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"SPIRITUAL ADDICTS"
by Raye McDonald

There have always been spiritual retreats available for those who think that they need them, and for the most part, these kinds of events are probably very positive. However, I just recently overheard a conversation between a woman whose husband had been on one of these spiritual weekends and a man who had previously gone on one.

"My husband just returned from a three day spiritual walk and he is higher than a kite," she said.

"That is wonderful! Now if he can just stay that way," he responded.

This dialog caused me to do some deep thinking. If folks go on these retreats to get "spiritually high," what good is that? When the old gut grinding realities of life set in, will they have to go back for a "fix"?

If a religious experience at a retreat setting doesn't produce in a person's life a long lasting significant change that causes them to go back out into the world and make it better, I really can't see the relevance of it. Perhaps some of these folks just trade one kind of addiction for another one.

Posted 4/07/00