[1] Spiritual Stimulation
“Spirit is the real and eternal; matter is the unreal and temporal.”
– Mary Baker Eddy
To scientists and to sociologists alike, spiritual stimulation is a rather interesting social phenomenon. Because so much of religious activity is based in faith, it mostly defies scientific explanation. Therefore, in relationships, religious activities are often a point of contention for many partners with different levels of faith.
One common cause of disagreements between partners is the other partner’s degree of devotion to any particular religious dogma. For example, I have a friend who is a “Cafeteria Catholic.” That is, he picks and chooses which tenet of the Catholic faith he feels like following (at any given time). His wife, on the other hand, feels that a rule is a rule, and thinks that my friend should follow all of them equally. In order for their relationship to work, sometimes they have to agree to disagree.
I have another friend who is a devout Catholic and tries to follow the tenets of Catholicism to the letter. His big passion is Lent (the period between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday). Most old-school Catholics give up something for Lent. My friend though, gives up at least ten “things” for Lent. He figures that if Christ had to suffer for people’s sins, he could do his share of suffering himself.
His wife has a problem understanding this logic, so she teases him. One time I overheard her asking if he was “auditioning to be Jesus.” He doesn’t usually appreciate this type of humor about something he feels so strongly about, and every year during Lent they usually get into a tiff about whatever he chooses to give up. He’s even threatened to give her up for Lent.
Imagine a couple trying to forge a successful relationship under these types of social conditions. Thus, if one of the partners is more religious or spiritual than the other, the partner who feels less strongly about any issues pertaining to religious devotion must allow her partner to practice his spiritual beliefs in the manner he deems appropriate. The other partner should not make him feel ashamed by making derogatory remarks about his beliefs/spirituality.
Of course this is often easier said than done. Sometimes this difference between partners will not become a problem because before the two would ever meet (remember path trajectories), a religious social filter would sift out any “unqualified” relationship candidates.
