Regarding the difference between the original teachings and what is expressed in the culture: I have seen this a lot, as I have been a "religion gypsie". I've always longed for the group practice and sense of community that I imagine would come from being an actual member of a religion that I could really say I believed in. There are many religions that hold deep wisdom, and I can come close to embracing it, but the disconnect between the theology itself and the way the culture expresses it is often so different that my individual appreciative "take" on the theology doesn't get me any closer to experiencing the community that I long for. Maybe it is a "Holy Grail" I only imagine exists, where I could share the experience of spiritual longing and ecstasy with people who "speak my language" and "get it".
Very often I have befriended Christian spiritual leaders who privately agree with my views on things, but dare not admit it to their congregations. (One Methodist minister told me that he thought MOST Christian ministers, excluding the charismatic, pentecostal types, were secretly universalists.)
When I myself was a religion student, I suffered from the phenomenon that education is inherently a destructive process, as it tears down old understandings in order to add new information. It was hard for me that my Methodist minister turned atheist professor never came back around to acknowledging that there was something useful or worthwhile in the religions that he was tearing apart with archaeological and historical information.
A Mennonite minister friend said that this was an almost universal complaint of Seminary students. Education makes things go from black and white to shades of grey. I never did have a black and white view or a solid faith, but being a religion major made things complex to the point that claiming to know anything for sure, or even putting strong faith in anything, became beyond absurd.
But back to talking specifically about the difference between core teachings and cultural expressions: I remember reading a story about Ghandi reading the Bible and taking a great interest in Christianity, calling it the most complete religion. He was very excited to meet some Christians, but became disappointed and lost interest when he found that there was no human embodiment of the religion that he saw in those pages.
I feel the same way about the religion that I was born into (but not raised in), Mormonism. There is a lot to appreciate about it. I affectionately call it "Vedic Christianity". I generally read the Bible through Vedic eyes, and what I see is a Jesus who was teaching Vedic wisdom. I see this especially because I have read the Essene Gospels of Peace, a Rosicrucian book called "The Mystical Life of Jesus" and a few books presenting evidence that Jesus traveled and learned in the east.
But ultimately, it holds no meaning for me to call myself a Christian or a Mormon if there is no community embodiment of what it is I see and appreciate in those religions.
I can wholeheartedly agree with the basic tenets of the Sikh religion, and yet I can see on various websites that human nature creeps in there and, as the original poster said, people make divisions and feel that they have the "one true religion". There is a great TED talk by Jonathan Haidt on moral humility and why we humans gravitate toward "one right way" thinking. I can also see some ironies, like rejecting all legalism and yet adopting some new forms of it.
However, I'd like to take this opportunity to express how heart-warming it is to be on these forums and see that that basic tenets of Sikhism DO shine through. I had just been having a terrible time trying to fit in on some Mormon forums because I live in a 90% Mormon area and it would be so convenient if I could see my way clear to join them, or at least be active in the community. But, even though Mormonism is, I think, the most universalist of Christian religions (everyone goes to some level of heaven, there is no Hell, you don't have to become a Mormon in this life to be OK, and we're all co-eternal with God, having no beginning and no end) it is also one of the most prostletyzing religions with the boldest claims to having a unique spiritual authority on the Earth. This side of the religion plays into the human ego quite a lot, and I find it very difficult to avoid becoming the recipient of very disrespectful prostelyting behavior.
When I came to this site, and first read the "New to Sikhism" forum thread on the language barrier, it actually brought tears to my eyes that people were so very polite, offered the possibility of being wrong, and blessed each other even in disagreement.
So, my point in all this rambling is that from the perspective of this new seeker of Sikhism, the original teachings of universal love and respectfulness DO shine through, loud and clear, more than any other religious community that I have visited.
This touched my heart when I really needed some healing, and I thank you for that.wahkaurcheeringkudiwahkaur
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