Author: Amy Nicole
Have you ever questioned your religion or faith? There are so many religions in the world so how do you know for sure your religion is true. Is religion a form of false hope or control? Does it do more harm than good? Today many people under the age of 40 are separating from traditional religion and are leaning more towards spirituality for guidance in life. This is happening on a mass level now which some people are referring to as a “global awakening.” I reached out to adults under the age of 40 to get their input on the topic of religion and included their feedback in this post.
As a child I grew up in a Christian household. I was taught to read the bible, say my prayers, go to church, and live by the teachings of Christ so that I can inherit the kingdom of heaven after I die. Now that I’m getting older I’m starting to question certain aspects of my beliefs. I think about how so many people have such a hard life compared to others yet we all face the same fate of either going to heaven or hell after we die based on the type of life that we lived while on earth. This concept to me just doesn’t seem fair or make sense. I often wonder that if heaven and hell are the only two alternatives after death why were so many planets created that we will never have access to.
“I use to be religious, going through the ritual/tradition of things, but I consider myself consciously awakened so I’m more spiritual now not adhering to any one particular religion. I feel the things most people were taught growing up when their grown they question what they were taught and begin a spiritual quest for true knowledge and enlightenment.” ~~GB~~
“I don’t really believe that what we do on earth affects what happens after. I know for a fact that what we do here affects what happens here. I believe in the consequences of free will, and I don’t believe much in things being meant to be. Just not sure if I believe there’s some cosmic being up in the clouds making a naughty and nice list like Santa Clause anymore. Or that God created the devil, knows exactly what the devils going to do and could stop him at anytime but doesn’t.” ~~D.L.~~
I haven’t been to church in a while because to be honest I have become very churched out. I can’t relate anymore to someone telling me that I’m sinning because I get depressed or that I’m doomed to the pits of hell because it’s hard for me to forgive someone who has hurt me badly. I don’t like the fact that religion is used as a fear tactic and that our behaviors are controlled by fear. I want to be a good person just because that’s who I am and I don’t want to feel forced to behave a certain way when that’s really not who I am. A lot of times I think religion takes advantage of oppressed people. It bothers me when I go to church and preachers convict the poor to give all of their money in tithes when they are struggling to keep their lights on. A lot of preachers promise their congregation prosperity when in fact in the bible Jesus strayed away from the wealthy.
“I started questioning my beliefs back in 2009 when I was in college. I had a scientologist roommate and I started asking her about her beliefs which made me start doing more research. I grew up in a Christian household and when I started questioning my beliefs my parents would always tell me to pray about it. I just knew there had to be more out there. Some people get so stuck in the physical and you can’t elevate if you’re stuck in the physical. I think religion externalizes the God in you; you get so caught up in what you’re not supposed to do. I believe hell can be here on earth, it is a state of mind. After we die we elevate to another place in the universe, a spiritual realm.” ~~Inlightedsol~~
In my opinion religion today is starting to become nothing more than a label. Most of us pick and choose sins that we feel are acceptable and we condemn people who partake in sinful activity that we choose not to take part in. I’m not claiming to be a saint because I’m far from it but I do consider myself to be a genuine person and the life that I claim to live is the life that I truly attempt to live by every day.
I’ve been getting more in tune with my spirituality over the last year and my mindset about life has drastically changed. I believe that religion externalizes God when in actuality the spirit of God is internal. I’ve started meditating at least 1-2 times a day and reading more books on spiritual growth. Life can get so overwhelming and meditating helps me to block out the physical world and focus more on my spiritual self. In essence we are all spirits anyway so why neglect the biggest part of who we are.
There is no doubt in my mind that there is a God. I know God is real when I look up in the sky and see the clouds and stars, and when I look at the beauty of nature. I believe that there are different paths to finding God and we have to find the route that works best for us.
“I believe with the proper understanding and application to our lives spirituality is a good thing! Religion as an institution is the evil that takes from humanity as opposed to serving our needs and interests. All religions come from the same people or “race”, our issue is to take them back, put them in proper context and use them to our benefit and not control or manipulate.” ~~EW~~
Photo Credit: MadameNoire