“When I found Jesus…”

It saved my life.

How many times have you heard this phrase before?

What’s interesting is…

It’s not unique.

There are also people who have found Islam…

And it saved their life.

As well as other religions.

I think this means we have to ask…

Is it the religion that saves you, or something else?

Because there are many religions to pick from…

And they will all work.

Maybe we need to go deeper…

When it comes to religion…

What is consistent amongst them all?

And, are they actually more similar than different?

Well..

What I notice about religions…

Is they offer you a template.

A template that defines a way to understand god…

And how you can relate to it.

Even new age spiritual folks who are trying to break free of religion.

Are still trying to do what a religion does…

Which is understand God.

They just want less dogma and structure.

I’m gonna break down religions followers into two groups.

One of these… always causes problems.

The first group is about believing and walking the path.

Even if you’re a Satanist…

Those who worship Satan, or any other belief structure

Are not as problematic as you think they are.

They believe in a process, and use their magic to evoke their will.

Yet so does everyone else.

Because religion is a form of collective magic.

This group focuses on their personal relationship with their faith.

The second group on the other hand…

They misinterpret “a way” of God as “the way” of God.

They take it as a personal mission to force other to conform to their beliefs.

Often… violently.

Completely missing that…

Most religions contain elements of the truth.

But individuals try to appropriate the truth as exclusively theirs.

They believe that Jesus… or Buddha… or someone else…

Is the only one who taught the principles of a creator, love, compassion, etc.

They think their teaching… is the only moral teaching.

Which means that if you don’t subscribe to their teachings…

You must lack moral character.

Because to them… the truth is only found there.

They then take this story and attempt to extend their beliefs beyond themselves.

They seek to destroy or control all others who are non believers.

This second group…

Has created a lot of historical bad times.

Overstand that…

It brings little value to try to dominate others with your belief system.

Do you know what brings immense value?

To walk your own path.

To worship it with devotion, consistency and joy.

By setting an example for others to follow.

Without forcing others to see it your way.

It’s a hard thing…

Because a part of the idea of devotion is to serve.

And to serve is to spread.

But history has shown us the wrong way to spread ideas.

It’s littered with religious wars.

Even the big World Wars… were religious wars.

Because politics became the new religion in those times.

So the fight was over fascism, communism, etc.

Now…

We are fighting a new religious war.

Science.

“Trust the science”

“It is the only place that contains truth and morality.”

Does it bring up flashbacks?

This isn’t all the way bad…

Because we will constantly be trying to interpret what God is…

Until the end of time.

And in order to trim the fat, these ideas need to compete.

However…

It doesn’t need to be gladiator style where people die.

It can be sports style where we all learn something after.

When we fight…

We underestimate the most powerful way to spread ideas.

Not through friction and conflict.

But through patience and example.

If you’ve ever dealt with children you’ll know…

They don’t listen to what you say.

They watch what you do.

Because being is teaching.

Buddha never fought any wars, neither did Jesus.

Yet they have had millions of people across thousands of years subscribe to their way of thinking.

This should tell you the power of example.

When you do something well, and it works for you.

People can feel it.

They want a taste of what you have.

If you follow a religion.

Don’t tell people the truth.

Be the truth.

Believe in it whole heartedly…

But even more important than your belief…

Is following it wholeheartedly.

Many treat their religion like a sports team.

Maybe they’ll watch the game on Sundays

But they won’t show up for practice.

It’s rarely the athletes who get into fights.

It’s always the fans.

Don’t be a fan of your religion.

Be an Athlete.