I was raised an Evangelical and was a pastor for many years so I understand a little about how this indoctrination works. In order to understand we will compare our minds to a computer and how a computer works. They are very similar. This article is not to bash the intentions of organized religion but an attempt in the spirit of Martin Luther to question how it works to see if it's a healthy spirituality.
The thing that shocked me out of my trance was I realized I was living a fear based life. I had to do a lot of introspection and honest examination of my motives and what beliefs were the main drivers in my life. Jesus said you will know things by their fruit. As I examined the fruit of my life I realized I had a very confused moral compass.
The main driver in my thinking was not the love of god but the fear he would torture me for not submitting to a system of arbitrary beliefs. I spoke about the love of god but inside it was my belief and fear that god would torture me for guessing wrong that drove me the most.
I never realized my confused moral compass caused me to do the opposite of my intentions. I preached about a god of infinite unconditional love then I would place conditions on it and I didn't even notice I was doing it. Instead of truly loving people all I did was go around judging people and hoping they had the correct set of arbitrary beliefs to avoid being tortured forever.
I was so fearful of being tortured by my creator that I didn't realize how I sounded to the world around me. I would tell everyone god is love but in the back of my mind I feared god would torture these people if they didn't subscribe to my same beliefs. The concept that a god who is the very definition of love will torture you for not believing correctly is a contradiction in and of itself. Fear of torture would not allow me to reconcile this in my own mind.
So how does this fear based mind control work? I pointed this out in a former article I wrote called The Merger of Science and Religion
Religions historically have been used as a mechanism to control the masses. When you think about our minds in terms of how computers operate it's easy to see the manipulation tactic. With hacking the basic idea is to fool a person into thinking you're some kind of authority. Then access is granted to whatever you want on the hard drive. With religion they use what I call the god file. The ultimate authority that cannot be questioned. Any idea presented under the god file is by nature not questioned. This causes any computer to be prone to viruses.
Then what they do is lock you in with fear of questioning by telling you that you will be punished in the afterlife if you question. Questioning and critical thinking is our antivirus. That's why religious people often act with a seemingly confused moral compass. The religious mind refuses to question dogma. They seek to hold up ideas no matter how far fetched they are. In comparison the scientific mind or the mind that has a healthy antivirus seeks to deconstruct ideas so the errors will be discarded and truth enthroned.
As a hacker you look for back doors to enter computer networks. Religion is a back door to control someones thinking. The back door is where you program your victim to not question certain concepts. Believing the bible is infallible is a major back door for hackers to get in a use fear based mind control. Then the hackers lock you into the belief system by getting you to think god will torture you if you think any other way. It's time to take your mind back from the manipulators if you find yourself in the position I describe.
So what is the key to unlocking yourself? Overcoming fear by fearlessly and logically questioning core beliefs. Eliminate contradictions and start loving unconditionally instead of judging as religious indoctrination will get you to do. The remedy for judging is to seek to understand whatever it is you are tempted to judge.
I would love to discuss it further in the comment section below. Let's get humanity to the next level outside the realm of religious control and indoctrination.
Genius post, and superb analogies! Thank you @bryanjames. Someone had to spell this out for people. I mean the truth of it is right there, but it can be hard to grasp. You explained the contradiction very well. It's a contradiction that most people will never consciously come to know, until the dots are connected for them, and this post does just that.
Glad you liked my post. I would love to hear your thoughts on this article. https://steemit.com/economics/@bryanjames/the-merger-of-science-and-religion
It’s very difficult to get people to snap out of it. Especially when they’ve built their life on it.
Excellently stated, my friend! As a recovered Catholic, I, too, had to free my mind from the shackles of purgatory fear. I raised my kids, who, in turn are raising theirs to question those who would use fear to control them. Makes for some interesting conversations! Upvoted and following.
Thanks @mamajeani What a journey it has been. I literally had to give up everything to start over. Took a lot of courage but I could no longer support such a flawed system that only has good intentions going for it.
