Religion Information

Truth or Consequence


Prime probability:

You have been and are being deceived by those you trust the most for your spiritual education. Some of that deception may be intentionally done in an attempt to control your behavior and your wallet and some may be done simply out of ignorance. Whatever the motivation, lies are being presented as truth; worse, often they are being presented as being THE TRUTH.

These deceptions are preventing you from knowing and owning your sacred and divine self.

Some of the lies you may have bought into are presented here and some alternative perspectives are presented for your consideration. Please remember that I am not doing this to intentionally offend or upset you and everything I say here is only my opinion. I only desire to wake you up to your freedom to choose what, how and why to believe, and to empower you to be free to be all that you desire to be.

Beliefs create reality:

When you are free to choose your beliefs, you become empowered to create. When you are imprisoned by your beliefs, you remain a mere creature.

Anyone, including me, who claims to represent THE TRUTH, is a liar, a deceiver. No book, no church, no prophet, no preacher, no guru, no writer has ever been granted an exclusive license to represent The Truth. You are the only consciousness that can ever determine what is true for you.

However, please remind yourself that whatever truth you choose to hold is likely incomplete, so why imagine or pretend otherwise? If there is some grand all-encompassing truth (and I doubt it), the human intellect is not a tool capable of imagining, defining, understanding or communicating it.

Why do I doubt that there is an all-encompassing truth? Simply because the infinite is infinite and contains all possibilities and potentialities, including its own potential to constantly become more than its own grand, all-encompassing truth.

In my experience with the infinite, it cannot be known completely, only approached. That does not mean that you cannot become intimate with it, only, as with a lover, you can only ever get closer to knowing the depth of what is available in the relationship.

To imagine that some current mythology, no matter how culturally pervasive or how stridently affirmed, is any more valid than any other, past or present, in any other culture, time or place is willful self-delusion.

As soon as you, or even humanity as a whole, decide something is known for certain, you can bet your bottom dollar that it will be proven wrong or at least incomplete with the passage of time and greater understanding. Every human understanding and belief should, therefore, be considered to be only theory, even when, or especially when, it is called fact or truth.

All good scientists know this. Even though Einstein's theory of relativity looks pretty good and most scientists buy into it and it is generally accepted as fact, it is still called a theory.

Quantum mechanics is only a theory, but I believe in it; I believe it is true. It is a good metaphor. It has a major impact on the way I think about and see reality; but it is only just a theory. String theory, although it is getting close to describing the whole of how the physical universe(s) works, is a just a theory. Newton's laws?only a theory.

Why would you imagine that your spiritual truths and beliefs should be any different? The ancient Greeks were deluded in their beliefs about Zeus and his pantheon of major and minor gods and goddesses, but your beliefs are now The Real Truth? Who is kidding whom? Your most profoundly held spiritual belief is only a theory, an opinion.

That is not to say that your beliefs contain no value; it only means the value is relative, not conclusive or all-inclusive. They may be highly relative to how and why you choose to live your life, but they may not be the least bit relative or important to how and why your neighbor or I choose to live our lives. Are our choices any less valuable than yours? Who says so? Why?

Fear is what says this is THE Way. Love says there is A way. Love says this is my way and I think it is valuable enough to share. Love also says it is also possible that your way is as valuable as mine. Fear says my way is right and your way is wrong. Love says your way may be right for you and my way may be right for me. Neither one of us can know, especially if we are not prepared to consider the validity of another way.

Fear says, "I know THE TRUTH"; Love says, "I know a truth, or even, I know my truth." Wouldn't you rather be in love than be in fear? Love creates; fear destroys. Love uplifts; fear denigrates.

Why choose fear? It cripples you. It prevents you from knowing and becoming all that you are capable of being. Choose love. It empowers you.

Let's take a little look at some people who have chosen fear?

There are almost 10 million Jehovah's Witnesses who believe that only 144,000 people will make it to the Promised Land, to heaven, and somehow they have convinced themselves that their religion is a nutrient and not a toxin. The toxicity they have fed themselves or allowed themselves to be fed has poisoned their spirit to such an extent that they actually take pleasure in believing that 99.9% of their fellow humans are dammed to incredible suffering on the Day of Judgment.

This judgment is predicted to happen on the last day of the world, which, in turn, has been predicted by their spiritual elders as being first, 1914, then 1925, then it was 1975, then 1999. I don't know about you, but it looks to me like the world is still here. Next day of reckoning coming soon to a pulpit near you. Are you ready? Get ready. Read Watchtower. It will help you to prepare.

These 10 million people all must live in fear of being excluded from that very exclusive club of 144,000 special folks. How they can manage to convince themselves that any one of them deserves heaven holding such toxicity in their hearts, minds and spirits is completely beyond me. How there can be 10 million people who believe this nonsense boggles the mind. What is even funnier?they still try and recruit more members, thereby reducing their odds of gaining entry.

Ok. It is admittedly easy for one to see the idiocy of this and to make fun of it, but ask yourself this: Do some of these same exclusionary attitudes exist in your favorite religion?

Will only those who buy into your particular belief system make it to heaven, achieve nirvana or escape the cycle of reincarnation?

Look closely? it all sounds like some marketing promotion for a special event; only members of the 'XYZ-In club' can qualify to get tickets or passes to this event. Become a member today and you will qualify. Sign up now, operators are waiting. Have your credit card handy. Sign up today and save, no, make that-get saved.

Now, it is highly likely you are getting offended. But why? What difference does it make to you if I call into question what you believe to be The Truth? Unless it unsettles you because, deep down, you know that you may have bought into a pack of lies.

