The Birth of Religion - Part 21
By Seeker
So why are we confronted and confounded in our quest for a better life? Why is Religion, once a force in our lives that drove entire civilizations to magnificent achievements, now a subjugating establishment that will kill rather than provide freedom of belief?
The Church spent the better part of two thousand years persecuting anyone who held even slightly divergent views to what was decreed from Rome. Question the authority of a regime which bled entire nations of their strength and wealth, doubt for a moment the bishops, or worse, the Pope, were truly divine and you would die. Usually horribly.
For centuries, the scriptures were printed only in Latin, a script the average person could not even attempt to read. But you could still be killed outright for failing to fully accept what was said from the pulpit or failing to offer everything you had to those already rich on the gold and blood of the subjugated.
This is not Religion, it is oppression. It has not yet released its hold on Humanity. Today the biggest threat to our personal safety comes from religious institutions and the governments who use the beliefs of the people to justify their personal agendas.
So again, Spirituality is not Religion. There are many people out there, wrapped up in religions, who are wonderful people who do their best to embody the credo of their chosen faith. Unfortunately it is extremely difficult to find leaders of those religions who actually justify the faith of those they are supposed to be shepherding.
Spirituality is personal – the message comes down through the ages, echoed again and again by sages, mystics and spiritual people throughout time. Allowing others to tell you what is spiritual, what is right and real, simply opens one up to manipulation. Billions have died throughout history because they allowed others to decide for them what Truth is.
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