Excellent Post. You have evolved!
If you have not read it yet I would recommend reading Chris Hedges book American Fascist - the "Christian" Right and the War on America
Chris is graduated from Harvard Seminary, Is ordained and served as a Pulitzer Prize award winning journalist with the New York Times in war zones all over the world.
He spent two years investigating the big evangelical churches and how they take advantage of people in distress.
He warned us 11 years ago. And now these types are running the USA Administration.
Yes I have followed the work of hedges on and off over the years. I'll have to check it out. I love how hedges speaks truth to power.
❤️
How was your vacation. 😃
Just got home today! And also just figured out how to follow up on reply’s here. Our trip was amazing! Thank you for asking. It’s always good to get out of our bubble to get a fresh perspective.
Thank you, Upvoted and Resteemed - but I have a question...
I has come to my attention during this last decade (they tried to indoctrinate me when I was young with "religion" - it didn't work) that Catholics are the biggest liars - I'm just wondering if you or anyone else has also noticed this...and can shed some light about the reason?
I'm always so shocked to learn that someone has lied to me, and while I'm going through the process of discovery - I've come to consider whether this person also is, or was raised, Catholic.
Don't get me wrong, I think that ALL religion is horrendous - and am happily watching as people are WAKING Up and turning away.
But, just for my own knowledge - and IF you know...can you shed any light on this phenomena?
I'm not a judgmental person, but can't help making this observation after way too much experience with it.
Is it a lie if they believe it to be true? Organized religion is only good in its intentions. Are there some who knowingly use it to deceive. Probably. You can only hope they reap what they sow.
Oh, YES - Flat out LIES...you seem to have taken a philosophical approach to my question...when it was very literal.
Sorry, I completely disagree with you about "organized religion is only good in its intentions" as you seem to imply there were 'good intentions'
NEVER. Only to control the ignorant masses, and as a tool of DECEPTION to get those same folks to participate in Luciferian Satanic Rituals - as they've done with this one
........BODY & The BLOOD (ever hear about ALL of the "missing children"???)
(there are MANY others, such as this next one - MANY PARTICIPATED in today...btw)
They get a REAL "kick" out of these types of things, but the 'real energy' comes from the FEAR
(like that induced in the children our so-called "leaders" use for their worship services)
And, from THE MASSES with False Flag attacks - all over the world.
The question is what percentage believe the lies themselves and what percentage uses it by lying for personal gain. I’m not sure I could answer that question but I would say the great majority believe what they tell you. But yes I’m not disagreeing.
See, when I say "lying" - I use the phrase as a verb to mean speaking something untruthful.
You seem to be confusing it with 'delusion' - which just about everyone in this world currently is.
No, this IS a Catholic phenomena that is somehow encouraged behavior - as I distinctly see this trend. Its just odd...and I'd really love to better understand it.
It seems to me that it may be because of "confession" as this is a unique differential from other mass brainwashing 'charitable' organizations SOP.
But, years ago, I knew a Catholic who was honest (and I have known some, but it seemed easier to find that - years ago) and he always used the expression that "You'll go to hell, for lying" as though that was accepted dogma.
Anyway, thanks for the chat - perhaps you will also start noticing this odd behavior now also?
Rather than use the term lie I would say they are sharing their interpretation of a myth. Historically myth has been used to embody cosmic principles so the average person can understand. In ancient Egypt they used myth to help all society understand concepts they thought were important to understand.
I am aware of the rampant pedophilia in Catholicism. They use what the ancients called priest craft to blackmale individuals to make them obedient. First what they do is make a market out of human desire by saying it's wrong. Then in private confession when a child confesses about his disobedience the priest can then say...hey Tommy, if you don't want your mom to find out you have to do this for me. Then the person becomes enslaved.
Is that what you were wondering about?
Modern Christianity has brought the symbols of mythology to life. That is a serious error. They weren't originally intended to be taken literal.