Many years ago, I had a startling experience with love and religion.
Still a teenager, I’d joined the US Navy. (Military service was required in those days.) Stationed far from my New York home, I was lonely and homesick, as were my shipmates. Simon (not his real name), my closest friend on the ship, was also from New York.
We were docked in San Diego, California at the time. Simon and I took a weekend off to explore San Diego. We “accidentally” came across a hospitality house owned by a Protestant church.
The hosts and hostesses there welcomed us warmly. They provided a homey, comfortable environment, food, books, music, etc. And it was all free.
They were not interested in converting us to their religion, only in expressing love to lonely young sailors far from my New York home. (Simon and I were Roman Catholic.)
I wrote to my mother and father to tell them about the hospitality house. Mom was concerned because it was not a Catholic organization. (Things were very different in those days.) So she asked our parish priest about it.
When she replied again, she said Father George (not his real name) was shocked. What Simon and were doing, he said, was forbidden by the Catholic Church. This experience of loving kindness was a “sin” in the church’s eyes.
Simon and I ignored Father George’s remarks. Thus began my long journey to finally abandoning Catholicism. I had thought love and religion were supposed to go together. Religion without love did not interest me.
Spirit
Many of your world’s religions have totally forgotten their roots.
Over the centuries, since the one you call Jesus walked the earth, Christianity has become warped and distorted. Of course, Jesus never intended to start a church or religion. All he wished to do was to teach humans the power of love. In his view, love and God are synonyms.
So what happened to Christianity?
We’re not “picking on” Christians here. What we’re saying applies to other religious groups too. We’re simply using that example since it’s the religion Johnny and Berna are most familiar with.
What happened was those in positions of authority in the churches began to use, or misuse, Jesus’s teachings for power and money.
That was 2,000 years ago. And it’s mostly gotten worse since then.
So what happened?
Simply, the churches and their leaders abandoned Jesus’s example and teaching of love. It’s no more complicated than that.
In this modern era of chaos and transformation, you are seeing and experiencing a return to love. Not just in the churches, but in every aspect of human life.
This is all good. We know it doesn’t always feel good. But it is.
Religion is returning to its roots. Humanity is returning to its roots. Love and religion will become one again. That is what all your great masters taught—Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, Lao Tzu, and others.
Copyright © 2020 by John Cali and Berna Copray
Edited by Berna Copray
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I can almost guarantee some will find this video dark and offensive. But it carries a powerful message, and will give you a few things to think about.
Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
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David Bolin
Hi John! In my 75 years in this life experience I have never warmed up to organized religion. Something about it rubbed me the wrong way. I had not given it much thought until in my late 20’s or so I grieved for a lost loved one and at the height of my pain I yelled, “Help me, GOD” Almost instantly I experienced a sense of calm and an almost understanding of “why now?”. In the days after, I came to realize why “religion” did not give me the warm n’ fuzzies. I sensed that I had a direct pipeline to GOD as does every one and I don’t need intermediaries. I especially do not need a hierarchy of intermediaries telling me I have to atone for a GOD that was asleep at the wheel when creating MAN and allowing ‘sin’ to corrupt HIS creation. Experiencing love is experiencing GOD. Love is our only true nourishment. Just as our physical bodies degrade without nourishment, our spiritual bodies degrade without love. When I put on my spiritual glasses and look around, I see a world that is starving to death.
If we would stop living so much from our brains and live mostly from our hearts, we would truly KNOW GOD. Don’t ‘ya just love it ?
Huggies and smoochies to us all,
David
John Cali
Thanks very much, David, for sharing your experiences. Even though I was raised Roman Catholic, I abandoned the church long ago. My biggest reason is what you mention — we do not need intermediaries to reach God. Each of us has a direct connection.
Other reasons include various ideas I came to see as crazy — like we were born sinners, we had to give them money, they controlled every aspect of our lives, etc. etc.
Thanks again for sharing,
John
amazone779
Hello John,
I had a similar experience with my parents. When I was ten or eleven years old I went to the library and took a book about world religions. My father was upset and said that there was only one true religion, the Roman Catholic Church. I was shocked. Now I live in France (46 long years) and feel that any religion that fails to accept and respect true free will (liberty, equality and fraternity) is not a religion; it is a manipulation of the masses. Love is universal; it doesn’t need religion to operate; it flows freely to and from each one of us, because it is already an integral part of our being.
Wishing you all the best,
Joanne
John Cali
Hi Joanne,
Thank you very much for your wise comments.
I well remember how often we, as children, were told the one true religion was Roman Catholicism. Believe it or not, I still know people who preach that.
I think it’s quite simple — as you say, love is universal and needs no religion. Love and religion are often polar opposites.
However, having said that, I also realize many folks find comfort and peace in their religions. I certainly would never criticize or judge them for that.
Thanks again.
Blessings,
John
Pat
Thank you John. True.
John Cali
You’re most welcome, Pat.
Jan
Wonderful! I loved it! Thanks for bringing it to us!
John Cali
You’re most welcome, Jan!
Jeannie
Love moves us in the direction we need to go, the heart knows to follow Spirit wherever It leads. We have been taught not to love ourselves and it has weakened us. Once we learn to love who we are we love everyone for All is One and One is All. Everything is within each of us, all the love, the peace and the joy we wish is here now……..open your heart and let your love out and flow with energies loving glow 🙂
great piece, love it and you Johnny
love and hugs always
Jeannie
John Cali
Thanks very much, Jeannie!
Lots of love and hugs