Is religion an addiction? What is the definition of addiction and if religion is an addiction; how does it work? What causes sane, intelligent people to succumb to the power of religion? What aspect of religion keeps people in the faith when their intellect is telling them to get out? Definition: Psychological and bodily dependence on a substance or practice which is beyond voluntary control.
As I begin to write this I am forcing myself to type every letter.
Something is compelling me to go one even in my reluctance; and I have never turned away from that inner voice.
I still have the option of not publishing the article when it's finished.
I am always curious about the journey some of these articles take me.
My step son operates a successful addiction treatment program, so this will give me an opportunity to do some bonding.
There is nothing that man does which is inherently right or wrong, these are religious concepts.
However, given what man says he wants for himself and the world, there are some things that he does, which does not work for him.
They take him the long way around.
War, religion, and drugs are all addictions which effect humanities evolution and well being.
There is nothing wrong with these things - they are physical manifestations of humanities thoughts about whom and what it is.
However, his participation in them could be considered insanity if in the process of engaging in any of them, they do not take him to the experience of his own desires.
In other words, if taking a pain killer does not relieve the pain, then it is insanity to continue using it unless you have become addicted.
I don't really want to write about addiction, especially religious addiction.
All of us have some kind of addiction.
Television is the world's number one addiction, followed by coffee and alcohol.
Much of the time my articles are written for just one person; this is one of those articles.
I do not want to change the world, and drugs and religion are part of the physical experience.
My only personal gain is to change my perspective of the world.
The world is the way it is because it is how most people want it; otherwise it would be different.
The world is also the way it is because religion is practiced by 84% of the world community, therefore people's root thoughts will be influenced by it.
What I know and what I must pass on here needs to be addressed to this person that I do not know.
Others will also benefit from the awareness.
My article is not about drugs, religion or addiction.
It is really about empowerment.
I want to empower people to take responsibility for the awesome power that they have to create the world they wish to experience.
This article and all the other articles I write are about giving you an option to move away from the current mind set that you have that disempowers you.
For the record I am not against religion; I am against anything which inhibits man's natural evolution; addictions do that.
They disempower and create dependency.
Dependency leads to exploitation and abuse.
But even addiction can lead to something better, in fact once the addiction has been identified and treated; it most often leads to a better life experience.
There is a saying; "I cannot tell you my story, while you are busy telling me yours.
" There is another one that I have made up.
"I can not create my story while I am busy telling yours.
" While under the influence of an addiction, religion or drugs; you are not telling your story, you are telling the story of addiction.
Your road and purpose will be cyclical, going around and around in circles until you have ended it one way or the other.
While under the influence of a belief system, you are telling its story.
A story which was told thousands of years ago, told and retold until it doesn't even resemble the original story.
A story which is so far out of date, it sucks you in, and keeps you locked in a time that goes nowhere.
It is not possible to move to the next step while you are chained to the one you have just taken.
Religion and drugs are regressive, each wanting to hold you in its control and to bring others under its power; addiction has a life of its own.
Both religion and drugs are manifested or maintained by mind control - your mind out of control.
In my own story, I was raised in the Christian belief.
As children we attended many different denominations.
I was confirmed in the Anglican Church; I sang in the United Church choir, and had a girlfriend who happened to be a Pentecostal preacher's daughter.
Every one of them wanted to own me, they seduced, enticed and threatened; I was lucky to escape.
The positive results of the experience were an increased awareness which brought me to this moment.
It was one step leading to another with few scars.
I consider myself very fortunate for having the experience.
Religion has had its moment for me, some very positive.
There is another expression; "Everything in moderation.
" For most of us, a drink of alcohol will not kill us, but once you let it take control; you are lost.
Attending any religious ceremony and learning about the faith will not lead you to dependency as long as you value your freedom and individuality more.
There is always the danger that in an unguarded moment you will move past the point of no return and surrender to the powerful seduction that is presented to you.
Whether it is the first drink or the first meeting, you must be clear in your mind what it is that you want to get from the experience.
You must never let go of that thought.
You are dealing with powerful forces and after a period of time, if you are not experiencing what you want, you must get out quickly.
You must also keep in mind that your experience is now in this life.
Everything that you experience must relate to this lifetime.
Promises of an afterlife do you little good here and now.
There is no way that you can ever prepare for something that you know nothing of.
If you are taking the word of another or have faith in a religion to clarify this for you; you are making a huge sacrifice.
Religions were made up (4-5 thousand of them exist today) by man.
They are institutions which have their own agenda.
Religion and faith are chosen emotionally, not intellectually.
People are motivated and kept in religion or faith by fear.
If at anytime you consider changing your beliefs or deviate from its doctrine and you feel any sense of fear; you are addicted.
Every addicted person believes they have control over their habit.
They all say the same thing; that they can walk away from it at any time.
In religion you are always damned if you do and damned if you don't.
You are always in fear of being damned.
And because religion is all about emotion, not intellect, you will always be a prisoner of your emotions.
Using information that I have gathered from the internet, the latest data says that 84% of the world's population is religious.
This is the path most have chosen.
So it is no wonder the world is the way it is today.
Most of the population is influenced by religion; not yet ready to take the next evolutionary step.
This current step in the influence of religion has lasted for thousands of years.
Perhaps it is appropriate considering humanity moves very slowly in relationship to human lifecycles.
For the 16% of the population who are free; trying to change the minds of the majority is futile and a waste of time.
The world does not have to be changed.
It is your own personal perspective that needs changing.
Each of us creates our own world and our personal circumstances.
We are all free to do that, even while under the influence.
The only thing the 16% can do for the rest is to demonstrate an alternative that works.
In my view, if you can demonstrate that what you believe in brings you all that you desire in your current physical life, then you have chosen well.
Under the influence of addiction, many forget what they truly want and reverberate the perceived benefits of their addiction or the futility and despair that they now feel.
The motivating feeling behind drug or religious addiction is the same; it's fear.
It is sometimes frustrating for me to agree to help someone with an issue when I find that they are not willing to let go of the thought process that got them into the situation in the first place.
What many people look for is immediate relief from a current situation, but for the most part it is a waste of time; theirs and mine.
What good does it do to fix a wound caused by a dull, rusty knife, if you are not willing to get it sharpened before you use it again? To think that you can do the same thing over and over again using the same thoughts, and expect a different result, is the effect of an addiction to a defective mind set.
I recently received an email from someone I have been helping for several months.
He has been chasing his tail trying to figure out why his circumstances won't change for the better.
I have given him all the information that he needs to begin to heal himself; but he continues with his search.
He was aware enough to know that what he currently believed in was not helping him.
So he started searching outside of his comfort zone to find the answers.
Finally after all these months his email revealed why he is failing in his quest.
He wrote that he was not willing to let go of his current beliefs because they gave him structure and purpose.
What a revelation; it is easier and more desirable (comfortable) to live within the limitations of one's own thinking than to let go of it with uncertain results.
It is all about fear; it is fear that is the crippling element of our own evolution to higher awareness and the power and responsibility that it brings with it.
"You cannot solve any problem in the same state of consciousness in which it was created.
" ~Albert Einstein