S POSITION AND APPLYING LOGIC OR NONE OF IT

The complex human nature makes it possible for humanity to evolve new ideas, rules, beliefs and cultures. They are constantly formed, adjusted and readjusted to help humanity understand the environment, answer challenging questions and make efforts to adapt amidst confusion, physical and ecological strains.

From further attempts to understand the unknown, hierarchical structures were formed establishing the position of the unknown and humanity. After acknowledging who will need the unlimited respect as unknown or Divinity, man and woman turned to themselves and the environment to begin the process of negotiating each other's position (roles and responsibility) in the hierarchy.

At there level numerous ideas were brought into play and tested against hierarchical order right from the level of the unknown to theirs. Because of the cultural influences and norms a ready mixture was developed to gradually erode origin same-status of natural elements.

In an African situation, man would come first, then woman and the other creations last. It is the kind of arrangement that would later influence decision making and its outcomes in future. Besides cultural or traditional influences, man in some areas must have overpowered woman in intellectual assertions reinforced by physical assaults or fights.

The decisions made answers the questions of who would be accountable to the other and with what roles and responsibilities towards each other and between them and the environment.

This is when the evidence of who appeared to be privileged and oppressed or exploited could emerge. And, of course, the environment would suffer hardest seconded by either woman or man following the queue.

In Africa, where socio-cultural structures tend to force women into slavery, man, in that case would take the privileged position, and oppression become the life of a woman. However, with all justice and rewards favored to fall on the oppressed side, one day, as put forward by Marxists, the oppressed (woman) would be the most privileged, and man; most oppressed.

Personal ego and sensational attributes are most fertile in religion, and so soon penetrate and get strengthened into into it and become part of its structure. As a result, they begin to humanize and localize God through that structure.

And, because of the ego influence, with time it becomes hard to differentiate what is by either man or God. Because of that, religion turns out to be a path through which oppression and exploitation would be expressed.

Worse would be for a criminal mind, if he found his way to the helm of a particular religion, and worse if learned. Being learned yet realistically wrong would instead reinforce the wrong and harden the fellow off.

His or her individual weaknesses easily qualify not to be personal crimes, but for the religion -which he or she heads. And with the unyielding strength attainable from religious beliefs and rituals as highest level reinforcement, it is never easy to claim victory over religious criminals.

The cultural biases could place a woman no where, now, in religious decision making. And the environment, being at the bottom gets hurt the most, since it cannot even raise a voice or scream.

Well, it communicates back to man and woman in non-verbally in form of flooding, diseases and famine, natural resources conflicts etceteras. But, still, sometimes he fails to make sense out the kind of communication.

Interestingly, it is again such afflictions that could strengthens the fellow and sometimes venting his o her bitterness onto the oppressed person. And once resilient, even the most stupid action would mean real in the name of faith or religion for him. Everything would be argued along the unrealistic and wrong actions, then dangerously reflected into actions later on whatever they choose to target.

Sometimes, his or her actions could be so horrible that they overwhelm everyone like selling off all his belongings as sacrifice to total bankruptcy, refusal to seek health care in favor of set faith standards or physically and sexually abusing his following.

His perceived godliness or religiousness, in all such actions, remains his protection. It would be at this level that mental health workers could possibly come in to rescue the fellow, and overwhelmed and confused following.

Interestingly, because of man's high appetite for power, he (or she) has transformed religion into a kind of political institutions or party -with its accompanying power hierarchy. In it, he forms departments like the security one to guard him (or her) and his (or her) amassed wealth, finance department -which he (or she) could be directly under him (or her), elders -who act like his parliament, etceteras.

And because of the economic element that is central in the running of religious affairs, church proprietors exploit the constant demand for religious services to pool as much coins as possible in their safe.

So as the following grows from being poor to beggars due to the high cost of religious services footed everyday (for some sects), they as an institutions are thriving. When local people run out of money, the church would shift from a company tone to an NGO one, so as to attract funding from elsewhere.

The chameleon color change, indeed, can be effective in enabling it survive the pressure of modern times. Time emerges when if man is speaking, “it is God doing speaking,” and the questioning audience believe.

And since whatever one believed worked for him or her regardless of the stimuli source, they automatically find fulfillment from the religious practices or rituals -that could include the sort of Kibwetere phenomenon.

The unemployed, who identified faith-related services as fortune, were and still are quick to take it on as gold to change his or her economic life. No wonder, many kiosk-like churches have sprung-up, and being based on tribe, ancestry, reformed views slightly away from old faiths, on dietary choices, feelings, avenge mission and others -purposed to fish beautiful women later on after being repulsed by them -when he was still poor. And there could be many more bases on which religion could be build -from merely idea formulation, a following, and then money -finding its way onto pioneer's personal account.

