Most people who become religious are well meaning, caring, and hope to better the world in some way. Of course there are also those who use religion to gain control, power, and try to profit from it. Regardless of what reason they think they became religious, if they looked more deeply into the way their own minds work and come to see the dream world they live in, they would not be religious at all.
When a person is in a constant state of insecurity, which all egos are, although most are unaware of it, he (or she) will seek out anything that will make him feel he is protected, loved and cared for. Who could blame him? If he has never had anyone point out the problem of ego and how it causes so much suffering in the world, then how is he to know there is a different way of seeing life that will free him of insecurity yet not be based in any belief system.
Most people who think of themselves as religious will go through their lives feeling that god will come and get them and take them away to some dream heaven up somewhere in the sky. All their sins will be forgiven and they will be with all the loved ones who went on before them. What a nice dream, and that is all it is. An ego based dream world put together by other insecure people from the past. Then changed according to the controlling powers of the religion to fit their needs.
If you are religious, ask yourself, "By what authority does the religion have a right to tell me what is real and what is not?" "Who gave them this power?" If you say the bible, or any other religious book, then really look into the history of how that book came into being. It was not by the hand of god, it was put together by other insecure people writing down what they thought, and distorting history to create a belief to make them selves feel safe.
The human ego will do anything, believe anything and stay blind to the facts of life in whatever way it needs to, to keep from facing the awful truth that it does not exist as it believes it does. It, the ego, has created all sorts of distorted beliefs and then did everything it can to protect them from reality. Religious people have been killing each other throughout history defending some insane idea of what their religion is. Religion has killed off whole cultures of humans who did not share their beliefs and called it the work of god. How sick can you get?
In the last many years, the truth of how many priests have molested children in their care has been coming out. Yet, the average person within the church still defends the church. How is this possible? Have you not been told that the priests are an intermediary between you and god? How can you go on believing such nonsense? Do you ever question the reality of the church, or god, or Jesus, or any other religious figure, if not, why not?
Fear is why you do not really deeply question anything. Therefore, you will go on believing pure nonsense as long as you feel safe and in someone else's hands. You will defend out right madness in the name of god. You will go on believing what some moron tells you about what sinners you are and how you have to give more money to the religion to keep it going so it can continue to distort reality and cause untold suffering to those who believe the religion.
We know there are those who feel good about the church. You go and you sing your songs, do some good deeds, pray your brains out for this or that thing you want to happen and go home feeling high and happy. Do you ever question why so few of your prayers are answered? If the god you believe in is so all-powerful and loving then why are we in such a mess today? Why so much suffering, death and destruction? What if your god image is just that, an image. A dream world put together by a mind that has lost touch with reality and sees itself as some thing separate from the rest of life. You can get high from an idea, but it is still just an idea, not a reality.
We know that even with the distortion of religion many religious groups do many wonderful things to help people, animals and the environment. We are grateful for such work but all too often it is also the work of promoting your beliefs. The good works come with a price tag attached. Of course you feel you are doing good by "saving" these poor sinners, etc., but find out first if what you are promoting should be promoted. See the facts clearly and you would not do such a thing to anyone.
In order to fully understand what religion is, and if it is real or not, one must come to deeply understand what the ego, your own mind, is. It takes guts to face reality. Few of you have the guts to do this. It is far easier to just go along believing your dreams and defending the nonsense of your church, temple, or synagogue, and just feel safe. For those of you for whom the truth means more than just feeling comfortable in some belief system there is a whole new world out there to discover. One of real freedom; not the freedom that religion offers, which is not freedom at all, but freedom from belief and a direct seeing into life itself which is far more wonderful than anything religion could ever offer.
Within each of us is real wisdom. Though we are rarely in touch with it. As long as our lives are ran by beliefs and dreams we will not let that wisdom touch our hearts and help us become free. We are free now if we see clearly. Step out of the fog of ego and see the clear light of direct perception of the ever-present reality we all are. It is not nearly as difficult as one may think. It takes honesty, insight, bravery, an open heart, and a clear mind, to see what you always have been and always will be. Awaken to what is and forget the nonsense of ego; go beyond religion.
