Berna and I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church. It’s changed some since those long-ago days. But for better or worse?

In hindsight, it’s obvious the church in the old days ruled largely by fear. The standard fear they promoted ran something like this: If you don’t do what we say, you’ll burn in hell forever.

And we believed that!

(In fairness to the modern Roman church under Pope Francis, we note they acknowledge they have work to do.)

Spirit

From our perspective in spirit, it’s interesting to see the way humans have engaged in religion.

Most of your human religions have used (and continue to use) fear as a tool to control and manipulate their followers. Even so-called “Christian” religions which are anything but “Christ-like.”

The only lesson the one you consider the founder of Christianity, Jesus, taught was love. He did not teach fear. He taught only love.

But many of your organizations, and individuals, who call themselves Christian are not following in Jesus’s footsteps. They are following in fear’s footsteps.

We are not recommending you give up your religious practices, if you have any. But we are recommending you follow the true religion Jesus (and other spiritual teachers) taught—the religion of love.

If your religion teaches fear, control, suffering and sacrifice, it is not a true religion. It is an empty shell, a mockery, of true religion.

As the Dalai Lama says, My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.

True religion is love. Nothing more, nothing less.

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Anyone who’s ever been part of any religion has undoubtedly been taught to fear God—or whatever it perceives as the controlling force of the universe.

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