When I tell people that I diverted from my Roman Catholic background and was ordained as a "ULC" minister, I get all kinds of reactions. Most people are confused as to what that actually means. The term "ULC" has become standard for ANY type of minister who has obtained their credentials through making an online donation to a church that gives them a piece of paper or one who has completed correspondence coursework to obtain their ordination. In proper, "ULC" stands for the Universal Life Church, who originally started this trend back in the 1950s. Now there are many different variations of the ULC concept, and everyone that follows it is lumped into the "ULC" category. But what is this "ULC" religion anyway? While many ULC-type churches may pass themselves off as Christian, their basic creed is spiritual in nature. For example, the Universal Life Church itself adopted the creed "Do only that which is right." When I start discussing spirituality as a way of believing, people get even more confused. So, that is my topic for this discussion.
When I taught my Intro to Spirituality classes, one of the first things I said to open the class was, "No matter what religion you are, you can still be a spiritual person." Spirituality, in and of itself, is NOT a religion. Far too many people confuse it with some type of new age practice or a system of non-religious living. It is neither of those, yet if somebody follows either of those, they too can be spiritual. Spirituality simply means being connected to the Divine Source. Dr. Wayne Dyer does an excellent job at describing this connection in his book "The Power Of Intention," and I will not try to repeat his words here. Religion, on the other hand, is a disciplined approach to practicing one's spirituality.
How many Catholics, Muslims, Jews, atheists, New Agers, and Buddhists do you know that are very happy? How many people from these same religions do you know that are miserable? Wouldn't you say that the number is about the same? Why is that? They certainly have different religions, so we can't say that it is the religion, can we? Indeed not. Some people are connected to the Divine Source, eg Spiritual, while others feel disconnected and lost and are therefore not Spiritual. It's just that simple. No other explanations are needed.
People sometimes ask me how can they tell if they are connected or not. The first question I ask them is if they see the glass as being half empty or half full. If a person can stop, even in the middle of a moment of sadness, and see beauty in the sunset, then they are connected. If a person can grasp the fact that the entire universe is interconnected by the power of the Divine Source, they are Spiritual. They do not need to be taught anything else.
People are disconnected if:
- they think that their religion is better than anyone else's
- they love their family but they hate their neighbor
- they feel wounded and hopeless
- they think that ALL Muslims are terrorists and ALL Christians are superior (or insert your religions here)
- they think the word "om" is the name of a Hindu god that needs to be despised
- they think such things as energy healing and meditation are "the devil's work"
- they think that The Holy Bible, the Koran, (or enter your religion's scriptural text here) is absolute law
- they base their self-worth on how much money they make
And I am sure I can think of hundreds of other examples. On the other hand, people are connected to the Divine Source if:
- they see only equality in all people that they meet
- they see the Light of God before they actually see the person in front of them
- they feel love in their heart that NEVER wanes, no matter what
- they teach their children to play fairly with the children in their school who may be of a different race, nationality, or religion, and to treat them respectfully
- they take time out to pray or meditate regularly
- they are hopeful and joyful
- they spread their love and joy to others through their words and actions
- they shy away from gossip, greed, and discrimination
- they can look at the evils in the world, feel sad, and know that it is not their place to feel hateful because of it
Again I can think of many other examples.
I know that I left a lot of room for people to inquire, "Well, what about if (insert your dilemma here)." That's just the point -- get rid of the dilemmas in your mind and just BE. You will be connected, and you will be Spiritual.
