Spirituality and Politics

As spiritual leaders, there are times when we must mix spirituality and politics
in order to teach that terrorism is NEVER a religious act.

Allow me to step up onto my spiritual soapbox for a moment.

I would be remiss as an educator certified in death dying and bereavement if I didn't comment on the events in Orlando on June 12. Below is an excerpt from a post I contributed to our Facebook group on June 13. Some of you may not agree, and your disagreement is honored and welcomed. But today I ask for your indulgence in allowing me to use this space as an editorial forum.

Terrorism is never a religious act, even though mass murder has been justified by Western religious politics for 3500 years. When someone claims that terrorism is an Islamic doctrine, I remind them of the Old Testament warrior god who encouraged murder and genocide to establish dominance for his "chosen" tribe. From that foundation, the crusades and inquisitions emerged, fueled by the church's rabid desire for power as a political body. Key word: POLITICAL.

As part of the Abrahamic trilogy, Islam is based in the same foundational theology. We can no more blame today's terrorism on Islam than we can blame it on the murders committed by the early church or the god of the ancient Israelites.

It is our charter as spiritual people to elevate the conversation to a place where this kind of behavior is NOT blamed on a religion. If blame must placed, let it be placed on disturbed individuals or warped political ideologies. The people who commit violence in the name of Islam do not represent Islam any more than the Westboro Baptist Church and its campaign "God Hates Fags" represents Christianity.

So let us call on our ancestors, angels, guides and loved ones in the other side to help us find peace with this terrible situation, and share in the hope that wisdom and love will prevail in the face of ignorance and fear.

And speaking of angels, for a picture of what unconditional love looks like, take a look at this wonderful video of service dogs comforting the survivors of the Orlando shooting.