IN NOMINE PATRIS ET FILII, ET SPIRITUS SANCTUS

     I have always been aware of the difference between Spirituality and Religion. 

     My Mother did not believe in FORCING her children, or anyone else, to believe in her brand of religion. 

      

     I have been exposed to a large variety of religious beliefs.  Everything from Fundamental Christianity  to Orthodox Judaism.  I had a Grandmother who was Pentacostal, a step-father who was Jewish converted to Catholicism, my adoptive father was Episcopalian, an Uncle whom was Baptist, various friends and family who were ALL varieties of  Protestantism, friends who practiced a wide variety of "New Age" beliefs.

     I attended a Catholic school when I was young and later joined the Cumberland Presbyterian church because my best friend and his family went to it.  I realized later that I had joined not because of shared beliefs but to be with my friend and his family.  The older I got, the more I felt drawn to my first REAL exposure to religion....Catholicism.

     During my first stay in the hospital, I asked for a Priest to come and baptise me into the Catholic church before I went into surgery......two different Priest visited and gave me Blessings, Prayed over me and couldn't get away fast enough.....I was in that hospital for 23 days and neither Priest even followed up.  Kinda left a bad taste in my mouth.  It was not like the Priests and Nuns I remember from my youth.  Those folks were kind and nurturing.  Maybe if I had been rich and could have left lots of money to the Church it might have been different.

     I have no doubt where I will go when I GO.  

Spirituality  your own relationship with God

Religion  someone else's belief in what you should Believe

Especially when Money is involved