The Secular God
Life consists of several different facets. It should reasonably be expected that a robust cadre or theory of spirituality caters to all of the different facets of life. One could argue that the different facets of life consist of Work Life, Relationship Life, Recreation Life, and Spiritual Life. If you do not subscribe to spirituality, you need only ignore possibility of that facet.
Work Life requires talents or gifting, and some sort of education.
Relationship Life requires social interactions, making of friends, making of acquaintances, management of neighbors or fellow workers, for those who are inclined marriage, raising of children.
Recreation Life revolves around choices about how we spend time deemed necessary for recharging of our bodies. Recreation Life is not sleep time, or ‘just sit down’ time. Sleep time is for recreating or recharging of body cells. Recreation Life involves spending of time in activities not typical of what we do for a living — diversity which helps keep our minds fresh, open to new ideas. Recreation Life is about, do you watch TV and just how much of it, do you play squash or racquetball (the ball comes hard and fast in one, comes slower but more difficult to catch with the racquet in the other), do you bike along the road and on trails or do you go ‘stationary bike’, do you watch mostly movies or do you mostly prefer serial stuff.
Spiritual Life is about theories of faith such as teachings of Jesus Christ, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism etc. The best of these faith theories address and help fashion all other three facets of Life, that is affect choices in respect of Work Life, Relationship Life, and Recreation Life. The theory of faith with which I am most familiar and to which I subscribe is teachings of Jesus Christ.
So do teachings of Jesus Christ address all other three areas of Life?
In 1 Corinthians 12:4–6, Christian Scriptures declare (words in brackets mine in spirit of an Amplified Bible):
There are diversities of gifts (talents, expertise), but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries (healing, pastoring, evangelism), but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities (professions such as Accounting, Finance, Law, Medicine), but it is the same God who works all in all.
We have here that the demand for talents, gifting, expertise is accounted for in the theory of Christian faith. Since singing, which can be a talent or gifting can be profitable either in a club or a symphony, talents, gifting, expertise cut across different professions. Work Life then we have is accounted for in context of theory of Christian faith. In addition to talents or gifting, God, Father of Jesus Christ ensures there is enough diversity of talents and gifting, with outcome every possible profession is viable. Given formal education provides a rich foundation for discovery of talents and gifting, formal Western education fits neatly into theory of Christian faith. In addition to helping people infer their gifting and talents, formal Western Education provides certifications for different types of professions.
In so far as Relationship Life is concerned, people have different functions within the Christian Church such as pastoring, evangelism, healing, all made possible by talents or gifting from God, Father of Jesus Christ.
When we come to Recreation Life, there are recreation such as drinking of alcohol, gambling, clubbing (bodies grinding close together to fast paced dance music does not much make for sober living) that are discouraged. Watching movies, serials, visiting museums etc. much encouraged. Lest some people be discouraged, sober living does not imply non-joyous living. Clubs are to be avoided only because the atmosphere is conducive to mistakes of a sexual nature. Attendance at movies, however, with loved ones in tow, does not induce any temptations of which I am aware. Alcohol consumption is not sin. It already was known thousands of years ago, however, that alcohol is addictive. Drinking of freshly pressed grapes, much recommended.
All in all, we find that the theory of Christian faith, which addresses the demand for Spiritual Life, simultaneously caters to Work Life, Relationship Life, and Recreation Life. If you are looking for a wholesome, holistic theory of Spirituality, a theory which simultaneously caters to all other facets of life, the Christian faith, which has stood the test of time and created several civilizations, American and Western European civilization inclusive, comes highly recommended.
