When Jesus died, the only possessions that he had in the whole world were his cloak and sandals. That's it. Nothing else. He didn't even have a home of his own.

When Ghandi was assassinated, he owned a salt and pepper shaker, reading glasses, a home-spun cloak, sandals and a small wooden bowl.

Martin Luther was a Catholic priest who was excommunicated from The Church because he had an issue with The Church selling Indulgences to poor folks in order to raise money for, among other things, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

The priests and bishops of Luther's time convinced the ignorant and simple people of their flocks to give money that they couldn't afford to give. In return, the faithful received a piece of paper saying that a dead relative would be released from Purgatory. Purgatory was a place of suffering for folks who had died with minor sins on their souls. Only after they atoned for these residual sins could they gain entrance into God's Kingdom.

Martin Luther challenged this practice, and, because he was threat to The Holy Pocketbooks, he was thrown out of The Church and was almost condemned to death.

Ever been inside the Mormon Tabernacle? The magnificence of the place takes your breath away!

Ever been to Vatican City? Same thing! The grandeur will leave you stunned.

Did you know that the richest organization on earth is The Catholic Church?

Ever see the salaries that some of today's televangelists haul down annually?

I have a hard time watching the Jimmy Swaggarts of the world out there literally thumping their Bibles, preaching salvation and damnation, and charging "the faithful" a small fortune to come see the show.

I have a problem with the billions of dollars that The Catholic Church has in real estate, statuary, and cash while there are people starving and children dying in Third World Countries.

What is Religion(with a capital "R")? To me, it has nothing to do with spirituality or holiness. As I said in the last post on this topic, Religion is a power trip.

It is something that makes me feel good by putting you down. It is exclusive; only those who believe as I believe can enter The Kingdom.

It is ruthless. Witness events like The Crusades and The Spanish Inquisition in the past. Witness the persecution of gays and non-Christians in this country today.

It is money-grubbing - scaring people with eternal damnation if the don't accept a particular set of tenets, a particular person to worship as the true Savior, or if they don't give their bread money so that The Church can buy another stained glass window or a new, multi-million-dollar PopeMobile.

It is the twisting of Scripture to make the meaning fit specific agendas.

Spirituality, on the other hand, is true religion. It is the words that the prophets spoke. It has one basic tenet - love of everybody. EVERYBODY, whatever their sex, their color, their beliefs or their customs.

Can a person be spiritual and not be religious? In my mind, the answer is yes.

Can a person be religious and not be spiritual? What do you think?

Can a person be both spiritual and religious? Uh-huh. They are few and far between, but I have been privileged to have known several, including a Catholic priest who many years ago befriended a young boy, showed him that he was worth something when his family rejected him, and ended up changing his life forever for the better.

Every time I see the televangelists on the tube or watch the Pope and Cardinals parade around in all of their finery and splendor, I think of words that were spoken over two thousand years ago by a lowly carpenter from Nazareth. He said, "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter The Kingdom of Heaven."