At the age of 21 I was in a hotel with my then girlfriend and had an amazing spiritual awakening(further information on this in later posts)....The only way I can explain it is I knew God was real, the presence in that room was so strong and real I just knew God was real....It was so powerful that it made me call my evangelical mom at 2 am in the morning and admit to her that God was real and I wanted to go to church....The religion of christianity was all I knew of and so it was what I turned to...
Over the next 3 years I began living a spiritually moral life as taught by fundemental christianity....I was told to turn from my life long friends, to read my bible, pray, and have more faith and so I did.....I mean I was a broken 21 year old with a heroine addicted father, my college football dreams broken and life falling apart for me....So to say I was very impressionable is to say the least......
What began was a vicious circle of me failing to live up to the super moral standards of christianity, and then feeling like God was mad at me, separated from me, and so guilt, shame, and condemnation would take over......Then I would go through this rigorous repenting cycle, and finding forgiveness from God and feeling accepted again and loved......I was taught sin separated us from God and then I was taught what sin was and it all created a deep and horrible fear of a angry God and created a low self-esteem, and self-worth.....
No matter how hard I prayed, and no matter how much of my bible I read I still struggled, why????? God must be mad at me was the final deep rooted belief I had for 2 decades!!!
So I decided to leave the church at 24 and what I was told was God would never bless me and my life was going to never be worth anything(can you say CULT).....Wow, now looking back I see how damaging and awful these words were, and especially because I respected and believed in these people this is called SPIRITUAL ABUSE.....Decades of lingering spiritual abuse!
This is not to say I don't believe in the love of Jesus, but it's to say that religion and made-made doctrines create fear and indoctrinate a false narrative of who God is.....
This is a short introduction to why I am now a voice and advocate against the damaging lies of religion. Religion and its lies create years and years and years of damage. Love of God is uncondtional and everything else is man made....
You ARE accepted, loved, and never seperated from God.....We are One with God and God is Love
Much love and blessings.....
Please resteem, upvote, and follow
Well...I don't really like voicing my 'belief or unbelief' unless I am with someone or people I think will not judge, due to the fact religions and their organizers have 'brainwashed a lot of people' and they are so obsessed with religions.
I always have the second thought of the existence of a supernatural being or power when I take a look at the universe...some things are just too accurate and perfect...
But again I don't think that creative supernatural being will approve any religion especially the way they are been practiced...I was talking to a religious friend pointing out the flaws in their book and the tyrannical acts of the God described there. She told me straight up "God's way is not logical...you can't use logic to serve GOD"...I was like...but this same God killed a whole nation because they were sinful, and use his preferred nation that were also sinful if not more to destroy them...and we are not to kill and be illogical. what is the sense in all that...oh our sense is decorative.
I believe religion was created by people that was the need to manipulate others, maybe they see the need of people to believe in something and they gave them that.
Religion is a scam and a way for people to 'rule' over others. Here, a preacher will build a school...university mostly from the money gotten from the congregations yet average member will not be able to the school fee. And it is a normal practice...all the 'big' preachers have universities.
I am happy you are thinking because it is like religions has a way of stopping people from doing that.
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So good, and yes people get brainwashed....Its crazy to because actually when reading the bible from a literary position vs literal position you begin to see the hidden esotericism of Truth....In my in depth study and after escaping fundementalism I see that Jesus actually was telling the jewish people that their understanding of God was wrong and the whole jewish mindset was wrong,and they were blind to the true heart of God this is why Jesus was hated by the jews because He taught against institutional religion, He taught that God was within and you didnt need to go to a temple because God is within.....I could get more into detail and will in my post, the fact is the bible has hidden esoteric truths that Constatine in early AD twisted to create a religion that was manipulated for political agenda.....But like you said that doesnt mean God isnt real, when we look into the universe we see God and the beauty of God......Blessings and thank you for sharing and you will never be judged here......Wait until I start talking about DMT and the pineal gland that is so not religious, but is hidden all throughout the bible, even magic mushrooms.....Now I am not necessarily promoting drugs because I suffered from addiction, but I believe the lies against canibas, mushrooms, and ayahuasca have been propogated by religious and govermental leadership to keep humans from different types of enlightenment....
