18 October 1995

“Religion free of old and new dogmas.” Catholic Bishops are worried that evangelical sects, ritualistic sects, and New Age beliefs are winning adherents from the Church. These movements promise a more immediate and involving form of religion. The bishops envy the spiritual uplift the new groups provide. They feel the Church has neglected spiritual questions. One problem I see is that both groups derive spirituality from dogma. True spirituality should be founded on human reality, not baseless and antiquated superstition. Both groups also neglect the necessary social dimension of spirituality, as, e.g., in Kant. One group seeks spirituality in crystals, the in rosaries and votive candles – all “idols.” The concentration on dogma and ritual to a large extent focuses on the exterior of the region, rather than its interior. It only takes away from true religiosity. Results include hypocrisy, ranging from finding religious reasons to do evil, to a complete unawareness of the ethical dimension of religion.