If what I believe and say is likely to put me amongst the dammed instead of the blessed, then you should be saying, 'Good riddance. At least that is someone else who is not competing for one of those 144,000 reserved spots and the special attention of that big judgmental guy who lives in the clouds.' ;-)

Come on, get a life. Wake up!

Do you hold your religious beliefs simply because you are afraid of dying? Do you attempt to find meaning for your life in some theology about an afterlife simply because you don't have the courage to assign purpose and meaning to your life now while you are alive? Do you really need some stern parental image of divinity that doles out love and rewards according to your adherence to some set of rules? Do you hope for reward in some imagined afterlife instead of going about living an abundant and joyful life right now?

Grow up. Get a life.

If you want to be at one with the divine and to exist within the sacred, why put it off for some imagined future. Be sacred now. Be divine now. Well, you already are; but wake up to your divinity and your sacredness. Get reverent now. Why wait?

----------

This article is excerpted from the eBook, Get A Life! To obtain this entire eBook now, go to http://LeslieFieger.com/success-store.htm

© Leslie Fieger. All rights reserved worldwide.

Leslie is the author of The DELFIN Knowledge System Trilogy: The Initiation, The Journey and The Quest plus many more success publications. He also the co-author of The End of the World with Hugh Jeffries and Alexandra's DragonFire with his daughter Ashley. Subscribe to his free and ad-free eZine at http://www.ProsperityParadigm.com or http://www.LeslieFieger.com.

Reprinting and republishing of this article is granted only with the above credit included. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright.


MORE RESOURCES:

MiamiHerald.com

Contraception mandate outrages religious groups
The Seattle Times
Religious groups that oppose the new contraception mandate say it forces people of faith to choose between upholding church doctrine and serving the broader society. By RACHEL ZOLL The Associated Press This dispute will have to resolved at the US ...
Editorial | Health and religionLouisville Courier-Journal
Freedom of religion ignored in federal health plan mandatesThe Turlock Journal
Contraception Provision Sets Off FirestormNPR

all 575 news articles »


USA TODAY

Muslims to NY attorney general: Investigate NYPD
Wall Street Journal
"Just the fact of knowing there is someone out there trying to listen to my conversations that can turn me into some kind of criminal, which I'm not, and exploiting my religion, it hurts," said Sondos Alsilwi, an 18-year-old history major at City ...
NYPD targeted ShiitesAlbany Times Union

all 773 news articles »


Kansas City Star

Politics & religion: Does Mormon affiliation matter?
Jackson Clarion Ledger
As a Mormon, Romney has brought religion to the forefront in much the same way John F. Kennedy did as a Catholic. / Joe Raedle/Getty Images The Pew Forum on Religion & Public life recently released a survey examining Mormons in America.
Romney's tithing is common among Mormons, but giving is at a low for other ...NewsOK.com
Mormon Numbers Not Adding UpReligion Dispatches
Will Mormons' racial history be a problem for Mitt Romney?USA TODAY
Post-Bulletin -Deseret News -Media Research Center
all 177 news articles »


Va. House approves bill allowing private adoption agencies to discriminate ...
Washington Post
Legislation that would allow private adoption agencies to deny placements that conflict with their religious or moral beliefs, including opposition to homosexuality, sailed through the Virginia House of Delegates without debate Friday.

and more »


Gingrich raps New York's Bloomberg on religion issue
Chicago Tribune
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich inserted himself into the long-running controversy about whether religious groups should be allowed to hold services in New York City public schools, and accused Mayor Michael ...

and more »


Palm Beach Post (blog)

Is Obama pandering on religion?
Palm Beach Post (blog)
by Opinion Staff Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, President Obama said his governmental policies were, in many cases, the result of his religious faith. President Obama, with First Lady Michelle Obama, acknowledges applause after ...
Blending politics and religion, Obama says his policies are an extension of ...Washington Post
Obama: Policies are extension of my faithCBS News
Obama says his policies are extension of his faithBoston.com
msnbc.com -Reuters
all 731 news articles »


Boston Globe

Economy, religion sure to play big role in Nev. caucus
KSL-TV
"In some cases you could say (his religion is) a built-in network for him already. Those who have known him for a while want to support him," said Dave Stevenson, also a Romney supporter. Meanwhile, Ron Paul is also looking to attract LDS voters.
Paul seeks to attract Mormon voters in Nevada GOP contestBoston Globe
Mainline Protestants up for grabs heading into NovemberThe Christian Century
Ron Paul seeks to attract Mormon voters in Nevada GOP contestSalt Lake Tribune
Washington Post (blog) -IBNLive.com -Deseret News
all 3,595 news articles »


Religion Bulletin; Feb. 4
BlueRidgeNow.com
Sponsored by United Religions Initiative of Henderson County. Brothers' Sake will be guest singers at the First Sunday Night Singing at 6 pm Sunday at In Jesus Name Church, 2934 Sugarloaf Mountain Road, Hendersonville. Info: 828-685-3313.

and more »


Religion Today: Feb. 4
Journal Times
Religion Today is a listing of special events held at Racine County churches and is published every Saturday in Faith & Community. Notices of regularly scheduled services and sermon topics are not used. Announcements must arrive by noon Wednesday to be ...

and more »


Does religion have political power?
NewsOK.com
29), John Loghry was quoted as saying, “When religion gets political power, we suddenly face discrimination, we lose opportunities to thrive unless we are willing to pretend that we agree with the official religion; we find our children's thinking ...

and more »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006