God 'elp us!

Yesterday I didn't know what to write about. Today I thought I did but it has already changed a number of times.

I've alwasy been careful within my blog to not confuse the Law of Attraction with Religion. I didn't think it mattered all that much but over time I guess it does, well, at least to me.

Here in a controversial way are the end results of my thoughts. I hope to find time enough to go into greater detail about how I reached these conclusions at some point in the future.

1. God is good, religion is bad.
2. God = The Universe
3. God as I understand , (I was brought up a Church of England Christian) is the same God for Christians, Jews and Muslims.
4. Church of England Christian = Catholic - The Pope + The Queen of England
5. Christians, Jews and Muslims all agree that Jesus and Mohammed existed, they just differ in their role. i.e. Son of God versus Prophet
6. Christianity, Judaism and Islam are all beautiful religions and well meaning at their core.
7. Radicalism or extremism from any religion is bad.

My own views are that having been brought up in and around the Church, where we would get dressed up and go every Sunday and every truly high day for that matter, is that there is a God. My education was given to me at a Church of England School, where prayers at morning assembly were common. So arguably I have talked to God. Students at that school were taught about other religions; a term (semester) on Judaism, a term on Islam, even some Buddhism amongst others. So I'm aware of what others think of God.

What this leaves me with is simply that, an education and an awareness. My own belief now is that I am much more spiritually aligned than religious. I've made statements that whether you call 'It' "God" or "the energy ball called Dave", there is a higher power. Now with my recent experiences I'm much more aligned with calling God the Universe. The "Ask" part of the secret is simply Prayer, but that's almost another thread on it's own.

To further explain; I do believe in God or the energy ball called Dave, call it what you will but I also believe in the scientific creation of the world. I allow both evolution and divine creation to co-exist within my mind.

(except for the Old Testament part about Adam and Eve, however I believe that the Old Testament is parabolic and storified mix of dance and song and misinterpretation and dreams, but I digress).

For instance, Science says that the world was created by a big bang, I ask who put all the shit in one place that banged together? That's it, that's what lets me believe in a higher power - God, The Universe, Allah, Dave, the higher power, whatever you wish to call it. And whether you are religious or spiritual there will be one.

The problem with religion is in interpretation. Events, people, meanings, intentions all appear to have been misinterpreted for 1000's of years. God is good but interpretation and a desire to control have taken the words in the books, Bible, Torah, Koran out of context. Just look at Catholics - confession has never been about confessing your sins and receiving absolution from your creator. It was a method of crowd control and information gathering used by the Church back in the middle ages when the Church had ultimate power over everything and everyone and the masses could be controled by fear.

So why do Catholics still practice confession? I have no idea, but if it makes them feel good then they should probably continue it.

Going to Church, I am told, is about worship. To me worship is uplifting and invigorating, but to be honest I find the staid old ways of today's Church to be anything but. The dirges that are the hymns and the music are throwbacks to the middle ages again where organ music was about all the town had because all the money was controlled by the Church.

Anyway, it's not fun and the more I think about religion the more I question why it appears irrelevant today. An even bigger question for me is why is my belief in God (and/as the Universe) actually getting stronger while my desire for religion gets weaker?

My wife and I would like to raise our children with God in their life so we are going to seek out a Church that still allows us to carry out ouyr beliefs but in a much more 21st Century way. If you know of any please let us know.

But back to my point, or at least one of them, the writing of this has been very cathartic, but perhaps not so clear. Religion as we know it today is rooted in all that is good, very powerful good, but sadly is being executed upon so poorly. This is what is giving rise to extreme radicalism and the hatred in the world today.

Can't we all just agree that we all share the same God and that if we check in our corresponding books he actually wants us to get on, together, in peace and harmony? No? Shit! OK, how about this little gem, from my wife this morning;

"the extremists are teaching hate in their schools, but we are doing perhaps worse, we are teaching 'nothingness', we're not allowed to say Happy Christmas and God forbid if we mention God in schools...."

What this means to me, is that we world is changing. If we agree that the law of attraction works whether you believe it or not then the extremists may win, because they believe they will. They pray (ask), we know that the Universe/God/Allah/Dave will answer and then all they have to do is receive.

All I can ask for today, in a request and prayer is that no more lives will be lost in God's name, none given as suicide and none taken by murder. If you wish for the same thing, then ask or pray with me.

My heart goes out to all people, of all, God's, beliefs, colours, creeds and countries who have lost anyone in the name of Religion.

9/12.