ABSTRACT
In the childhood, ethical considerations were self-evident, implicit, and conveyed rather than openly discussed. They were moralistic rather than simply ethical. Conformism in the matter of church attendance was expected. In the religious field, God as an inner spirit is different from the God in any religion in which there is a definite creed based on scriptures declared to be the words of God, even if that religion is not a fundamentalist one. In analysis as well as in religion, politics, and the upbringing of children, there has to be respect for the spirit as it lives in each person, provided that respect is granted to others as maturing progresses. Like the oedipal complex, the archetype of spirituality is found at work in many cultures, evidenced throughout history and expressed in diverse rituals. The impact of object-relations theory has spread from its beginnings in clinical theory and practice into the area of reflecting on God and spirituality.