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Following now
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Thank you. I love your insights.
I will definitely love reading your posts, you got a new follower too
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Wow I totally get you. It is spiritual abuse and my family and I have experienced the same thing in the past. It was a cult and it was very manipulative. I even went to my dad and told him about all this which he knew that's what it was but was frozen and felt like he coldn't do anything about it. Mind you I was 17 at the time and I had recognized that system for what it was.
When I went off to college I found another church group. Well let's just say that the version of christianity we have is not what Jesus built. It wasn't until I really started to study and the Spirit really opened my eyes to the deception of pseudo christianity.
I finally made a decision when I was about 21 to leave the false church system. I then begin understanding God's Kingdom and what all this stuff was really about. I am now living with a spiritual clarity that I have never had before and I am passionate about exposing the lies we are taught in church.
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Exactly.....I honeslty think a huge issue is the worship of the bible verse the worship of Spirit.....To many sects of christianity have used the bible as a sword to destroy and to divide....I have been awakened over the last year through the Spirit to so much that it had been difficult to deconstruct at times....My evangelical fundemental friends and even family call me a heretic, and decieved and yet I know its God leading me.....Jesus was a voice against religious and political leaders that kept the people from God.....I could go on and on about the OT and so much.....You will see as i begin more in depth writings about my new freedom and love for all.....God is in all and through all and the its just the lies of seperation that keep people from finding there own divinity, Oneness with God.....The lies of the instutional systems created by man for power and control......
Good News Love Wins😇
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I like that picture. We have our intuition to know what's right or wrong not someone else's idea of what's right or wrong. It's also about context. Nothing in the world is absolutely good or bad.
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Thanks for comment.....I think its how we percieve with our spiritual mind which make it our reality a good or bad experience....When we learn to see everything with a lens of Agape and compassion we begin to see the good in most things even if its a hard lesson.....imo
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Following now
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Thanks I followed you too.
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Yepp. Jesus gave the religious leaders a hard time because they were actually a hinderance to people understanding the truth. When I left the church system people told me I was walking in the wilderness and walking further from God when in fact God was actually bringing me closer to him and his truth.
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The irony of this, though, is: if I read my bible correctly... "True Christianity" requires one to be a part of a "church--" which is simply put, a body which organizes "in the name of the Lord" .. I am not a Christian, though I did consider myself one for a period of time. I was actually involved in another "cultish" group; one which was, ostensibly, based on the teachings of something called "Alcoholics Anonymous." Which I left in order to "seek my truth." Whether or not I've found that yet, remains to be seen... The path to "truth" can get quite lonely.
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@gjones15 don't let people tell you that a "church" is a building or organization. That is totally false and it is not the biblical definition of church. The greek word for church is Ekklesia which simply means called out ones. All the ekklesia is is a group of believers which is not only locally but also globally as well.
Now we are to find ways to meet with other believers but nowadays you can get pretty creative with meeting other believers.
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If you read my definition of church above, "a body which organizes 'in the name of the Lord'" that's pretty much what I said :)doens't have to be building, etc.
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That being said--you are required by the Bible, to "witness" to others about Jesus, as well. It's never supposed to be "just you and God."
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Yes it can get lonely, but its our path....I also believe as you come through the wilderness of travel you will find your tribe....This tribe doesnt have to be a church because you and I are the church....We are One......Im sending you prayers for your journey, and a greater level of awareness which is my same prayer for me
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Thank you, I really do appreciate that. I could use it right now, I think haha. As far as the meme goes--yes, but even "enlightenment" itself must and will fall away.
