God Without Religion by Sankara Saranam

The sense of self, or identity, can expand to include all of humanity, regardless of nationality, beliefs, ethnicity, race, gender, or lifestyle...God Without Religion guides readers to expand their sense of self until it encompasses every living being, eradicating all preconditions for conflict and war.

... More often, religion distances worshipers from their inherent spirituality by directing their attention to outer rituals that reinforce dogmatic belief systems. In either instance religion stifles questioning, which is why antagonism between mystics and orthodoxy--such as Jesus and Jewish leaders, Buddha and the Brahmin, and the Sufis and Islam--permeates the history of religion. Instead of facilitating a dialogue with God, religious leaders interpret God for their followers, which has the effect of narrowing the sense of self so much that it is perceived as separate from the infinite self of God. If we were to focus awareness inwardly, very deeply, we would no longer need an interpreter because we would have a direct knowledge to the universal self peering through the eyes of all.

....God Without Religion offers a way for individuals to discover and define God on their own rather than accepting the interpretation of a particular religious doctrine. Instead of providing answers about God as organized religions do, the book encourages readers to explore their ideas of God by asking a series of questions that ultimately expand their sense of identity. I call this "worshiping by wondering." Wonder is the gateway to spiritual knowledge. The more questions we ask about the nature of God, the more profound the answers will be, leading to deeper questions which broaden our perceptions and expand our sense of self. Constantly challenging our conclusions and refining our knowledge of God promotes the deep spiritual growth needed to transcend the violence so prevalent in the world today.


....The idea of an infinite God shared by all people emerges from an unexpected form of devotion: worshiping by wondering. Instead of restating old beliefs, we begin asking new questions: What is God? What is the connection between God and self? What happens to my definition of God as my sense of self expands? Every answer is then challenged, transporting us as freethinkers beyond the boundaries of organized religion and into true spirituality, which is permeated throughout with a personal, all-loving image of God used to focus the heart and mind.


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