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We're changing up the GodLuck discussion this month and would like to introduce our guest speaker Forrest Landry. Forrest is a philosopher specializing in the metaphysics of domain foundations. He will be giving a summary presentation on the nature of the intrinsic practices and key distinctions between religion and spirituality, as based on his domain foundational research. The role and function of religion and spirituality in the lives of individuals and communities will be considered along with the associated topics of faith, truth, and devotion. In this presentation, the theoretic ways in which these topics are directly clarified when considered in terms of a core metaphysical theory will be considered along with their practical applications in the lives of the participants. I hope you can join us for a very interesting evening discussion and dinner. It would be wonderful for you to cook (or bring) your favorite dish - anything you like, to share with everyone. What is the difference between Religion and Spirituality? Everyone has a working definition of these words; they can be looked up in dictionaries and are used in daily conversation, yet do people truly understand the distinction? Often people will say, “Oh I’m not religious, but I am very spiritual.” Obviously when they say this it means something to them, something important; yet what does this really mean? The IDM Metaphysics very clearly describes these concepts and their dissections. Spirituality is about how one integrates the experience of one’s life into oneself, how one reflects upon and learns from the events of one’s days. Spirituality is a philosophy about the role that the world plays with oneself. Religion is about how one expresses (together with others) for the common good, the greater social and natural environment in which one lives. Religion is a philosophy about the role that oneself plays with the world. The essential difference between these two terms is that Spirituality is a perceptive and personal process; whereas Religion is an expressive and therefore public process. One feels and knows one’s Spirituality, but describes and expresses one’s Religion. Spirituality always refers to what is inside and within the self, something which has no name; whereas Religion always refers to what is outside and without the self and is always named. Thusly it is possible to join a Religion but one cannot ‘join’ a Spirituality. So when thinking about it like that its much easer to understand the difference. Although this view asks other questions, like what is the difference between thought and feeling, and how does that relate to making truly Effective and Ethical choices? IDM once again makes another dissection. Reason is when one uses a fullness and completeness of thinking as the primary basis of ones choices. Faith is when one uses a fullness and completeness of feeling as the primary basis of ones choices. Truly Faith and Reason are complementary; they are conjugates, not opposites. So when one is whole, healthy, knows fully (with clarity), and accepts unreservedly the totality of one’s feelings and thoughts (on all levels of being), then the choices which one makes in accordance with those feelings and thoughts will be at once wholly Ethical and wholly Effective. Now one might ask, how does this relate back to Religion and Spirituality? Where does Faith and Spirituality come from? Is it from God(s) or from oneself, and what is the difference? Here once again IDM defines another difference. Worship describes the behavior of one who believes that there is some irreducible difference in the basic nature of the being of Self and the being of the object or personae of that worship (deity). Respect describes the behavior of one who believes that there is a basic sameness and similarly in the nature of the being of the Self and the object or personae of that respect. There is no source for Spirituality and it has no destination. Spirituality is not something that one can obtain or attain. In that life cannot be lived without perception, without experience, so also it is that one cannot be to some degree Spiritual. Spirituality is about how perceives and experiences and how one accepts and integrates one’s perceptions and experiences into oneself. In that life cannot be lived without expression, without choice and creativity, so also it is that one cannot be to some degree Religious. Religion is about one’s expressions and connection, one’s choices, and how one integrates these choices into the community in which one lives. In that there is a social need for unity on the part of all peoples, so also is there some aspect of Religion in everyone’s life as well. There can be no Spirituality without a Self (soul). The very beingness of Self begets a beingness of Spirituality. We suggest you check out the IDM Metaphysic's website: http://www.uvsm.com. You can just click on the large UVSM Publications at the top of the page for a short description on the nature of the Metaphysics. We are looking forward to your delightful company, delicious food and delectable conversation!
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