I had a very interesting conversation about God a while ago with friends, about whom I didn’t know their stance on the matter. As it turns out the female in the couple, J., is a believing Catholic, who prays daily, but rarely attends church. She has strong beliefs, though to the outside world it isn’t particularly noticeable. Her husband, A., was raised in a Christian family, with Christian based beliefs and morals, although he never attended church and doesn’t to this day.
We had an interesting conversation about God and religion and spirituality. When I began mentioning the concept or idea of a soul that existed before this lifetime, that lives through our body and then will return again at some later stage – the concept of past lives and reincarnation – it was met with some skepticism. The idea of spirit guides and psychic abilities to see the future and see dead people and the like was all a little too much. In fact had my friends not already known me, they would have said I was crazy. All this talk was “out there” like a discussion on UFOs. Probably what “scared” them the most was the conviction I spoke with about my belief in it all being true.
Then came the discussion on God.
I believe that God is within everyone of us. God isn’t a big old man with a white beard, who lives in the sky. God is our Higher Self. We all have personal access to God, and all we have to do is ask.
It’s pretty controversial for me to be saying to a Catholic that God is within all of us, but J.’s response was to say that what I was talking about was not God at all. Well, it wasn’t her God.
“So you know we’re all going to Heaven?” I said to her.
“No we’re not.” She responded.
“So where do the Muslims and Buddhists go when they die?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but it’s not Heaven.”
Doesn’t this sound like a brainwashed response. Of course it is. We are all going to Heaven. God has no ego, and allows everyone into Heaven, no matter whether your Catholic, Buddhist, Muslim or Athiest. Heaven is where we go after we die, and accepted into a place of pure love.
The reason I say that response sounds brainwashed, is because humans are creatures of persuasion and suggestion. You tell someone something often enough and for long enough and they will believe it to be true. How is it that we can have wars based on religion? In fact the churches of all denominations are the best organizations at brainwashing, because with brainwashing comes control.
It doesn’t matter to me what people believe, so long as it works for them and doesn’t adversely affect others. I am a firm believer of free beliefs, it’s a pity the churches couldn’t be so confident in their faith to allow free thought.
This may be a controversial entry, but it’s something I strongly believe in.
Jesus said, “He who is without sin, may cast the first stone.”
