Speaker: Vince Klassen

I'm not sure if the Simpsons are the best resource for religious commentary but if Ned Flanders is any prophet of traditional religion - he's not painting a very interesting picture of spirituality

Ned is all about feeling bad about the things he wants, trying to deny anything fun in his life, avoiding things that he enjoys - what has traditionally been termed, the Desires of the Flesh.

For many of us, this is what traditional religion is all about - and this is seen as the highest goal of our spirituality journey - a life of denial and repression.

But what if that's too simplistic a reading of spirituality and religion's role in it?

What if that view is ultimately killing our spiritual development, and killing us?

Is there a way of seeing our spiritual development that isn't all about denial and feeling bad about what we want?

Is there a way to see a good life while avoiding the pitfalls of traditional religion?

That's what we are going to explore this week at the spiritual Gym. How to find a good life without falling into the pitfalls.

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