Some people don’t understand the phenomenon of multiple religious belonging. They assume that individuals can’t practice more than one faith. My entire life has been a giant exercise in proving those people wrong. It started with my childhood when I actively participated in two radically different Christian denominations. I may have been formally Roman Catholic, but I was just as much Presbyterian. It wasn’t a matter of 70 percent one and 30 percent the other. It wasn’t even 50/50. I was 100% each. Here’s an important thing to remember as we go on: spirituality doesn’t need to make sense mathematically.
Shortly after formally starting a Jewish life, I decided to dig into Buddhism again. I had a failed attempt when I was younger. I knew that Theravada Buddhism wasn’t going to work for me. While I love the teachings found in the Pali canon, it expects too much of its practitioners. I knew I would be continuously frustrated by my inability to meditate or live a more ascetic lifestyle. However, in my investigations, I stumbled upon Pure Land Buddhism. At first, it seemed too much like the Christianity that I was leaving behind, especially as I dug into Jodo Shinshu, which could be characterized as “Faith Alone” Buddhism. Some have characterized Shinran (the founder of that school) as a Martin Luther figure in Buddhism. I don’t know enough to argue one way or the other. However, as I’ve dug into the tradition, it has resonated with me as much as Judaism has, and I’ve embraced it. I chant the nembutsu quietly to myself throughout the day. The nembutsu opens me up to the boundless love and compassion surrounding me.
Some would say that I am only engaging with Buddhism and Judaism on a surface level. Folks like that believe that you have to give your heart and soul to one tradition so that you can dive into all its riches. That may work for many people, but it doesn’t work for me. I am fully capable of engaging with two traditions because I keep my life free of the things that keep people from engaging deeply with traditions. I don’t waste my energy on any fandom or sports team. I don’t watch movies. My life is free of the clutter that stands in the way. Anyone can do this if they just let go of certain things in their lives.
As time passes, we will see a growing number of people embrace multiple religious traditions. Our spiritual lives are too important to spend in one tiny box.
Most religions have rituals and scriptures and they place heavier demands on one's life than a philosophy. As for church and religion, there are folks who enjoy that type of community. Nobody has found a way to create as solid a community without that religious component.
I wonder if you distinguish between a religion and a philosophy? It seems to me that one could embrace Taoist philosophy along with almost any religion. How do you distinguish between a church and a religion? I know several people who are attracted to the social element of churches without especially caring about the mythos or ethos the churches seem to based on.