I've received another confirmation of my attitude toward organized religion. A friend whom I thought had reached a level of enlightenment, is deeply involved in a "church" I will call New Age, for want of a better title.

All my life I have seen evidence that organized religion divides people and sets them against each other (among other destructive products.) In so many cases, when a seeker begins to awaken and discover the reasons for his indwelling on this earth, he (spoken generically) is so taken with his "discovery" that his course of action is to 1) record his feelings and conclusions about it, 2) build a fence around it, 3) organize it, 4) limit access to it (by imposing all kinds of requirements and exclusions), 5) declare himself "enlightened," and 6) STOP seeking and learning. Even those who never intended to form a new "church" or organization-e.g. Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed--are trapped in this scenario, because other seekers read their written words and without authorization or affirmation, perform items 2-6 above in the name of their so-called Master. It is my sincere belief that none of us can ever learn everything there is to know in the Universe, and we should never stop seeking and learning. Everything should be challenged, especially anything that remotely smacks of organized religion.

I suppose if I presented this viewpoint to my friend he would reject it, because there is a certain sense of security in clinging to one's "enlightened" absolutes. As for me, I believe that everything is possible, in heaven and on earth, and I am prepared for the coming development and advancement of human potential.