Religion And The Intimidation Factor

When I was young my mother scolded me for sticking my tongue out at someone. I was told that, if I continued to do that, my face would freeze in that state and all the kids would laugh at me. When you are between the ages of two and four, that is quite an effective tactic. As I grew older I learned better. But I often wondered, just how did my mother get such a brilliant idea? My answer was found in the nearest church.

Most any religion is desperate to have you as a card-carrying, tithe-paying supplicant. To achieve this goal, intimidation was quickly adopted. Basically it works like this: If you don’t do what we say and how we say, then you are going to hell. Hey it works, right? Being in hell would totally suck, right? So you begin to justify the terror by telling yourself that lots of smart people over the years have made this conclusion so it’s better to be safe than sorry. With that thought, you have just become a prisoner to religious thought.

But is it true?

Are you willing to risk your future joy on the dictates of a one-fits-all religion? Hopefully not. Take some time and do self-study to see if what is being taught as truth really is true. If I refuse to join a particular denomination, will I indeed go to hell? Really? Where’s the proof?

I’m not making light of eternal consequences and I’m not just picking on religion without reason. My goal here is to encourage conscious thought. Each of us is responsible for ourselves. Everything we do has a consequence. So before we blindly adopt any particular thought, weigh it first. Ask yourself…could this be true? Could it be false? Meditate. Pray. Talk to God about it. But above everything…don’t succumb to fear because a “religious” person says so. Remember that sheep follow blindly. They are also shorn and cooked up for dinner. How does that make you feel?

Please consider every doctrine you are taught. Test it for truth before you adopt it. Don’t blindly follow anyone. Rather be the leader in your own life and find truth. Your joys are there waiting for you. So I urge you to go ahead…stick out your tongue. See what happens!

By: Steven Morse

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Steven Morse is a writer with a heart for spirituality. He has spent his life pursuing the craft of writing and learning the secrets to spiritual joy. Now he has combined his formal training along with experiences gained through his various travels to pass along his learning at his site rocksolidjoy.com. Everyone is invited to stop by and pick up a copy of his FREE ebook, '10 Ways to Boost Your Joys'. It's totally free at rocksolidjoy.com.