my life is messed up because of religion

[Seawolf]

Originally Posted by peteyzen

Its people that mess up spirituality and religions, concepts are unable to be unkind and egotistic, only people can do that. lol

I agree cause I know I mess it up alot. I can see how easy it is to be prejudiced when I don't focus on the core values of my religion.

Nice post Seawolf.. Shadow, ego, duality etc are always gonna pull us one way or another and cause us to "mess up" but is it really messing up or is a call from spirit to get back in ayni (right relationship) with oneself,

There are no mistakes or mess ups, only lessons..

and I get what you say about your religion, that's really good to hear! As I'm not religious I'd change that slightly to "I can see how easy it is to be prejudiced when I don't focus on my essence."

[Seawolf]

Originally Posted by Free_Spirit1983

Nice post Seawolf.. Shadow, ego, duality etc are always gonna pull us one way or another and cause us to "mess up" but is it really messing up or is a call from spirit to get back in ayni (right relationship) with oneself,

There are no mistakes or mess ups, only lessons..

and I get what you say about your religion, that's really good to hear! As I'm not religious I'd change that slightly to "I can see how easy it is to be prejudiced when I don't focus on my essence."

I know, religion is a bad word these days but to me it just means someone's spirituality. It's had different meanings throughout history, but it seems as we've become more separated and divisive in our thinking in modern times it's become a bad word for the first time.

Just something else that's occured to me,

I noticed the original post is titled "my life is messed up because of religion"..

It's not "because of religion" that you feel "messed up". This is giving your power away and putting yourself in victim mode..

How about instead saying "I've made some choices / faced some situations in my life that have put me in a very difficult spot / have been challenging. But what can I learn from this and how can I move forward with my life"

Take your power back :) It's never the religion, the job, the ex, the financial institution, the government, the illuminati ;) that MAKE us a, b, or c.. It's our perceptions of the world, how we deal with the challenges (or don't deal with as the case may be) and whether or not we are acting in an empowering manner that dictate how we feel, nothing external can do that..

when I realised this, the world changed!xx

"The problem isn't the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem. Do you understand?” - Captain Jack Sparrow.

YES, Cap'n Jack got it!! ;)

Originally Posted by Free_Spirit1983

Just something else that's occured to me,

I noticed the original post is titled "my life is messed up because of religion"..

It's not "because of religion" that you feel "messed up". This is giving your power away and putting yourself in victim mode..

How about instead saying "I've made some choices / faced some situations in my life that have put me in a very difficult spot / have been challenging. But what can I learn from this and how can I move forward with my life"

Take your power back :) It's never the religion, the job, the ex, the financial institution, the government, the illuminati ;) that MAKE us a, b, or c.. It's our perceptions of the world, how we deal with the challenges (or don't deal with as the case may be) and whether or not we are acting in an empowering manner that dictate how we feel, nothing external can do that..

when I realised this, the world changed!xx

These are fine sentiments--however--most human beings are pack animals. We have a herd mentality and are very tied to our families and communities.

Families and Communities (especially Religious Communities) can put an extreme amount of pressure on people to conform and most children are raised in the same Religion as their parents and are taught to conform--anything less than total adherence is seen as deviance and many times people who grow-up and learn to think and decide for themselves--are ostracized from all that they hold dear.

An unusually strong person takes many years to accumulate that kind of courage and independence and must come to the conclusion that this action is called for--in their own time and in their own way.

Peace and Love on the path of your choice...

Blessed be...

Yeah I get that from my background and until people experience that then it's hard to fully understand what a person in a cult / extreme religion is going through..

When I left the JW's contact with them stopped, I was no longer "in with the crowd" my "friends" never spoke to me again.. I've seen other people in worse situations where they have lost all their family and friends (my family weren't JDubs!)

It's so difficult becuase of the mind control and mentality, the fear that keeps people stuck there and the guilt of not being worthy that keeps them relying on an organisation to give them "new light"

It is hard, but as I said before there's always a choice, always a way out, your life isn't ruined - if you are unhappy where you are now then things need to change, that's what it boils down to..

Every time we face a fear and step outside of our comfort zones, towards a life of integrity, we grow!

All the best on your path

So much love

xxx

[Seawolf]

Personally I was never really free from the extreme/cult-like religious sect I was in to until I gave up resenting and blaming it. Now I'm around the same kind of people again and it doesn't bother me. Sometimes when they express their religion I kind of roll my eyes, but I see through my opinion of whatever it is I don't agree with and see them as human beings instead of villains like I used to.

I don't transfer the blame to myself for the past either, it's not about blame but about taking responsibility for everything in my life. It's all just information in the mind, but I hold the information in my mind so I can choose to be responsible for it. Then by some strange spiritual process I become free from resentment and enjoy the people around me. I think spirituality can be pretty powerful when it's used to address the real issues inside.

Originally Posted by Free_Spirit1983

Yeah I get that from my background and until people experience that then it's hard to fully understand what a person in a cult / extreme religion is going through..

When I left the JW's contact with them stopped, I was no longer "in with the crowd" my "friends" never spoke to me again.. I've seen other people in worse situations where they have lost all their family and friends (my family weren't JDubs!)

It's so difficult becuase of the mind control and mentality, the fear that keeps people stuck there and the guilt of not being worthy that keeps them relying on an organisation to give them "new light"

It is hard, but as I said before there's always a choice, always a way out, your life isn't ruined - if you are unhappy where you are now then things need to change, that's what it boils down to..

Every time we face a fear and step outside of our comfort zones, towards a life of integrity, we grow!

All the best on your path

So much love

xxx

I was born asking why and have never accepted anything anyone has ever told me--without first checking it out for myself--so you could say that I am a natural born enemy of the type of people who prey upon others by means of charisma and mental and emotional manipulation.

I am fiercely independent--but I am (also) an Empath and I can literally feel the panic in others when they picture themselves apart from the interdependence on which they have come to rely. Their fear is real and crippling--something akin to an anxiety attack.

I have learned much and I applaud your compulsion to help others realize the things that you have learned. I (also) applaud your ability to break free from the situation in which you found yourself--that took courage.

When I feel that urge--I stop and remember that not everyone is prepared to embrace the truths that I have learned and adopted. Their paths may be taking them in another direction and teaching them another lesson--in the manner that is best for them.

Some people are lions and some are lambs...and that is OK.

Peace and Love on the path of your choice...

Blessed be...

Originally Posted by Seawolf

Personally I was never really free from the extreme/cult-like religious sect I was in to until I gave up resenting and blaming it. Now I'm around the same kind of people again and it doesn't bother me. Sometimes when they express their religion I kind of roll my eyes, but I see through my opinion of whatever it is I don't agree with and see them as human beings instead of villains like I used to.

I don't transfer the blame to myself for the past either, it's not about blame but about taking responsibility for everything in my life. It's all just information in the mind, but I hold the information in my mind so I can choose to be responsible for it. Then by some strange spiritual process I become free from resentment and enjoy the people around me. I think spirituality can be pretty powerful when it's used to address the real issues inside.

It is good and very healthy to take personal responsibility for oneself and one's own choices.

However--some of these people are villains--at best they con people out of their hard earned money and at worst we have people like Jim Jones--who convinced a bunch of people to give poisoned grape kool-aid to their own children and then drink it themselves.

Herd mentality--gross need for a sense of belonging and acceptance--predators who know how to identify and take advantage of these people.

We would all be well advised to realize our own tendencies and be realistic about the intentions of others.

Peace and Love on the path of your choice...

Blessed be...