My last post ended with the idea that religious or philosophical systems of any kind aren't the Truth itself, but only temporary, time-limited, impermanent, relative truths. There is no way around it. They remain forms: complex psychical forms of various quality that were once created and developed, that will run their course of constant change, and eventually completely disappear. In some cases, that may take many more centuries than others. In some cases, some are still vibrant, mostly useful, and somewhat beautiful forms that can help and benefit many. In other cases, the forms are decaying, and are in a sense mostly dead. They are therefore toxic and a real nuisance to mankind, and are spreading only negativity and evil in the world.
The Soul, or consciousness itself, doesn't have and doesn't need religion nor any kind of philosophical system to be what it is. Attachment to strong beliefs and opinions about what is true or not isn't at all a part of the nature of consciousness. Such attachments manifest as characteristics of the non-self, (ego or personality). We believe: “I am a christian or a muslim”, “I believe in this god or that god”, “I must wear this head garb because my religion says so”. Or “I must get married before having children”, “I belong to this political party or ideology”, etc... All of these things have nothing to do with spiritual realization and are entirely temporary things the non-self clings to. They are all 100% relative and impermanent. We can always choose to change religion, philosophy, political affiliations, and so on. We very often belong to one specific system of belief because of where (or when) we were born, how we were raised, who had influence or power over ourselves, what knowledge or education we had access to, etc. They are very obviously relative. None of these religious, or philosophical beliefs systems are the Truth, they never were, and they never will be.
Now, of course, parts of these religious or philosophical systems do convey some aspects of Truth. But then, we must not make the mistake of thinking that the concepts presented through books, teachings of any kind are the Truth themselves. Concepts, even the most elevated ones, always veil the Truth in some way. Our conceptual mind, the mental aspect of our psyche cannot deal with anything but concepts. So our capacity to understand anything with this tool is dependent on our relative capacity and skills to deal with those (ever impermanent) forms of subtle matter (or energy) called concepts and thoughts.
Maybe they subtly veil the Truth with a nice enough, adequate garb. Maybe they completely distort it. It depends. The Soul itself knows. But consciousness in incarnation not being able as of yet to know or to fully realize what its own true nature is, cannot know either what the Truth is. We can only know and understand relative truths. Our identification with the whole realm of physical and psychical reality, the realm of the non-self, compels us to function with tools belonging to that realm. We develop tools such as empirical science, psychology, sociology, religious or spiritual systems to allow our conceptual and finite minds to achieve many things. This can be relatively good, possibly extraordinarily good, or bad. Nevertheless, sooner or later, impermanence will bring all these things to their end, and once good things for mankind will become obsolete and bad, and will follow their natural and inevitable course towards their disappearance.
Religion is different from spirituality, if we understand that spirituality refers to the cultivation of what is part of the nature of the Soul. Ways to do that may include what is sometimes understood as religious practices, but then, such practices will only temporarily bring desirable results or will be good only in certain circumstances. Rituals, prayers, rules concerning ways to dress, when sex is or isn't permitted, obligatory beliefs in a savior or a prophet aren't spirituality. They are mostly tools that may serve specific purposes such as the growth, development, education, or sometimes protection of the non-self.
When the soul in incarnation isn't actively seeking spiritual realization, perhaps it is best that it believes in such things, instead of taking a path of gross and evil selfishness. But, for the contemporary men and women seeking spiritual realization, religious beliefs will very quickly become hindrances, obsolete things, attachments of the conceptual mind that will block the light. In other words, such things, of which the nature of the Soul is devoid of, will limit the possibility of greater realization, of greater enlightenment. Yet, being Souls in incarnation, we must find ways to live in this world, to function with a body and a psyche, to think, communicate and express ourselves with concepts and feelings, while striving for greater enlightenment. This existential paradox is the challenge of the Spiritual Path !