It is this acknowledgment – of the sacred and the powerful aspirations of people to seek connection to higher consciousness and divinity – that already transcends the doctrines of the world's religious institutions. It is in this that we can see the basis for a spiritually open and aware society.

In our view, neither any one religion nor all religions taken as a whole – are the same as spirituality, but rather they are only one form of expression out of many that people may use to be reminded of their relationship to higher consciousness and creation. Ultimately, each one of us has a personal and direct connection to God or higher consciousness, regardless of what belief system our personality may clothe itself in at the moment.

It is this drive to connect to higher consciousness and the vastness of creation that is fundamental to all humanity.

For spirituality to be explored and experienced on the widest possible scale, it needs to be released from being confined to "official" religions. Indeed, given the consistent historical experiences of religious institutions using state power to further their own institutional agendas, separation of religion and state power continue to be essential, just as there needs to be separation of commercial corporate power from public governance. Given the tenor of these times we are in, laws about separation of church and state are meaningless when the central government and other key arms of state power are heavily influenced by and often controlled by religious zealots who turn state power to the furtherance of their ideological and institutional agendas.

Despite this, spirituality cannot be denied an active and vital role in civil society. All people should be allowed – indeed encouraged – to seek guidance from higher consciousness in whatever ways are best suited for their own unique situation. Humanity most desperately needs an inspired vision for itself if it is to thrive and advance beyond its current state of development. Eventually, most everyone will discover paths that are effective for themselves.

Such an outpouring of spiritual expression, linked with service to humanity and planetary stewardship, would create a powerful tide of goodwill toward all and new social, economic, and political structures would naturally emerge to replace what does not serve humanity's positive future. We can choose this for ourselves. Those who might oppose its emergence would only be doing so out of fear for their own personal power and control over others, something that would eventually become widely apparent.

People want to see a better world and participate in it. Forgiveness, universal connection, service, and spirituality can liberate unlimited social and material capital to make the world a place to love and be loved.