From: anon-1311@twwells.com (Noel)
Newsgroups: alt.sexual.abuse.recovery
Subject: RELIGION
Date: 11 Nov 92 17:06:54 GMT
Organization: Anonymous Posting Service at twwells.com
X-Email-Accepted: yes

About this Religion Thang.....

I am in general very very turned off to religion.  To me religion is when men/women
take aspects of "spirituality" and package them into belief systems, ritual, guide-
lines, laws, dogma, tools of manipulation and control etc.  

For the most part, this "religion" as I see it has done far more harm than good.  
There are many good, honest and loving children out there who were/are being brought upin a strict Christian environment and they still grow into  good, honest and loving    people but not necessarily due to the religion they were taught, but in spite of it.

They just happened to be good people. However they are now also fucked good people.....sexually, emotionally, psychologically.  

Nothing is only ever black or white.  I do think that faith is strong enougth to heal  and help poeople.  But somethimes that "faith" is in Jesus, or Krishna, Buddha, or in
yourself. Spare me from the dogma af the"Absolute Truth" religion, thank you....  

I was raised Jewish, turned atheist at age 12, then agnostic, now I am content with
a sort of Zen-Buddist like head.  I do believe in an all encompassing consciousness
thay we and every atom is a part of.  I also feel there is a soul in all creatures
that does not "die".  BUt I could be wrong about all this stuff.  DOes not matter.
It makes me feel good, helps me live my life in a more positive way, and does not
hurt anybody else in the process.  I will speak of my beliefs but not impose them
on others.  I try not to judge others.  I make shitloads of mistakes along the way and feel bad somethimes.  But thats ok. Why? Casue I try to learn from it all.  

Everyday we are all exposed to a variety of horrors; from photos of starving child-
ren and wars to stories of more domestic atrocities (Joel Steinberg).  IMHO, "GOD"
has nothing to do with any of this.  We are god.  We do good or bad.  There is no
ultimate judgement except of ourselves by our selves.  ( I am talking here of in
an afterlife IF there IS an afterlife.)  Humans seem to  really need/like/want to think that there will be some justice.  Maybe.  But not in the way we think of justice.  
Things are most likely very different on the astral plane..... 

Yes horrible things happen to good people.  God does not intervene. But we can
intervene. Some things maybe happen for a reason...maybe only to learn....strength,
or love, or courage.  Life is difficult for everyone in different ways.  We have
some gifts and talents and some pain and weakness......this binds us together with
the rest of humanity.

The yin-yang symbol is perfect reflection of this thing called life.  Life is a
gift no matter what.  DO with it what you will.  We will all me foisted into the
unknown soon enough.  

We all have a lot to give and a lot to learn.  (but what else is there
really?)

All in all: If your religion or belief system  helps you love yourself and others in a  true healthy all encompassing way, keep it.  If it makes you hate, fear and judge otherswho are different, or encourges you to feel guilty, unhappy and self-loathing, hey,
chuck it out the window.  Its like this:  gee, I am thirsty, and I am trapped here in
this room with only glass of orange juice an a glass of Liquid Plummer.  Which should
I drink?





Noel

:  )



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