The predominant social forms of modern religions have been around in most cases since about the 1500’s, with a globalization occurring in line with the economic and political globalization of the last century, serving to constrict regional relevancies that were traditionally encouraged in earlier times. It is no wonder you are feeling a bit restrained.

While you may wish to join in a Universalist congregation for wide-open possibilities, consider the fate of Akbar’s Din-i-ilahi, which also sought common spiritual ground but provided no looseness in ethics, cultimating in a combined religion with the additional negative of vegetarianism, a frightening thought. 

You may also create your own religion. As proven hundreds of times, it is easiest to base it upon an existing one. However this is not without risk: King Henry may have been able to divorce, but Anglicanism remained focused on moral living and religious devotion, certainly not guilt-free.

Creating a new religion from scratch is much more difficult, unless you are extremely charismatic as well as psycho-pathological, an entrepreneurial-marketer, socially-controlling, or a prophet. If these described you, it’s unlikely you would have written us.

Baruch Spinoza, Absolver of guilt

Based on your preferences, we suggest you study Spinozan Naturalism. The Deism popular at the time of the American Revolution embraced Naturalism, believing in God as a clockmaker who set things in motion but left things alone after that. Spinoza, however, went further, suggesting that humans are simply following nature’s course in their actions. Therefore, there is no guilt when one’s actions are controlled not by free will, but by natural processes.

So follow your gut, and enjoy where it leads you.

—Shallow Sage

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