Reading this religion t-shirt made me laugh out loud the first time I read it, and then I noticed something profound.

What the Religion T-Shirt Says?

Taoism: Shit Happens.
Hare Krishna: Shit Happens Rama Rama Ding Ding.
Hinduism: This Shit Happened Before.
Islam Extremism: If Shit Happens, Take a Hostage.
Zen: What is The Sound of Shit Happening?
Buddhism: When Shit Happens, Is it really Shit?
Confucianism: Confucius Say, “Shit Happens.”
7th Day Adventist: Shit Happens On Saturdays.
Protestantism: Shit Won’t Happen if I Work Harder.
Catholicism: If Shit Happens, I Deserve It.
Jehovah’s Witness: Knock, Knock, “Shit Happens.”
Unitarian: What is This Shit?
Mormon: Shit Happens Again & Again & Again
Judaism: Why Does This Shit Always Happen to Me?
Rastafarianism: Let’s Smoke This Shit.
Atheism: There is No Shit
Agnosticism: Maybe Shit Happens, Maybe It Doesn’t
Christian Science: Shit Happens in Your Mind
T.V. Evangelism:  Send Us More Shit
Jedi Knights:  May the Shit Be With You

There must be some truth to these statements or they wouldn’t be so hilarious: )

I was raised in the Anglican faith, which didn’t make the list.

I wonder what it would say?  “If you don’t like this sh*$, make up your own sh#&”?

I do feel a sense of gratitude having a faith growing up because it gave me roots in spirituality, and once I discovered my own spiritual path I could connect my dots.

I was reflecting on how this t-shirt might land with people…

I thought some highly religious people might be very offended.

Some highly spiritual people might be very offended.

Some highly religious, and spiritual people might be as amused as I am!

Some linear, logical types might use this as confirmation that religion, and spirituality is a waste of time.

Everyone will have their own strong opinion. What struck me was that if you know nothing about different religions, you still have a pretty good chance at matching at least some of these correctly.

I noticed how powerful the word “Sh&#” lands in this context. It can feel disturbing placed so close to a religion. There’s energy attached to this word in our culture that gives this t-shirt more punch than if you replaced it with the word “stuff” or even “poop” or try “crap”.

Not the same.

I bet you could translate it into other languages, and the impact would still be the same. It’s not just about semantics. It’s a totally different experience.

Besides noticing any pangs of judgment, I wanted to highlight how a single word can have people reeling around what they collectively feel strongly about: their Faith.

I am working on a book about how we judge ourselves, and others, and discovered there is a lot of energy around the word “judgmental”.

There is also confusion around the difference between expressing our opinion, judging, and criticizing, and the impact it has on our ability to be authentic in our relationships.

Our opinions are not facts. They are simply our version of the truth based on our beliefs, which can form the basis of one religion or no religion. Criticism shows up when we get attached to our opinion needing to be right for someone else.

We look to find fault with someone’s beliefs.

Attacking someone because of their religion goes against the spiritual teaching of pretty much every religion: treat others the way you want to be treated.

Who wants to be treated to criticism and judgment?

Judging someone takes a superior position with your belief. Our belief that we know more, are better, entitled, more deserving can make someone else be worse, unworthy, inferior in our eyes.

It’s a dangerous position.

Often incorrect assumptions are made. In the name of religion we can judge, and somehow manage to justify the destruction of others.

Where did compassion go?

There is an energy attached to “right” and “wrong” we haven’t been paying attention to.

Criticism sends a correcting or convincing energy, while judgment sends an energy of control or contempt. Both are destructive, and impact our ability to share our different ideas.

I believe all spiritual texts that had enough followers to create a lasting religion has something valuable if you are open to taking a deeper look.

We don’t have to agree, but understanding each other is the secret to moving forward.

Understanding the place you are seeing from makes a big difference. Do you recognize when you’re in the fear of your ego or the love of your higher self?

The ego will instil the fear of judgment in you.

Are you an intellectual who thinks spiritual ideas are only for poor hopeless souls who haven’t figured out their life?

This is how I used to think when I went to church.

They say you teach best what you most need to learn!

What I’ve discovered about spirituality is this…

“The best and most beautiful things in life cannot be seen, not touched, but are felt in the heart.” ~ Helen Keller

I have a vision to create a judgment free world.

There’s a lot to learn here and also from that religion t-shirt…