I really enjoyed what many of you had to say. It was comforting and I have had similar experiences.

Christianity never worked for me because the story of one person (Jesus) being murdered to save the rest of us, did not logically follow. If something terrible, like a large scale violent attack happened in our community, you wouldn’t see the neighbors suggesting we sacrifice someone to take our pain away. Unless the neighbors were on trial for murder at the local court house! Many many years ago, people felt that human and animal sacrifices got them closer to the Gods, but we have moved very far away from this level of consciousness. Christianity doesn’t offer much in terms of life’s most difficult questions. For me, it was never sufficient. At a very young age, I rejected it and craved more. I craved knowledge.

John Lennon, once said, “I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It’s just that the translations have gone wrong.” There is a divine presence within all living things. We can always tune in to it. The Earth is one living breathing organism and regardless of our thoughts and beliefs, we are all connected to one another on this organism. This is why it hurts to hate others because we can feel each other through these connections. It’s basic science, but many people seem to think we are separate from one another? And they think that heaven is this concrete place in the sky? Hmm…right because, the Earth is already floating in space. Heaven may be up there in the sky, but we too, are already up in the sky. So where is this place?

I feel that the great prophets of the world where on a higher level of consciousness and understanding than many people. They were trying to teach people how to love on a very deep level. They had come into an awareness of themselves, that is beyond what many people are capable of grasping. Thus, many people found them crazy or dangerous and many miss-understood their messages. There were also so many religious texts and practices that were banned and oppressed through out the ages by churches and government.

Christianity  asks you to look outside of yourself for the divine and I personally think that’s not at all the place to look. Every answer is within you because only you, know you. Only you, know the knowledge in your own head. Whatever that knowledge is determines what you see outwardly in the world.

My sister married a Christian minister and in many ways I lost my emotional connection to her and her family. They do not know my true heart, which leaves a deep emptiness within me. I would have loved to connect with my sister on a deeper, more soul full level, but her religion, OCD and anxiety come in the way.

It’s important to remember that these special connections in life are very possible, they just may not happen as deep as we wanted them to with our blood relatives. It is what we are designed to do – connect with one another. Whether it is male on male, female and female or male and female, etc. We came here to experience love on a physical plane with one another. How we experience it and/or where, doesn’t matter.

We do not know the answers to difficult religious questions. There is no way to know if one religion got all the answers right. However, in our modern world, we do have an understanding of how to love. Choosing love is something we can actively do for ourselves and others. We can also actively see the ways in which acts of love have a direct positive benefit. Love is something that we can count on. Ok sure, we all will have our heart broken at times but choosing to love still has much to offer us. Love should be our focus, not religion. It is much much more reliable.

You are love and once you come to know it, it pours out of you, to the others.

Best,

Lisa