Thank you for adding in your valuable insights into this topic. I know that it can be a sensitive one, especially at a time when more people are awakening and trying to make sense of things when it comes to all things, but especially religion, its role, etc.

I know that Steve does tend to be very bold in what he writes (and that is putting it mildly ;) And I think the most important thing is what you shared last as to shunning the ignorance, lies, hypocrisy, lies, etc. Ultimately as I share with people, may we hate no one and no thing, as this only spirals us down a negative path creating energy blocks of negativity within.
It is all as it is. May we simply keep seeking and searching for the truth, the truth within ourselves most specifically. For when we find that, all external structures and systems, naturally fade away, and our of our personal realities.

Thanks for stopping by Ryan and it is a pleasure to hear your views on this subject and personal experience.

Ryan, I can tell you my personal example was being born into a religion. I embraced it wholeheartedly, as I thought that was the “right” thing to do. Honor your parents, honor God, right? Well… this went on into my mid-20′s. I thought I was to be commended for being such a “righteous” (fill in the blank religious label), while all of my friends couldn’t be bothered with church and religious things. Everything made so much sense Ryan, I thought I had it all figured out, so well, even though that, even back then I had a conscious and independent streak.

Anyway… then one day I read this book “Conversations with God” by Neale Donald Walsch, and it starts to make me feel really uncomfortable, but something within me is pulling me to it. And then, as the amazing synchronicity of life goes, my husband to be takes a course to become my religion and I got with him.

And oh my God, did my eyes open!!!! See as kids we just learn what we learn from our parents, who learned from their parents. Most people however, very vaguely know what their religion really is all about, and where all the rules and doctorines come from.

So thanks to that course, instead of making my husband become my religion, it made me un-become my religion. And thanks to the book above, as I continued to allow my heart to open and melt the conditioning of past years, I saw a whole other world of freedom, true freedom, and true, unconditional love.

It was life changing and everything that made sense up until then, no longer made any sense. Yeah, my personal self and identity were challenged and somewhat shattered, but that was the amazing part. I began to get to know who I truly am outside of any institutions who tell me how to think, what to think, when and why.

Bottom line, I love your ideas that we can have any beliefs we want, outside of organized religion, which can free us from the confining labels.

As for me, this has now been a wonderful 5 year journey that continues to awaken me further and further to the truest essence of the human being, and just when I think I have figured it all out, further expansion happens and opens me up to an even higher awareness of all things.

It is one of the most exciting parts of life!

So question and search, and seek, as you keep an open mind, and from there you will find all the answers you need. I know it may seem like rebelling, but in essence you are simply trying to figure out who you are, minus the traditions you, like most of us were born into and clothed in, without our choice.

I am a teenager so naturally I am all about going against my parents while waving the rebel flag but, truthfully, I have really been questioning religion and wondering whether it is an institution to follow. This article has replaced my “faith” with courage in taking the step to form a personal spirituality.

Now don’t get me wrong, I still believe in God, but my own God based on my values. Maybe it’s because I am still an ignorant teen but I find it hard to leave the explanation of the universe to chance; I just cannot make creation equivalent to a dice roll. As I study about how the world works I cannot help but believe that by learning I am appreciating the grand design of a higher power(s).

Also, I think the reason why some people find the points illustrated in the article as hard to accept because by attacking religion you are attacking their values. What people need to understand is that casting off the shackles of religion doesn’t mean you have to cast off your beliefs as well. I think we all can appreciate the message and guidelines that religion sets up whether it’s in the Bible or the Qur’an.

Ryan

P.S. I think the funnest part about creating my own spirituality is that I get to name my own God. Tentative names are Mielekki, Zeus (why not?)and Lucifer (my rebel flag ;P).

I read Steve’s post on Religion some time ago, and now I have finally released a free article on my paid membership site which is The Answer for Christians regarding his rebuttal against Christianity. What Steve says is only a half truth, but alas he can’t see past his judgements regarding Christianity.

Here is the link to the free article on my website:
http://www.mindreality.com/majority-of-christian-theory-is-so-incorrect

(The Majority of my articles are protected with hidden content that are exclusively for paid members)

Regards,
Enoch Mind Reality

That was a very good point you added “that perhaps religion itself is not the problem”

I think that this can be very true as religion can give people a sense of belonging and community and commonality. However, we know that today’s religions are tainted with covered up, made up and misinterpreted documents by human action. And my biggest beef is their inability to change or evolve due to fear of losing credibility. But as most people today experience, they are losing credibility for exactly that reason – not wanting to evolve and people are seeing right through that. Species evolve, life evolves, we no longer walk around with clubs and make fire out of stones – so the Truth may be eternal, but some practices and tenets are outdated and not serving humanity as they are supposed to.

And while it’s true enough that the long history of human affairs has greatlty diminished that communication that points to the profound; the Truth still exists.

So even though exoteric Religion, as it is appears in the world now, is more than awful; Religion itself is perhaps not the problem.

Steve

True believers merely believe in believing.
True “knowers” only “know” what they find out.

Adi Da Samraj

But that is also to me a way to see people who are truly serious and on that path versus ones who are not.

You simply cannot be spiritually enlightened and put others down – those two ideas just do not go hand in hand with each other.