Understanding the difference between organized and personal religion

Religious Views, by Art Carney

Coming to understand the difference between organized and personal religion may open the door to a more simple guide to living for those people who feel "religiously compromised" because they are torn between what they feel and what they are told to believe.

Personal religion consists of the beliefs, emotions, behavior and attitudes that constitute one's relationship with the powers and principles of the universe, while organized religion is a particular system of beliefs whose purpose is to establish a common faith and certain standards of behavior among its members.

In other words, the former is geared toward the well-being of the individual, and the latter is geared toward the good of the group.

The usual advice of organized religion is to "be good," which correctly assumes that doing so will keep us out of trouble, but there is often a problem with the meaning of a "good life," at the individual level.

Being good generally involves obeying the laws and adhering to the customs and attitudes of our culture, which most of us do with or without the guidance of religion, and the result is a pretty good life in a reasonably peaceful society. However, the hippies, who grew out of the Beat Generation in the 1950s, saw the normal lifestyle of the day as being part of the establishment, and that was not necessarily a good thing to them.

Evidently, the hippies' idea of a good life involved more than just making a living and getting along with their neighbor. They were serious in their search for a deeper meaning to life, but eventually, the hippies found that any kind of a satisfying lifestyle requires participation in the established institutions of one's culture.

Like it or not, our culture provides the necessary base for human survival -- good or bad -- and we cannot live without it. Because the role of culture is geared toward our survival and not our edification, the deeper meaning of life is not a cultural concern, and even though most organized religions aspire toward our moral education and enlightenment, they to are unable to provide a deeper meaning to individual people.

The attainment of a meaningful life depends on personal values that can only be determined through one's own interests, preferences, abilities and beliefs; therefore, no culture and no organized religion can establish a value system for any particular individual. Every human being is unique, and they must formulate and prioritize their own values.

To be all that it can be, a person's life must be "personalized" as much as possible, because one's own perspective about how they fit into the general scheme of things is what determines the essence of a meaningful life.

One way to acquire a truer perspective is to concentrate on being smart, as opposed to being good. While attempting to be good according to the ideals of organized religion is a commendable endeavor, seeking to achieve a meaningful life that is based on personal values and beliefs is more realistic and much more achievable. However, it is well to keep in mind that being smart does not necessarily mean being an intellectual wizard or genius, and much less with being a shyster or a slick con artist.

Being smart involves learning to see ourselves honestly within the context of our present existence. It is knowing our own likes and dislikes and being sensible about what we can and cannot do, as well as being reasonable in our expectations of others. Being smart requires a certain amount of self-honesty and introspection, which will reveal the importance of our personal and social relationships, as well as the need to accept those inevitable and often negative happenings that are a part of living.

But perhaps more than anything else, being smart enables us to appreciate the value of our community and to recognize our responsibility in keeping it healthy and viable, since our very lives depend on the establishment.

Really smart people learn how to keep a proper balance between their personal interests and relationships, and their obligations to their work and the community. Being smart enables a person to successfully "be yourself" in the midst of a group-oriented society.

Art Carney is a Wasilla resident, and a frequent contributor to the Religion page.