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if you are really looking for spiritual peace, I recommend you to read the kuran kerim
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Hi! David King gave me your blog link & your post surely made an impression. I agree with you there that church abuses happen and most victims are young people. Well, we could help change things by promoting truth and freedom from cults with love. Thanks for sharing this, Jeff [@positivechange]!
Check out #LoveBooster daily for a dose of love & inspirational stuff.
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Thanks Tim and yes we will....I have already upvoted and resteemed some of your post...We will build a strong community here...Blessings!
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This is so wrong... It's not the way Christians should be taking at all! Threatening? Saying God will abandon you? What a complete bs these people were saying. God's love is selfless. I'm a Christian (which now is probably obvious) and I agree with Your conclusion. I think I understand why You left the Church, You felt overwhelmed by the toxicity of these lies. And I sure as hell have no right or knowledge to tell You that You made a bad choice. We're seeking God, the truth in our own way. I believe in Christanity where people tolerate this and even help others to find that truth, not necessarily by converting to 'the one true religion'. That's the biggest mistake people make in my opinion. They create divisions over something non-existing or insignificant like religion's name. Who said only Christians/Jews or whatever other group has the right to go to heaven. Definitely not God.
Concluding, I think that's the attitude we should all practice, regardless of faith.
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I agree, it has taken a lot to unlearn some of that divisive mentality....I am glad I can accept and love all people now,without prejudice....Blessings my friend!!
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LOVE is the revolution.
'Separation' is a lie.
I'm with you brother. Thank you for sharing your heart.
#SacredCowBBQ
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Exactly and it is a great awakening!! Following, blessings🙏🙏🙏
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Religion creates divide and if fueled by wrong people - it has the potential to do more damage than good.
But in the end, it is how you use the religion and share your narative. Loved your awakening. Keep going, mate.
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The word religion actually means to bind, and yet like you I agree it can be a good thing as a kind of entry point but one must be allowed and even encouraged to press forward to go deeper, and to continue to search in the journey of truth with no boundries and no fear believing in the power of God and no other force....Fear debilitates and Love creates....Blessings and following🙏
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I've found that many churches use guilt, shame, condemnation -- judging others when we are asked not to judge.
That which is evil also milks guilt/shame/rejection to make us forget about the salvation and love available to us.
I experienced something very similar to you and so far I haven't aligned myself with a church. I've been "testing"/interviewing people of certain churches before I join anything. I haven't found a single one yet that has leaders who understood what I was talking about.
I was brought up in the RC faith, went through a period of atheism, years of esoteric spirituality and finally came to Jesus unexpectedly.
We will still struggle after being born again... sometimes this is because there are energies that perpetuate that struggle and want to keep us from healing. Instead of healing in God or otherwise, our inner wounds actually get worse as a result of these energies (or even religion) -- if we're being taught by people who don't understand the Bible in the first place or haven't faced their own wounds.
I hope you don't mind me saying this but when I explored esoteric spirituality (and even viewed the Bible in an esoteric way), in hindsight, I see that it actually took me further away from God. If I hadn't stepped away from all that I would never have known God's presence.
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I dont mind ever, I love input, I am always in search for Truth....I have studied the bible for years as well, actually am an Ordained Pastor, but the more I search the more I see the bible was written to jews 2000 years ago, and that what Jesus did was for all creation.....Without getting into a theological in depth convo....I believe in inclusionism......I aslo believe the Revelations was fullfilled in AD70, its called preterist theology......So I have been a catholic, and a pentecostal I have seen the huge swing from and been deeply involved in spiritual warfare and belief that the end of times is soon, but I dont any longer......I highly recommend Victorious Eschatology and Hope Beyond Hell....
What Jesus did was Enough for All
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I'm glad to hear it :)
I've been finding the Holy Spirit guides me when reading the Bible. They both validate and confirm each other, if you get what I mean.
