Almighty God, creator of all

things visible and invisible,

source of all goodness and
love. Light the darkness of our
understanding, Give us a keen
memory to grasp things
correctly, Be with us from the
start of our work, guide its
progress and bring it to
completion. Amen.
 Lesson 2:
Religion: Blessing or
Curse?
Recap
Spirituality Religiousness
 Spirituality Religiousness
Is about the person’s
Is about the person’s
involvement with a
beliefs, values, and religious tradition and
behavior, institution.
 Zinnbauer and
Pargament (2005)
identify two general perspectives on the
relationship between spirituality and
religiousness.
it is not possible to be
it is possible to be religious
religious and spiritual at the
and spiritual at the same
same time.
time. A religious person
A religious person, in this
can be a spiritual person,
regard, is not a spiritual
and a spiritual person can
person, and a spiritual person
be a religious person.
is not a religious person.
 Zinnbauer and
Pargament (2005)
The first perspective, which sees religiousness and spirituality as
incompatible opposites, is based on certain views, opinions, or
observations about what makes religiousness and spirituality
different.

religiousness is spirituality is
substantive (or functional (or
substance- function-
oriented) oriented).
 Zinnbauer and
Pargament (2005)

Second is the view that religiousness is institutional and objective,

while spirituality is personal and subjective.

religiousness is spirituality is
Communal individual
 Analysis

First, limiting religiousness to substance alone does not explain how religion
affects the personal lives of believers or what religion does to make the lives of the
believers meaningful.

Second, inasmuch as religiousness involves communal or organizational activities,

the end goal is still a personal relationship with the divine.
LIGHT SHADOW
When is Religion
a Curse?
The psychiatrist James L. Griffith identifies three related
purposes that religion serves:

1. Religion helps ensure group security

2. Religion helps build and strengthen the individual sense of self
as being worthy and competent.
3. Religion helps reduce personal suffering, for self or others.
 1. Religion helps ensure group security
LIGHT
• Living in a world filled with
threats to well-being, social beings
will tend to seek safety within a
strong, intelligently-organized
group.
SHADOW
• Its importance is manifested
in the readiness of people to
sacrifice their individual lives
out of loyalty to religious
groups. However, one can
easily find any examples of
religious adherents becoming
morally blind because of
misguided sense of loyalty to
religious groups.
 2. Religion helps build and strengthen the individual sense of self
as being worthy and competent.
LIGHT
• Although one’s personal sense of
competence is individually felt, it
more often reflects the status of
one’s group in society and one’s
status within that group. In daily
life, religion is more likely to be a
refuge during unusually stressful
times and can substantially uplift
one’s morale.
SHADOW
• Nevertheless, religious practices that
foster hatred toward outside one’s
group appear to be more efficient at
bolstering morale compared to more
compassionate religious practices.
This is because moral contempt for
nonbelieving outsiders generates in-
group camaraderie through a sense
of purpose and power. Making
scapegoats of outsiders of the group.
 3. Religion helps reduce personal suffering, for self or others.
LIGHT SHADOW
• Each religion has • When one chooses to withdraw
recommended means for from the material world in order to
coping with life’s sufferings. reduce suffering, efforts solve
Unfortunately, many of these practical problems within one’s
recommendations propel society can cease. Overtime, this
religious behaviors to may increase suffering for others.
untoward consequences. Too much help can be destructive.
When is Religion
a Blessing?
The practice of authentic spirituality makes religion work wonders. Common
themes may be found in spiritualities associated with ancient religious traditions.
1. Encounters with the Sacred/ Transcendent as personal experiences that
stimulate reflection, creativity, and ethical behavior.
2. Commitment to an Ethic of compassion.
3. Emotional postures of resilience.
4. Emphasis on prioritizing the well-being of individuals, whether oneself or
others, over the needs of a religious group.
1. Encounters with the Sacred/ Transcendent as personal experiences that stimulate reflection, creativity, and
ethical behavior.
In authentic spirituality, such
experiences lead to life-giving
introspection rather than to efforts to
use sacred power to dominate or even
harm others. Does my encounter with
the Sacred/ Transcendent make me
humble that I accept myself as I truly
am, with my weaknesses and my
strengths?
•2. Commitment
Compassion means
to an Ethic transcending
of compassion.

narcissistic indifference and

responding to the suffering of another
with understanding and protective
care.
• Compassionate self-care contains one’s
personal woundedness, preventing
vicious of revenge and retaliation.
•3. Emotional
Authentic spirituality
postures of resilience. typically bears
fruit in a sense of gratitude, joy,
harmony, hope and purpose, enabling
one to be steadfast in the face of
uncertainty, suffering, and threat.
• Does my encounter with the Sacred/
Transcendent make me look toward
the future with eagerness and trust in
spite of risky and challenging
situations?
 4. Emphasis on prioritizing the well-being of individuals, whether oneself or others, over the needs of a religious group.
Does my encounter with the
Sacred/ Transcendent make
me less self-righteousness and
more accepting, open-minded,
and inclusive?
 How then does one judge whether the practice of religion is a blessing or a
curse?
Blessing Curse

The practice of a religious faith Confusion, helplessness, despair,

should help make a person become detachment, isolation, and resentment
someone who is secure, grateful, due to religious practice should be
welcoming, caring (of others and of warning signs of an unhealthy and
oneself) and hopeful. dysfunctional spirituality.
 We can use the words of the Christian
apostle Paul as a guide for discerning the
fruit of authentic spirituality: “The fruit of
Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and
self-control” (Letter to the Galatians 5:22-
23, New Revised Standard Version)