"Let us not follow vulgar leaders
who exploit the fear of death
and promise the bliss of salvation.
If we are truly happy,
they will have nothing to offer.
Some leaders use threats to win adherents.
They invoke death to force good behavior
and to herd people toward paradise.
If you have no satisfaction,
they offer bliss.
If you feel inadequate,
they offer success.
If you are lonely,
they offer acceptance.
But if we do not fear death
and are happy,
what will such leaders have to offer?
Spirituality is an organic part of daily life,
not something dispensed by a professional.
True spirituality is liberation,
not just from the delusions of reality
but from the delusions of religion as well.
If we attain freedom from the fear of death,
a sound way of health,
and a path of understanding through life,
there is happiness
and no need for false leaders."
--B. & L. Smith