Most of the Bible was written for Jews but it's very useful to others too… Even though the old testament is old covenant stuff (that jews believe), it has a lot of relevant wisdom. Prior to being born again, I didn't truly get the salvation message behind even the New Testament because I was so entrenched in esoteric/Eastern spiritual/consciousness-is-all perspectives. Plus, I was egoically biased against any kind of religious thought because of my own wounds.
As for spiritual warfare, I'm not sure if we mean the same thing. It might be difficult to see without being there. I came across spiritual warfare separate from any religion so it might be different to what you mean.
I'm finding that a lot of esoteric/occult practice is use of our own spiritual blindness against ourselves. In our blindness, we'd be using a spectrum of God's creation in a very dangerous way when we would otherwise have access naturally to many gifts through the Holy Spirit.
It's as if Satan could be saying to God "I will use your creation against you, and I will fool people into thinking they can be God" etc etc.. This is what the one-eye pyramid religion seems to stand for basically. "We are all one, God is Love" is true on one level but from a perspective of form and our reality it does not really apply -- that blind spot is completely misused by certain hierarchies to their own benefit.
Most popular spirituality and the new age is exploiting humanity's blindness to their own inner wounds (caused by other people), Self-pride and doubt.
I'll check out those resources and see what they say, thank you. I came across the different eschatological theories recently…Personally, I'm inclined to think revelation hasn't been fulfilled yet. The Bible is confirming some conclusions I came to independently of religion.
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I love your journey....Blessings!!
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Thank you, I wish you all the best in finding true healing from the effects of spiritual abuse.
I hope my onslaught of opinion wasn't bothersome or triggering :/
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I have always argued a belief in a benevolent force, and following a group of people that believe in using force to show belief in a benevolent entity, was always a bit suspect to say the least...
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I still absolutely believe in God, had way to many encounters but just not in a religuous way....Thanks for sharing! Following
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I neither believe or disbelieve. I'm one of the few people truly ambivalent about it.
What I do believe, is that religion (Christianity ethos, type of religion), is very good for society, and for peoples mental health in general.
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I think orgainized religion is a great starting place, but it can alse be very damaging.....At the end of the day is most important to seek God for yourself and to ask questions....Imho
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I agree - organized religion is evil.
The ethics and morals - as expressed in the christian church - are great foundation for a good society, if used on a individual level.
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The message of Christ is very imporant outside of the dogma....
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Can you shorten your words that God does not exist؟؟
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God is but we r not exist. Yo ant me and all r like dreem but god is realy is
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Actually quantum physics proves that conciousness and creation in very real.....Science more and more is proving the reality of a Creator.......Then I also have had many suprrnatural awakenings that to me bring a clarity of truth to a Creator
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Following
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True God never abandon us, is always with us
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Blessings🙏🙏🙏
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I agree
I've observed that religion is very damaging.
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Following
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Amazing I like your post
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Thank you and blessings🙏🙏🙏
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Yes bro. You r like a little boy to God. You can make mistake, you can do bad but if you realize your sin and beg to God for forgiveness God will forgive.Because God is above all, nothing or no power is not compare with God. so walk in God's way you will be benefited this world and next world.
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We live in a state of forgiveness is my point, God is never mad and never seperates His Spirit from us....God is within both spiritually and even physically, quantum physics is showing how amazing our DNA is and that our DNA is literally tied to God....God is in everything and through everything and only religion teaches seperation, Jesus taught this and is about being aware of our own Oneness with God
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imagine if we are all become a problem solver oriented we could help a lot of people , because if we stayed to be a believer they don't know about their true potential to help people to thrive.
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Thank you positivechange10 for making a transfer to me for an upvote of 1.20% on this post!
Half of your bid goes to @budgets which funds growth projects for Steem like our top 25 posts on Steem!
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religion ISLAM shows the real way of spending your life. if you dont have enough knowledge abt any thing then dont say any harsh abt it.
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those who are unsatisfied with their religion they say religion is abuse.
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