“If you were born in Israel, you’d probably be Jewish. If
you were born in Saudi Arabia, you’d probably be a Muslim. If you were born in India, you’d be Hindu.
But because you were born in North America, you’re probably a Christian. Your faith is not inspired by some divine,
constant truth, it’s simply geography.”
"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the politicians helpful."
Religion is an emotional prison that keeps people
chained with invisible reins of guilt, shame, and fear. In different parts of the world
the prison of religion has different names and gods and in some parts of the
world some religions/prisons, they might
treat you a little better and give you the illusion you have freedom, because
it gives you longer reins and more room to roam, but still in prison
nevertheless. I have removed the invisible reins of guilt, shame, and fear and broke
free completely from the prison of religion. I am one of the luckiest people in
this world! :-)
AM: Thank you for your further thoughts. I agree with almost everything you write besides your trust in the help of religions. Have you been growing up in a religious home, have you been a devoted child? This could explain your strong belief that representatives of religions can become interested in the tragedy of child abuse. I made many experiences in this direction and came to the conclusion that all religions are based on the denial of true feelings. Buddhism clearly preaches only “positive feelings” and coming away from the negative ones (that are actually authentic, true). You want to lead people towards the truth, how then do you expect help from religions? I don’t see neither how you want to pass on your knowledge to the masses who never never heard anything about unconsciousness, about repressed emotions etc though they are constantly driven by them. As therapist you know how much time it takes to become free from lies that were inflicted on us in the first years of our lives. How do you want the masses to liberate themselves from this burden without long therapies? I don’t want to question your optimism, it is precious to me, I would love to be able to share it with you but I can’t ignore the fact that the power of religions is stronger than the inborn capacity to love if it is so early destroyed. If we expected help from religions that are based on denial we would “reckon without the host”. The capacity for love we brought to the world at our birth has been systematically destroyed by religious hypocrisy.
You say rightly that for 100 years now we have been exposed to the idea (to the FACT, I would say) that childhood experience shapes the adult. What happened to this discovery? In the seventies some authors took it seriously. RD Laing, Siraala, Kemper (The Battered Child), Florence Rush, Ashley Montague and others moved in the direction towards awareness and were listened to. But today all this seems forgotten and covered by religions and all kind of esoteric “wisdom” disguised under the word “spirituality”. In the late eighties even the most powerful communist system could be abandoned because it was not linked to religion and the liberation from lies did not implied feelings of guilt as religious systems do. There, the liberation seems almost impossible because the fears of the small child don’t allow people this liberation. Where are you then looking for help? From institutions who forbid this liberation and benefit from our cruel and ignorant upbringing?
http://www.alice-miller.com/en/why-cant-religions-help-to-increase-awareness/
AM: Thank you for expounding your vision. Yes, it would be wonderful if we could initiate a powerful movement towards more awarness. In fact, by understanding the emotional needs of children we would come to understand OURSELVES too, the basis of our existence, of our own Being as responsible adults. But this is impossible without liberating the strong bitterness of the abused child we hide deeply in our bodies because of the fears of our parents. Unfortunately, ALL religions FORBID this emotional liberation, they rather allow wars, some of them even consider wars as sacred because they have never understood that feeling the legitimate rage PROTECTS us from acting out in wars and criminality. The last are organized exactly by people who DON’T feel.
http://www.alice-miller.com/en/the-sacred-wars/
AM: I am far away from being religious as in all religions I know of I see the lack of psychological knowledge, much hypocrisy and a lot of contradictions. To show one of them I wrote: If I DID believe that Jesus was the son of God I would assume that he was not beaten in his childhood and I would learn from this example. I could then no longer promote the violent education as most christians still do. Perhaps you would like to read the very interesting book “Jesus, A Psychological Biography”, by Donald Capp, 2000 .Until now, nobody could give proven facts that Jesus existed. Nor that he didn’t exist. Thus we have only rely on the bible with everything we think and say.
http://www.alice-miller.com/en/religions/
"They use religion as an excuse to own us.
AM: Thank you for your further thoughts. I agree with almost everything you write besides your trust in the help of religions. Have you been growing up in a religious home, have you been a devoted child? This could explain your strong belief that representatives of religions can become interested in the tragedy of child abuse. I made many experiences in this direction and came to the conclusion that all religions are based on the denial of true feelings. Buddhism clearly preaches only “positive feelings” and coming away from the negative ones (that are actually authentic, true). You want to lead people towards the truth, how then do you expect help from religions? I don’t see neither how you want to pass on your knowledge to the masses who never never heard anything about unconsciousness, about repressed emotions etc though they are constantly driven by them. As therapist you know how much time it takes to become free from lies that were inflicted on us in the first years of our lives. How do you want the masses to liberate themselves from this burden without long therapies? I don’t want to question your optimism, it is precious to me, I would love to be able to share it with you but I can’t ignore the fact that the power of religions is stronger than the inborn capacity to love if it is so early destroyed. If we expected help from religions that are based on denial we would “reckon without the host”. The capacity for love we brought to the world at our birth has been systematically destroyed by religious hypocrisy.
