Dogma is the authoritative ideology, belief or doctrine held by an organisation or a religion, that is not to be disputed, deviated from or diverged from.
It is the ‘status quo’, which is to be upheld at all cost.
Organisations that run on dogma are very dogmatic, stubborn and fixed in their views and perspectives of life.
The paradox is that dogma is prevalent within most western religions, even though it disallows personal spiritual development and growth.
Being fixed to one perspective disallows change, without which, there can be no growth and development of the individual.
It is not seen as beneficial for religious organisations to encourage, or even allow, spiritual growth to be personal and unique to an individual.
Unless spirituality is personal to an individual, growth and development become inhibited.
Dogma derives from the Greek Philosophy of “that which seems to one” and “as to think, to suppose, to imagine”.
That which seems to one, pertains to a personal and individual perspective of life.
To think, to suppose and to imagine is the creation of a personal journey in life.
Religious leaders have taken dogma and ‘written it in stone’ to the detriment of an individual’s journey with a unique and personal perspective of life.
The 10 commandments of mosaic law have become a prime example of religious dogma.