This is one of the hot topics. In this case, it may be too hot for some people. If you are too rigid in your beliefs, it would be best for you to go to another page. I am very unconventional in my beliefs about religion and spirituality; I do not subscribe to any one system.

I see the world through an eclectic collection of different belief systems, and what I can observe around me. The christian belief system does not play any real role in my beliefs; indeed, I feel that the popular religion of our country is very harmful to the development of all Humanity.  For the most part, I have created my own beliefs.

It is plain to see that organized religion serves purposes very similar to those served by politics. These are:

1. To make the main population predictable, and to keep them in check.
2. To give unscrupulous men ease of living.
3. To keep those same unscrupulous men in the game long after they have past their time, and should have passed on the control to younger, more capable men.

Some of the information that has lead to these conclusions is ages old, some is quite new and need not be recounted here; the Web is half-full of it.

On to the point, I feel that religion is not something that can be dictated, or "canned." No one way is right for everyone. Yet some would have the whole world think that there is only one way. In truth, though, the largest religions do not teach anything at all about spirituality, just morals and ethics; someone else's rules of social conduct.

In other words, it is meant to be a master and slave situation. Both christianity and Islam (I slam?) share several characteristics. By observing this, one can see that indeed, they both share the same goals. Social control; it was never about spirituality and the afterlife. Just FEAR, and power given to someone else.

It has been said that the devil does not have any power over someone until they give it to him.

Does that sound familiar?

Honestly, though; knowledge about the truth of spirituality is nearly non-existent, very difficult to come by, at best. This is the result of centuries of "removal" by those in power. The church, the government, anyone who has an interest in keeping people under control. For spirituality is the source of real Human power. If nothing else, having the people desire their help in getting a "ticket to heaven" accomplishes this goal.

It's wrong, always has been and always will be.

As long as a person recognizes what the churches are really all about, it is O.K. But when one thinks that they are the only way to an afterlife, when the reality is that the only purpose the church serves is for this life, what does that do to this life? I feel that this detracts from this life too much, and that it is too high a price to pay to give anyone else an easy life.

How is it that no one recognizes this?

Can we not see, and appreciate, how well they have "snookered" the whole world, and millions of people? I give them credit for that, but that is all. The churches are not interested in truth, and they cannot save anyone or anything. Look at how many churches there are, different creeds and belief systems. Here in the Midwestern United States, there literally is a church on every street corner. Why so many? Even in this time of consolidation, and cutting costs, there are churches popping up like weeds.

It's a money thing, nothing more. The tax-exempt status of churches is very appealing to people with money, a good way of hiding that cash so the government doesn't tax it. Even a good way of getting more of that tax-free money.

Is it worth it? The damage that they do to each person who enters a church far too extensive. We can see that this is true by looking at the truly successful; they usually do not go by christian ethics, and therefore have a much larger, more realistic view of the world. They know more, can see truth better and act accordingly.

They feed off of those who believe those ethics, because it makes them so predictable; that is the purpose of the ethics.

But there is also one good thing that comes from christianity. That is the fact that people have to overcome adversity in order to become stronger. I would not be as strong as I am today if I had not had to get past a christian upbringing. This is, no doubt, what is happening with a lot of people today. It's about time!

And, no, I don't believe in the devil, either.