Tyler: Interesting that you should bring that word up - I have
heard this debated before (opium vs opiate). IIRC I have also
heard the word
masses used in place of
people. Could
it be a translation thing? Anyway, I got the quote from this
website.
In my opinion, religion/spirituality is a very personal thing (not
unlike sex). I don't push my philosophies onto others and
appreciate it very much when the favor is returned, so to speak.
I enjoy a good debate but not if the other person is trying to
convince me their way is the the only way. As I see it, exchanging
philosophies helps perpetuate growth not only for the two who
are debating but for each individual separately. I also think that
freedom
of religion includes freedom
from religion.
Here is my personal philosophy in a nutshell:
I think spirituality is a lot like food for our souls. If you follow that
line of thinking, exploring spirituality is kind of like trying to figure
out what kind of muffins one likes. There are a lot of flavors to
choose from but when you get right down to it they are basically
the same thing. They just taste different.