I also have to say this about the Catholic Church, the Pope, the elevated status of Mary, etc... The Catholic Church invented itself. They invented the significance of their own pomp and circumstance. The papacy is not biblical, nor is the worship of Mary or her role as intercessor, nor is the priesthood and their celibacy, nor are most of the sacraments or rites as practiced. I don't see a problem with any of it, other than claims that what they do and how they do it comes from the bible, or arrogance about it being The way to conduct a relationship to the divine. Men made it up. They elaborated themselves into their current hierarchy. Cardinals, Bishops, and so on, ad nauseum... it has all been manufactured for the Church, by the Church.

All religions are the invention of humans: Catholicism, Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, etc. The christian bible is only one among many other documents and traditions serving the same purpose, trying to describe divinity and how mankind may relate to it. None of them are THE Truth. They are all examples and methodology. Even more nature-based and alternative religions such as Native spirituality and pagan versions are all invented. They are different ways for people to try to connect with divinity, and the ways are different because people are different, cultures are different. Divinity, Creation, the Universe, the Power that's All There Is... whatever one chooses to call it, we should all remember that we do CHOOSE how we each relate to it. And thus, ALL versions can be valid. ALL.

From my understanding, none of us needs any artifice or ritual or hierarchy to relate to divinity because it resides within each of us. There is no duality. If "God" is everything, is IN everything, then it is only logical to conclude that we are inseparable parts of God, that God is in every one of us, and therefore we don't need anything to 'reach' God. We ARE God. Our only challenge is to reach into ourselves, through ourselves, and thus touch the infinite and eternal.

From my way of thinking, what we describe as God may only be the gestalt of who we are, the summation of our collective consciousness, and that not only includes humanity but all things and all no-things, ie, All That Is.

The rest is detail on how we get ourselves to touch the divinity within, and by divinity I mean our connection to each other and to Everything. Some of us may need an external hierarchy to help us achieve the connection, although I find it sad that such artificial measures are needed. Such methods perpetuate a separation which does not exist. Some of us may need to imagine an overriding presence so we can feel more comfortable with the order of the universe, rather than knowing we are integral parts of that order, each and every one of us. Maybe we fear the responsibility, but in doing so we also relinquish a certain amount of freedom. The worst, the absolute worst aspect of these various methods is that too often we use them to divide ourselves from each other.

I have no problem with how individuals CHOOSE to relate to the creative process of this universe, as long as they know it IS a choice and they should never NEVER try to force another person over to their own choice. Each must find his or her own way. Period.

And to conclude my sermon :) ... Love one another, or at least be kind to one another, or at least respect one another, or at least tolerate one another... or if you cannot, please exit the planet now and let the rest of us get on with it. Thank you.