Beyond dogma: Why spirituality isn't accepted in your church

Religion and spirituality are different

Important differences between religion and spirituality

In religion, there are dogmas. These are principles that are indisputable. That is, one can read, say, and practice whatever one wants as long as it doesn't contradict those principles. A Christian who says, "Faith isn't about religion, but about relationship," either doesn't know the definition of religion or is trying to make you doubt your reservations about religion. The easiest way to test this is to ask, "Are you still a Christian if you deny central dogmas of the Christian faith, such as the infallibility or inspiration of the Bible, the virginal conception, or the bodily resurrection of Christ?" If such a person answers no, that person believes that the Christian life depends on accepting dogmas prioritized by the church system. They likely expect you to visit their church, form friendships, listen to devotional music, be inspired, and suspend your spiritual search. Such cases occur quite often, and I don't judge them, but they are evidence that a comfortable relationship with a religious community can be inspiring; not that the dogma isn't central. The moment you step into the pulpit and deny those dogmas, church leaders will approach you, gently, to correct you. If this happens again, you may be disciplined (denied the privilege of preaching, teaching, or playing in the music ministry).

How They Are Different

Spirituality is different from religion because it deals with a set of ideas regarding the spiritual life without necessarily consisting of religious dogmas and doctrines. For example, it is common to believe in the existence of God and other invisible beings without believing in heaven, hell, or religious texts. Spirituality is individual, although certain ideas are shared by fairly large groups of people, as seen in certain Afro-Caribbean traditions. African traditions in Latin America illustrate the differences between religion and spirituality. For example, most of these religions share beliefs reflected in the Spiritism of Allan Kardec, known as the codifier of Spiritism. However, the Spiritism practiced in these Afro-descendant communities is different from the original Spiritism, as it uses herbs, candles, altars, etc. Kardec strongly opposed the materialization of spirits through images or material services such as candles, flowers, or food. Africans and indigenous people did not share this reservation, as they used herbs to heal and manipulate energies spiritually. How can this contradiction of ideas be resolved? Mix everything that works! Unlike the mindset of religious Europeans, Africans and Aboriginals cared more about what worked than ideological systems, which is why they ended up practicing a blended spiritualism (what in our countries today is called Folk Spiritualism, Crusader Spiritualism, or Creole Spiritualism). They had the wisdom to adopt a different system and adapt it to serve the community's purpose.

Why the history lesson?

A spiritual person thinks very differently than a religious believer. The Abrahamic religions that predominate in this hemisphere think systematically and absolutely; for someone to be considered a faithful believer, they must abide by the system's dogmas without reservation. Creole traditions emerged under oppressive conditions where minorities had to accept the government's religion without losing their ancestral ties. This led Africans and Aboriginals to convert to Catholicism, but they saw in the saints not only good examples of Christianity, but also the spirits of nature and their ancestors. For Africans in Hispaniola, Saint George's iron weapons illustrated the metal of Ogou Ferraille (literally "Ogun of metal"), that spirit of war that neutralizes evil energies with the fury of a bloodthirsty warrior. For Africans in Cuba, the Virgin of Mercy, who lifts spirits from the sufferings of purgatory, highlights the radiant light of Obatalá, the orisha who cares for the physical health of his believers.

Syncretism

Today we call this creativity syncretism. Some historians say that Africans were hiding their gods behind saints, but I disagree. They were placing their faith in both beings. This is why we see that they retained so many Catholic elements to this day. In Haitian Vodou, the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Creed are still prayed—and in the French of the colonists, not in Creole! In the 21 Divisions, we still refer to the mysteries using the names of the saints. The spirituality of our ancestors allowed the ancestral tradition to survive. Although they were forced to accept the colonial religion, we see that to a certain extent they embraced and appreciated it along with their ancestral practices, regardless of the contradictions.

What about us?

I should clarify that Afro-Caribbean religions are also just that—religions. There are things you can't do in these religions and still call yourself a believer. You don't have to search the internet for long to find controversies in religious communities. You see a lot of scandals among paleros, santeros, and vodouisants. Sometimes they seem like evangelicals! It's sad to see this. Our ancestors left a legacy of intimate learning at the altar of community, not discussions on digital platforms where the servers behave as if they have a monopoly on the truth. Instead of excluding, we must be inviting those who inquire. We cannot allow the truth we possess to lead us to victimize outsiders. Let us not become what we so often criticize.