It is far from uncommon these days to meet people who find organised religion distasteful. While I share a distaste for cliques, I deeply admire the members of some truly inspired and inspiring congregations. Cliques range from the merely snobby, isolationists to the dangerous and despicable fundamentalists. Congregations seem only to vary in their ambitions whether local, remote or global.
Each of the major and minor religions along with every person with a set of metaphysical beliefs is attempting to connect with something that I believe is inherent in being human. There is something divine that calls to humans and has done throughout human history - personally I think it is hard-wired. At least insofar as the deep structures of the brain produce a pattern that causes the conscious mind to seek a matching pattern somewhere in the world.
Many people inadvertently discard the sense of wonder and connection to something beyond the physical and intellectual world when they discard religious faith. That connection can be reclaimed in a very personal sense by exploring within a personally meaningful metaphor.
"Make your God transparent to the transcendent, and it doesn't matter what his name is."
Joseph Campbell, Pathways to Bliss
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