On the other hand, spirituality is a system of two opposing forces, one struggling to replace the other like the coup d'etats of west Africa. The invisible system of forces, at ease influence every aspect of human beings in a way that is the evolutionary, intellectual and the unknown (of the future) manned and controlled by the conflicting influences of the system. The unknown, remain a reserve the system, yet continues to nurture and refreshen us.

The surprising influences on humanity in unexplainable manner, prompts humanity to interpret and assign cause or source. They would have numerous labels like God in English, Mukama among Baganda, Kibumba among the Basoga etceteras -to describe the wonderful influences on them.

Similarly, opposing labels would be developed in attempt to understand the source and reduce panic. Such reference could be; Satan or devil in English, curse, witchcraft and every undesirable action or experience etceteras.

Incidentally, where human intelligence, scientific evidence or logic as suggested by Kajabago Ka Rusoke, much, if not all of such questions could be unheard of, as man continuously analyses along the major principle of good and truth, and finds solutions to ever emerging challenges. Consequently, he (or she) would become more confident of himself (or self) and entirely responsible for their future.

Like in democracy, people form sides, other remain confused and other simply look on, and only wait for eventuality than plan and negotiate their ways with the systems. Interesting to note is that the way the system is approached could determines the nature of reciprocated results of that relation (between man or woman and the system -with the natural environment as part of it). In the kind of relationship man and woman seem to take the roles of initiating, constantly maintaining and re-initiating harmonious face of it.

If the intentions in the kind of relationship are for good, then they would be relating with a specific set representing goodness or God. And, in turn, such goodness would be felt and attitude developed towards fulfillment of the good goal in his or her life. The magic word here is merely to “believe” -regardless of the situation at hand.

Several studies have found a strong influence between positive spirituality and well-being. Even that is still functional in religious practices, though and could have similar influences to the well-being of people.

For example, with Islam, after going through the practice of washing different parts of the body, they experience a feeling of holiness -a quality that allows members to experience God's mercy and blessing or goodness of nature. It eventually comes along with tremendous emotional and mental relief.

The sustained goodness, in turn, helps the body's immune system to grow stronger and entire being to get nourished with good decision making and actions towards self and others. It, then, would be about how one invests his or her thoughts -whether for goodness or evil to create different desired or undesired outcomes.

The summary of ever investing one's thoughts for the evil is fear, poor physical health, pressure, lost self-esteem and confidence discords, escalating risky behaviors along with related hazards, social structural breakdown due to violence -among others.

Indeed, it could be the beginning of anything bad. Interesting, too, is that to cross over best life or vice-versa, or reset to horrible situation, as well, could be a matter of democracy (choice). However, to change oneself for the better would require support of people of the promising character to reinforce the one being nurtured in by goodness spiritual system set.

In creating a better path or worse one, the being would be obliged to initiate link with the goodness system set -through realization of the best path, acknowledgment it, taking responsibility, talking the walk (along with constant self-reassurance, self-trust, self-believe and self-determination).

But even without person initiative, there would be compelling, yet competitive forces of both goodness or positive spirituality system set and negative spirituality system set. And many fall victims of the unworthy choice, regardless of their educational status or social and economic worthiness.

The problem with Kajabago's logic application to religious teachings is that soon or later believers would digress from experiencing goodness spirituality system or God to begin localizing such super powers as their own or even misrepresent them -through horrendous behaviors.

Kajabago's presentation too could still reincarnate religious capitalist and exploitation, which he was trying to caution against. It, therefore, would seem like one must know when to apply logic and when to surrender it. There must be a specific scale on which to weigh the logic as well. It, for example, could be best if the local conclusions considered the elements of truth and good.

For reflections about the goodness of nature or God, one must surrender potentially destructive aspects like negative and incompatible logic that could block one's bid to create a healthy working relationship with goodness spirituality system set.

It would require total concentration to spontaneously believe in the goodness spirituality system set trust the relationship with it, allow experience what would be desired in that relationship, subject the experience to one's feelings, and then acknowledge the new feelings as the desired to follow. Instantly or gradually, one would experience positive feeling and attitude that later get enhances with consistent actions.

But where the rituals contradict the expectation of goodness and truth we all yearn for, then logic as put forward by Kajabago could immediately apply to avoid undesirable events like being physically or sexually abused or involving murders of people, and many other practices that may be illogical. What Kajabago did not say was the space and time -to cock and apply logic. He was right, though in that regard.

Waiswa Jacob
Situation Health Analyst
P.O. BOX 8885
KAMPALA-UGANDA
Tel. +256774336277 or 0754890614
DECISION MAKING AND SITUATION HEALTH MANAGEMENT -DISHMA
www.situationhealthanalysis.blogspot.com