Views on religion and spirituality

[Guest guest]

Hi Mercy,

Thanks for your post and for recommending Blue like jazz. I've put it

on hold from the library. I just wanted to add my views and reaction

to the earlier post in case anyone can relate to it, so I changed the

subject line. Please know that these are my personal beliefs and I

hope not to offend anyone. I respect the religious views of everyone.

I have always been an atheist, but I have recently found comfort in a

newly developed spirituality. I came to it from reading, listening to

my instincts and feelings, and my therapy. I'm still developing my

belief system as I further explore my true self. I believe in the

healing power of positive energy and have done a lot of reading about

Buddism and chakras. I also find spirituality in nature and

coincidences that are just too perfect to be a coincidence. I feel

that things happens for a reason and I have to relinquish the view

that I control everything. This has also helped me to let go of my

perfectionist tendencies, to know that I can't influence every last

detail. I've come to trust that a higher power will guide me in the

right direction.

I enjoyed this quote from Mercy's post from : " God is a

Being that is love. " This is how I feel about spirituality. The

greatest feeling I've ever possessed is my love for my husband. The

love I feel is all powerful and all consuming. I've felt similar

feelings, but not as intense, while meditating. I call it

spirituality. My hunch is that all love is connected to, or rooted in,

a higher power or energy. Many people have different words and ideas

for this power. Some call it God. I prefer the concept of spirituality.

Here are a few books that helped me develop this belief system: The

Anatomy of The Spirit and Sacred Contracts by Caroline Myss, and Eat,

Pray, Love by Gilbert and The Book of Chakras: Discover the

Hidden Forces Within You by Ambika Wauters.

> >

> > Hi Kyla,

> >

> > I didn't mean to offend anyone involved in organized religion, and

> I

> > sincerely hope I didn't. Like I said in my post, I know there is

> > nothing fundamentally wrong with religion. I actually have a great

> > deal of respect for people who observe their religion with dignity

> > and sincerity.

> >

> > What I must take issue with is the analogy of rejecting cars

> because

> > a car salesman cheated us. I think it's much more complicated than

> > that. I think what might be more accurate is a deep fear of cars

> > because we were repeatedly run over by one driven by a psychopath.

> > There's nothing wrong with the car, it's the driver that clearly

> has

> > problems. And yet, every time the victim sees a car, he or she

> > wants to run screaming. That's what I think my experience has been

> > like.

>