I am part of the traditionalist community, the folks that practice traditional Afrikan belief systems, sometimes erroneously called Traditional Afrikan Religions (TAR). (I have argued in my book, Distorted Truths, that Afrikans do not have religions. They have a set of beliefs, rites, rituals, and worldview that encompasses an overarching spiritual system that is integral to their culture.) One of my closest friends is a deacon, a Christian. One of my spiritual brothers is a Muslim. Your religion doesn't concern me but our relationship does. I JUDGE people based on their character and the quality of my relationship with them.
One of the problems in our community and with people in general is the lack of discipline and the role it plays in personal/human development. I'll pick on Christianity today. A particular problem I have with doctrinal Christianity is how the concept of "forgiveness" is being used as an excuse for personal accountability, particularly in regards to the development of discipline as a strengthener against temptation. Presently, undisciplined and even unprincipled behaviors are dismissed under the guise of a "personal" relationship with God; this relationship dissociative at its worse, makes the person an "island" and distorts the reality that you are only human because of others: a community of humans or people nurtured you. When Christians speak of their personal relationship with God as a means of countering accountability or as an excuse for some impropriety, it's nonsense. It is part of the Western rhetorical ethics--a morality that exist in words but not in deeds.
Regarding forgiveness, many people fall into the trap of not addressing personal shortcomings or unethical behaviors, and not adequately altering them, and they continue the behaviors with the solace, that in the end, God will forgive them. For example, a pastor can shameless violate a commandment and his congregation will forgive him, because God will. But if the pastor has not developed the discipline to resist the temptation of repeating the act/behavior, then he will do it again. Nothing has been solved and the inappropriate act or behavior will come back like a bad habit. Good intentions and words alone will not change behavior. It is the disciplining of the person, addressing that particular aspect of the soul/self that will make the difference.
It is easier to understand if you think about it like this. God (The Supreme Be-ing) created you of earth and spirit/breath. The spirit/breath is directly from God, consequently it is good; divine even. It knows, whether you listen to it or not. (Actually, if you invert the equation, since the breath is of God, then when you get into the breath, i.e., breathing exercises or techniques, you get closer to God.) The earth component is imperfect and associated with the flesh and its desires. So, the real problem is getting the flesh to listen to the spirit while bypassing the so-called devil's interference. While Western Christianity rejects doing exercises that discipline the body, going as far as to call yoga, demonic, and forgetting that early Christianity was nurtured by mystics that engaged in mantras, meditation, physical drills, and the likes, Afrikan spirituality has never forgotten that the body is what has to be developed since the spirit is already developed. Hence, the body and not the spirit has to be disciplined. Christianity has written the body off, preferring to emphasize spirit, and this why so few Christians get the results they desire. Instead their failures are explained away, as we are not perfect. True, we are not "perfect" but with self-discipline we could be so much better. So this is the quagmire that Christianity is enmeshed in-in rejecting the body, they reject a major vehicles that would allow them to acquire the necessary discipline that would allow them to resist temptation, and be a better Christian. Forgiveness is a substitute for the work entailed in disciplining oneself. This is the real sacrifice, not Christ's--your personal sacrifice, that like Christ's involves bodily sacrifice; a bodily sacrifice that will result in discipline or being a disciple.
Our task in restoration is to know the self and incorporate that knowledge into a system that will produce discipline human beings who can live Maat! This knowledge is already amongst us; our job is like Auset and Heru's, to collect and revive it.
I am a Christian and have to agree that we need to stop beating around the bush and be personally accountable for our actions. It is morally and ethically not right to address shortcomings that arise with humans by writing them off as it being a personal relationship with God. People need to take responsibly and religion should only be referred to when one needs to converse with their maker and not when absconding of personal responsibility is involved.
"The spirit is willing but the body is weak" This phrase is found in the Bible. I known of pastors who have been caught pants down and have defended themselves using this particular scripture. Self mastery which is taught in Yoga can help save most of these situations that make forgiveness appear meaningless. So far I do not see any Christian mainstream church accommodating yoga or similar practices. As it is Christians can go on enjoying the fruits of forgiveness.
Western religion has been commercialized and politicized, which is why it is prone to so many failures. Instead of religious leadership being a spiritual calling and journey, it becomes a means to achieve power and influence. As a result, church leaders only strive to package themselves as good, even if their characters are rotten to the bone. Sooner or later, their spiritual weakness is going to catch up with them. African beliefs stressed pureness of body before spiritual pureness could be attained.
At times you really wonder what religion has become. We have found ways to twist the religious teachings to suit our needs. Church has become a political institution with so many internal wrangles which leave very little to be desired. The first step to healing is acceptance. The only way that restoration will happen is if we get to the point of admitting that we are wrong and take responsibility for our actions. That is the only way to find ourselves and get restoration.