You say rightly that for 100 years now we have been exposed to the idea (to the FACT, I would say) that childhood experience shapes the adult. What happened to this discovery? In the seventies some authors took it seriously. RD Laing, Siraala, Kemper (The Battered Child), Florence Rush, Ashley Montague and others moved in the direction towards awareness and were listened to. But today all this seems forgotten and covered by religions and all kind of esoteric “wisdom” disguised under the word “spirituality”. In the late eighties even the most powerful communist system could be abandoned because it was not linked to religion and the liberation from lies did not implied feelings of guilt as religious systems do. There, the liberation seems almost impossible because the fears of the small child don’t allow people this liberation. Where are you then looking for help? From institutions who forbid this liberation and benefit from our cruel and ignorant upbringing?
http://www.alice-miller.com/en/why-cant-religions-help-to-increase-awareness/
AM: Thank you for expounding your vision. Yes, it would be wonderful if we could initiate a powerful movement towards more awarness. In fact, by understanding the emotional needs of children we would come to understand OURSELVES too, the basis of our existence, of our own Being as responsible adults. But this is impossible without liberating the strong bitterness of the abused child we hide deeply in our bodies because of the fears of our parents. Unfortunately, ALL religions FORBID this emotional liberation, they rather allow wars, some of them even consider wars as sacred because they have never understood that feeling the legitimate rage PROTECTS us from acting out in wars and criminality. The last are organized exactly by people who DON’T feel.
http://www.alice-miller.com/en/the-sacred-wars/
AM: I am far away from being religious as in all religions I know of I see the lack of psychological knowledge, much hypocrisy and a lot of contradictions. To show one of them I wrote: If I DID believe that Jesus was the son of God I would assume that he was not beaten in his childhood and I would learn from this example. I could then no longer promote the violent education as most christians still do. Perhaps you would like to read the very interesting book “Jesus, A Psychological Biography”, by Donald Capp, 2000 .Until now, nobody could give proven facts that Jesus existed. Nor that he didn’t exist. Thus we have only rely on the bible with everything we think and say.
http://www.alice-miller.com/en/religions/
"They use religion as an excuse to own us.
They use religion as an excuse to the existence of a patriarchal society.
They use it to hide their crimes and sadism.
They use it for power and manipulation.
Religion has been one of the reasons of why women are being treated less than a man.
You say it's not the case.
I tell you go check your holy books.
I tell you I have done my research. I have done ...my job. I have figured it out. Isn't it time for you to break the chains placed on you. To break the silence. To break the lies, and speak for once the truth which will set us all free! Why are you so afraid of knowing the truth about this supreme being you are worshiping? Why are you denying the fact that you have been treated as a sheep, and as a slave? Do you like the feeling of slavery? Do you like to obey? Have you been taught that this is the feeling which brings you pleasure and happiness? Well, I shall speak my mind whether you agree or disagree.
I speak my mind based on research, evidence, facts, and books I have read.
And so my religion is love, peace, and freedom.
That's where I get my morals from.
They are not being written out for me.
I am not obliged to follow anyone.
I shall not follow anyone.
I am a free woman.
I chose to be.
And so I shall be!"
- Xena Amro
They use it to hide their crimes and sadism.
They use it for power and manipulation.
Religion has been one of the reasons of why women are being treated less than a man.
You say it's not the case.
I tell you go check your holy books.
I tell you I have done my research. I have done ...my job. I have figured it out. Isn't it time for you to break the chains placed on you. To break the silence. To break the lies, and speak for once the truth which will set us all free! Why are you so afraid of knowing the truth about this supreme being you are worshiping? Why are you denying the fact that you have been treated as a sheep, and as a slave? Do you like the feeling of slavery? Do you like to obey? Have you been taught that this is the feeling which brings you pleasure and happiness? Well, I shall speak my mind whether you agree or disagree.
I speak my mind based on research, evidence, facts, and books I have read.
And so my religion is love, peace, and freedom.
That's where I get my morals from.
They are not being written out for me.
I am not obliged to follow anyone.
I shall not follow anyone.
I am a free woman.
I chose to be.
And so I shall be!"
- Xena Amro
Be careful about what you believe in because your mind will create it!
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