Spiritual, Not Religious

With Guests Jen Bilik and Cheri Huber

Choices. We’re bombarded with them whether we’re looking for a doctor, a fitness regime and even a religion. With an array of religions from which to choose, Dr. Veronica fires up the topic of “what lights your soul” in this week’s episode of Wellness for the Real World on WebTalkRadio.net with guests Jen Bilik, author of The Savvy Convert’s Guide to Choosing a Religion and Cheri Huber, a prolific author and Buddhist Zen monk who has studied and taught Zen for over 30 years.

“Before, I say I was in hell with religion where I had to go to church every Sunday, wear a certain thing, say a certain thing and be a certain person,” Dr. Veronica tells listeners. “And now I’m in heaven because I’m meeting all of these interesting people… This has been a wonderful experience. I’m not complaining because I have met some wonderful people and read some wonderful books that have opened my eyes.”

For those trying to figure out which religion suits them best, they have to look no further than Bilik’s humorous consumer’s guide that breaks down 99 world religions and allows readers to compare faiths based on things such as what you’ll wear, whether you can have sex and where you’ll go when you die.

“We live in the world of too many choices,” says Bilik, who adds that while we use a scientific method of shopping “we don’t bring choice to religion. We accept what we have.”

No need to do so. We’re all familiar with the more popular religions, such as Catholicism and Sunni Islam, which both claim 1.1 billion members each to tie for tops in the world ahead of Hinduism. But Bilik provides info on the lesser known, such as the Metrospiritual, The Land Over Baptist Church and Church of Euthanasia. If they sound bogus, consider that 10 million people claim allegiance to Pastafarianism, which was created in 2005 by Oregon State physics graduate Bobby Henderson as a satirical protest against the decision by the Kansas State Board of Education to permit the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in public schools.

Worried about the cost of religion in today’s economy? Check out the section on the cost of God.  It runs the gamut from Scientology, the most expensive and whose members include celebs such as Tom Cruise, John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston, to low-cost Buddhism and Pentecostal, which often uses storefronts in poorer neighborhoods as meeting places. Do-it-yourself religions could be right for you, if you’re the frugal type who may opt to run through your neighborhood to stay in shape, rather than joining a gym.

Speaking of fitness, it’s possible to take exercise into account with religions as well. Followers of Hinduism are into yoga. Jehovah’s Witnesses get plenty of exercise going door to door to spread their message while Australian Aboriginals do walkabouts.

If none of the 99 work, Bilik, who grew up in a secular, Jewish family, tells readers how to start their own religion. She jokes that “I never met a sacred cow I didn’t want to tip.”

Cheri Huber, on the other hand, says she was not raised with religion. She did the traditional thing of marrying and having a child then realized that wasn’t her thing. She delved into Buddhism and learned that greed, hate and delusion make this world of suffering go around. The notion goes back 2,500 years and still holds true today. Yet Dr. Veronica makes a good point when she says MTV broadcasts shows such as Cribs and Pimp My Ride where we see the fat cats on Wall Street making millions annually while so many Americans struggle to keep a roof over their heads and can’t even buy groceries.

“There are people who manage to exploit other people and become filthy rich as tons of people are starving to death,” Huber admits. “That has been the case for as long as there have been human beings. What I can strive for is to not be one of them because I know the difference. For me, it’s a matter of looking to myself and saying, ‘Okay, great, that’s how theyare. I actually don’t want to be that way. I want to be somebody who can look in the mirror and feel good about the person who is looking back at me so how can I help? What can I take advantage of in my life that’s going to make me able to be of assistance because that’s what’s going to turn my life around and that‘s what’s going to turn around the lives of a lot of us.”

It’s all about aiding others and being generous, she says. Dr. Veronica concurs. Following a Christian philosophy taught her “Give and it shall be given to you.” Even for those who think they don’t have enough money to share with others, Dr. Veronica says she has never seen someone go broke when they had a heart to help others. Americans must understand that if you give others will help you, she says.

One way Huber also tries to assist is through writing. The author of 19 books (including When You’re Falling, Dive, her latest), There is Nothing Wrong With You is designed to help readers overcome self-hatred. She realized that people who overcame depression, fear and similar feelings still were not happy because they were raised to feel unworthy.

“I encourage people to live in a world of loving kindness,” Huber, who also hosts a radio show called Open Air, tells Dr. Veronica. “Be kind to yourself for a week. Stop the hateful voices in your head and let that kindness extend to others the best you can and see if you become a worse, more indulgent, hateful person at the end of the week. I say you won’t. Happy people are not hateful. Unhappy people are hateful.”