Why Spirituality Should Be Kept Simple
Spirituality is meant to bring peace, clarity, and connection. Yet for many people, it’s become the opposite — tangled in arguments, heavy with rules, and clouded by fear. Across history, religions and philosophies have piled layer upon layer of doctrines, traditions, and rituals. Some of these are meaningful, but many create unnecessary confusion.
The truth is: spirituality works best when it is simple.
Why Simplicity Matters in Spirituality
- Clarity instead of confusion
When spirituality is simple, people can actually live it out instead of arguing about it. We don’t need a theology degree to understand love, kindness, or gratitude. - Freedom from fear
Complex systems often come with threats — eternal punishment, exclusion, or shame. A simple spiritual approach replaces fear with love and freedom. - Universality
The simpler the message, the more it can be understood across cultures, languages, and traditions. Love, compassion, and kindness don’t need translation. - Practical living
Spirituality isn’t just about ideas — it’s about daily choices. When kept simple, it’s easier to practice in real life, in small but meaningful ways.
The Problem with Overcomplication
Religion can become weighed down with endless debates:
- Which doctrine is correct?
- Which rituals matter most?
- Who’s in, and who’s out?
These debates often create division rather than unity. Overcomplication can make spirituality feel inaccessible — as if only the “experts” can get it right. But the truth is, spirituality belongs to everyone.
When People Go Overboard
It’s not just complexity — sometimes people go overboard.
- In alternative spirituality, some seekers dive so deep into strange rituals, conspiracy-like beliefs, or bizarre practices that the heart of spirituality — love and connection — gets lost in a fog of nonsense. Instead of becoming freer, they become trapped in superstition.
- In traditional religion, some believers cling so tightly to rigid rules and dogma that they push away friends, family, and even their own sense of compassion. Narrow-mindedness replaces love, and relationships suffer.
Both extremes show the same truth: when spirituality gets too complicated, too rigid, or too “out there,” it stops serving people and starts dividing them.
The Simple Revelation
That’s why I wrote The Simple Revelation: A Spiritual Manifesto for Reasonable People. It’s not a new religion. It’s not another heavy set of rules. Instead, it’s about rediscovering what was always there:
- God is Love.
- God’s love is unconditional.
- God is in everyone, and everyone is in God.
From these truths flows a simple way of living:
- Be loved by God.
- Love God in whatever way feels authentic.
- Love yourself.
- Love others.
- Treat others the way you want to be treated.
How to Keep It Simple in Your Spiritual Life
Here are a few practical ways to live this out:
- Practice gratitude daily. Notice what’s good, however small.
- Seek balance. Don’t get lost in extremes.
- Choose love over fear. When in doubt, ask: Does this path grow love?
- Stay grounded in kindness. Treat others as you’d like to be treated.
- Trust the process. Even in hardship, know that you are cared for and not alone.
A Closing Thought
Spirituality doesn’t need to be complicated. It doesn’t require hundreds of rules or endless debates. It doesn’t need strange, over-the-top practices or rigid, exclusionary dogmas. It’s already written in your heart.
By keeping it simple, we make space for peace, joy, and real connection — with ourselves, with others, and with God.
That’s the heart of The Simple Revelation.