Hey, Buddy, Keep Your Religion and Everything Else to Yourself, I'm an American!

One day while I was living in Boston, I was on the "T" or subway on my way to work. I always got a seat because I got on at the end of the line. Being able to pick the best seat, I usually picked one that would be closest to the stairs to the street upon exit. I loved taking the "T" because I didn't have to deal with traffic or parking, a blessing in a big city. I was also able to catch up on my reading. I read close to two hours a day just on the subway going to and from work.

On most days no one talked, being half asleep, meditating on work to be done or a job despised. People were either staring ahead out the window or when the "T" got full, and most had to stand, at the back of someone's neck or several necks. As the stops piled up with the seats mostly taken, a young man sat down next to me, taking one of the few remaining seats. Shortly after doing so, I knew he was going to talk to me because he turned toward me. Immediately I thought he was going to address one of three topics: sale of products and services, religion, or dating--as in asking me for one. That day, this man spoke to me of religion.

It's general sad commentary on the modern world that in the big city this is the way people think that they don't think of just having a conversation but avoiding being bothered by solicitation. I was told by a person who proselytized in Boston, who used to say hello to people walking down the street, that a hardened Bostonian told him, "Don't do that, you'll get shot."

Should people be proselytizing or preaching their brand of being saved to the general populace on subways, sidewalks, at private doorsteps? According to the Constitution, we do have the right to practice religion freely as long as it does not infringe upon the rights of others. I'm not sure about the door-to-door stuff, but in public spaces, I have not heard of anyone being escorted away by the authorities.

However, in this day-'n-age of the over solicited it does have a tendency to get on one's nerves. We do see signs at places of business stating "no soliciting," and I do believe that means in any form: business, religion, or otherwise. We now have no-call lists (their effectiveness questionable) if we desire not to be telemarketed to death. And with the number of interruption advertising messages we are exposed to on a daily basis (some say over 1,000 exposures a day) through television, radio, print, and Internet, people have become immune to the messages. When was the last time you bought something because you saw or listened to one of these unsolicited messages?

But bottom line, how effective is unsolicited proselytizing for the intended convert? Is it effective? How many people have been "converted" merely through a stranger screaming on a street corner (as my family experienced one trip to Las Vegas, being told we "sinners" better get it together or "parish in eternal torment") or contacted at their place of business or in any other public place?

Few if any Americans desire to have their busy day interrupted by unwanted, unwarranted solicitation. But if one is going to "convert," it is usually after one has been prepared--seeking for some time, therefore prepared by the spirit and willing to listen. Just like when you need a car or new home, then and only then do you go out and seek. The same holds true for spiritual seeking. And the best way for these people to find what they are looking for is through those they trust most--friends or friends of friends. Devoting one's life to such a major change as spiritual conversion needs to come from a most trusted source.

Certainly there are the exceptions when one is converted by a stranger or unknown, but the majority comes through trusted friends. Even so, friends who try to convert their friends are not always successful. The person, as I stated before, has to be ready. And it is ever essential to build friendships of trust before soliciting, even then being very careful not to offend. Friendships are a priceless commodity.

In this country where free will and the ability to act freely is primary, essential, where more come to this country because of its inherent freedoms than anything else, it points to a necessity for allowing people to freely without pressure make their own choices.

But where does one go for truth? Of the over 4,000 churches, denominations, religious bodies, faith groups, tribes, cultures, movements, where does one go? Well, it certainly is essential for the individual to be free enough to shop for a correct match. But if anyone thinks that their interpretation is the interpretation, and espouses it to be so, well, they are in for a lot of competition and naysayers, aren't they?

And specifically referring to one of the most popular religions, Christianity, of the over 20,000 Christian denominations world-wide, who has the correct interpretation of the Bible? a book in its early years that was copied over and over and over again, individually by monks, imperfect humans with their own personal agendas. And with the re-interpreting or watering down even more with the many modern English versions (Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, American Standard, Living Bible, Good News, and so on) along with translations from one language to another, on and on, who harbors the most accurate interpretation of the good word?

So where does a seeking individual go? Where does she go with said free will allowing a source, the source that has the best, most pure answer to rule her religion? Well, most would say that a person, logically, should not merely select from the thousands and thousands of churches, denominations, religious bodies, faith groups, tribes, cultures, movements for ultimate truth. Certainly not. So logically, where does one go? Let me digress for a moment to make my point.

In the early years of this country, Americans governed and taxed themselves for 150 years. Then one day, a tax came down from King George III, forcing the colonists against their will to pay it. For it appeared at the time that running such an expansive empire, along with saving the hides of the colonists from the aggressive, land seeking French cost a lot of money. But this forcing was that which irked the colonists so. Most of these people considered themselves British, as they were a British colony. And it wasn't like the people were being held at gun point, that they didn't have great freedoms, that at the time to the man, woman, and child lived better than most in all the rest of the world. But this being told what to do, this being forced was so irksome that riots broke out and a revolution ultimately began.

This informs us that we must allow great freedom in the individual seeking choices of great consequence in their life without force or coercion. Too many have given their lives, their very freedom to live, desiring death to living even that with the slightest restrictions--that which smacked of greater and greater restriction. We should honor the lives of those who died for this country that harbors the greatest freedom in the world and let those who are looking for greater freedom, even spiritual, the freedom to find it using the best possible avenue.

So where does one turn in times of great or greater spiritual need? To the source, of course. One must pray, meditate, journal and commune individual spirit to overseeing Spirit and seek their answers sans the thousands of understandings or mis-understandings of imperfect and agenda laden humankind. For once one is even remotely coerced or to do against one's will the forcing party smacks of any and all attempts to control. And unfortunately, religions has all too often been used in this way on small and large scale alike.  

Peace to you and yours, and through our much revered and hard sought for liberty, may we honor those who have sacrificed so much to go one on one with the only Source who will give us the truth, the full truth and nothing but the truth, so help us God.