Nothing wrong with that.
But I have to ask --
What poverty lies behind the hunger that "joining" something gratifies?
Support?
Interaction skills?
Inner growth?
Belonging?
Sensation?
Intimate connection?
Acceptance?
Risk and challenge?
Meaning?
Autonomy?
Each one is a legitimate human need,That is not being experienced as being sufficiently met.
There is a sensed emotional. intellectual, or spiritual vacuum
That mind demands it be allowed to fill.
From the point of view of anyone "outside",
Insiders seem to be under the spell of some level of insanity:
To an "insider", his/her actions and environment represent the ultimate "sanity"
And it is those outside who are "evil" and in need of a reality check.
Well, that's how the human mind works, isn't it? --
"They're wrong, so I must be right, "
No matter which side of the fence we stand.
Sooner or later, however,
No matter how certain we become,
There are just some days when we wake up disquieted.
Perhaps we've had an odd dream, or maybe we just can't settle down to a deep sleep.
"What's wrong?" is our first reaction (a curious assumption in itself, don't you think?);
Later we get to wondering "What is this all about?
We're simply being reminded of a deeper quest churning away in the background of our awareness --
A search for meaning in life,
And for some kind of transcendence.
These reminder calls seem to happen more frequently and powerfully
In times of upheaval, unrest, crisis or during periods of physical or mental illness (dis-ease).
When such times of upheaval become epidemic,
Religions and -isms get a sudden boost of interest,
Especially those more pentecostally flavoured groups
That tap into what sociologist Richard Ofshe called
"The market for psychological perfection."
Ofshe goes on to point out that
"Anyone can start a religion;
All it takes is charisma and a modicum of sense."
Stallholders at the spiritual hype-market
Appeal to people's frightened hunger for Acceptance and Meaning.
Anyone who claims to have "The Answer" and promises a regular smile and hug from enough acolytes
Is bound to get a good following.
There's a lot of justified frustration out there with the more traditional religions,
But what the new breed of spiritual Macca's are offering
Is high on sugar and spice,
And almost totally devoid of nourishment.
We're encountering a religious right of spiritual bullemics.
Lost people like to feel they've come home.
If you can lay on a reasonably regular spiritual "high"
That most people do not feel in ordinary daily life,
You've go it made. You'll get the vulnerable hooked on the intensity of a dodgy experience and, hey presto!
They'll follow you to hell.
Every charismatic religious leader
Offers some kind of conduit to the cosmos,
Feeding off a pandemic of reluctance
To follow Jeshua ben Joseph's frustrated admonition
"For Christ's sake, heal yourselves!"
Here's a bottom line for you --
In any situation we flee to out of Neediness
We lose
Our freedom and integrity.
Neediness does not breed Fulfilment.
It takes balls to strike out on your own --
Ask every pilgrim who ever went off in search for himself.
There will always be someone to offer a short cut to heaven,
And more than enough suckers to sign over their freedom
In the name of "salvation".
Salvation from what?
Pray tell.
The lack of something we're too lazy to provide for our self?
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