Rothko and developing one's own Abstactionist view of Religion

Rothko’s painting Omen of the Eagle says a great deal about the philosophy behind abstractionist art. The picture does not illustrate any particular incident in the [Hellenistic] drama but is “concerned with the spirit of myth which is generic to all myth at all times” I would argue that this concept relates directly to the view we have been discussing in class.
Rather than paying particular attention to the quirks of different religions, we have been developing a sort of ethos/framework that is applicable to a variety of situations. Abstractionist art highlights the idea of religion being in “the unknown.” In Rothko’s response to a New York Times writer who was puzzled by the meaning of his work, he noted, “art is an adventure into an unknown world that can only be explored by those who take risks.” Rather than developing a specific narrative, such as the one developed by Christian Ethiopians, abstractionism presents an alternative framework—a framework that is not exclusive to a specific culture or mindset.
Rothko also says in his letter that “it does not matter what you paint as long as it is well painted.” I believe that the specifics of a certain religion are unimportant compared to the overall mechanism which is developed in order to contribute/encourage a meaningful existence. Just as Rothko defines the world of art as a world exclusive to those who take risks, I believe that taking an abstractionist approach to religion entails equal risk. The generic and ambiguous nature of abstractionism would be incompatible with certain mainstream religions. People enjoy having a set of rules/religious guidelines to follow. If one were to approach religion in an abstractionist manner (defining an individualistic religious mechanism), there would be no assurance about the afterlife, or any other aspects common in organized religion. One would have to live with considerable risk, and be confident that their individual mechanism for living was suitable for the god/gods/deities they believe in. Abstractionism demonstrates that religion is possible in an individualistic sense, rather than the collective approach we have been studying.