Religion by John Cali

I was born and raised in the Roman Catholic Church. I practiced my religion faithfully for many years. Then I began to “lose the faith” — literally. I became disillusioned with what I perceived to be a judgemental, controlling, closed society, almost a cult. So I left.

I realize that’s not everyone’s experience with Catholicism, or any other religion. Many of my family remain faithful Catholics, and their religion brings them a peace and sense of community they would not otherwise have.

In a recent article Deepak Chopra said this about religion:

“If any religion would make the same choice to join the way of peace that individuals are making every day, faith would be a living force once again….It must stop claiming to be the one and only path to God. It must give up its arrogance and claim to authority. It must renounce its covert greed and desire for power. It must discover how to return love to its true place of primacy.”

He was speaking not only of the Roman Church, but of religion in general.

Spirit has talked many times about religion over the years. Here’s something they said about my former Catholic faith:

“John grew up in a religion that taught all other religions were wrong, and people could be ‘saved’ only if they belonged to the ‘right’ one….Today you’re seeing that same superior attitude even outside religion. Some spiritual teachers in your world today are saying they have to the key to living the life of your dreams — the key to wealth, health, and romance. They know how to ‘save’ you. Or so they say.”

And another time Spirit said this:

“You don’t need us to remind you of all the havoc and horror humans have wrought upon their sisters and brothers in the name of religion or God. Most of your wars throughout human history would not have been possible if you were being truly faithful to ‘the word of God,’ or to the real spiritof religion.”

What has been your experience, if any, with religion? Please give us your thoughts below.

John Cali’s Spirit Speaks Newsletter

7 Responses

  1. Anonymous

    I take the hurricane as an opportunity to call in help for those that need it while Gaia does her clearings. Everything is an opportunity. Always look for the gift & it's always there.

  2. Marlene

    I was raised agnostic/atheist, but even as a child, and then a youth, I yearned for a spiritual connection of some sort. I "found" religion in my late teens. I then spent 10 years as a Mormon when I was in my 20s. Now I follow my own inner guidance. Sometimes I feel guided, like I have an inner homing device. Other times I founder, wondering where that inner guidance has gone. Through it all I honour my past and the path that I have trod, and that includes religion, for the choices of my past are what led me to where I am today.

    Having spent a decade devoted to religion I feel it gives me greater understanding, compassion, tolerance, and respect for those who now stand where I once stood.

    It's all good.

  3. Anonymous

    Hi John, You could say I'm a recovering Catholic! I was raised in the Roman Catholic Church and strayed away from religion and God at a young age. When I went through a crisis in life, I wanted a sign from a Higher Power, if there was one, to give me hope. At the time I turned to watercolor painting, authomatic writing and writing poetry to express my suppressed feelings. I received the sign I was looking for, a smiling woman's face magically appeared on it's own in my painting and I knew it was the face of God, but as the Divine Feminine! I opened myself to be a conduit for Her to express through me. She also spoke to me through my poetry writing. The Divine Feminine came through as very loving, nurturing, creative, fun, light and playful. It was a total contrast to the dogma I was taught in Church! God/dess bless! 🙂 Sheri

  4. Shirl

    For many years "Religion" was a topic that almost angered me. Certainly it pushed a lot of buttons within me.

    I was raised in the Mormon Church in Salt Lake City. But what I was aware of, or what I "Knew in my Knower" differed from many things I was taught or things others attempted to teach me. I came into this physical life knowing without a doubt there is a Divine organizing energy, a creator source which we are all a part of. People call that source energy by many names. I knew that love was the powerful creative energy in the Universe. I knew that many things humans claimed their "God" did, said or was or is was not the higher truth of it.

    My knowing of these things has been steadfast all my life. Unshakable. So I began in earnest as a teenager to study the religion I was being raised in and I mean an in depth study.

    As I studied and the more I studied the stronger my intuitive knowing showed me how Hu-mans had misunderstood the information they were given, and as time passed it became more and more distorted. From there I went on a lifetime of study of ALL religions, or at least all major ones.

    By the time I was in my early 30's I had come to the personal knowledge that no matter what any group of "believers" professed, we all believe in the same "God" (source)and everything else is manufactured or distorted through the human procsess of wanting to control others and acquire wealth.

    I studied Religions so long and in such depth and allowed myself to grow my inner spiritual connections that I knew none of them were for me. All have some elements of higher truth, none have all of it.

    In the 1980's I studied Seth and numerous metaphysical, spiritual, "New Age" concepts and channeling. The underlying truths I found there struck my "Knower" so strongly I embarked upon an unending and thoroughly divinely expanding study and search for more and more of those things that resonated so strongly within me.

    So over the years I added An MS degree in Religious Studies to my BS in Psychology. The last 12 years or so I added a PhD in Metaphysics and just finished a 2nd PhD in Spiritual Counseling. Not that it was necessary, but I had done so much study it just seemed the thing to do.

    Once I found the path I wished to journey upon during this lifetime nothing else mattered to me. I continue to learn, study and listen to spirit and divine energy beings not in physical body. The learning and growing is eternally my deepest desire and intent. And it most certainly is all about the journey.

    That being said, it is my truest knowing that whatever any believe that brings them JOY, Love and fulfillment in their lives is the perfect choice for them. My choices have been the best for me. For it is the ultimate truth that there are billions of paths that lead us "home" and all of them lead us to the same place, the same source, the same divine embrace of source.

    My angelic guides instructed me early on to not be a follower of anyone and to run all information through my discernment. It has served me well over these many years.

    If it is from love, if it fulfills and encourages your connection to source, if you find it a Joyous Journey. . .then follow that path, or blaze a new one just for you. Trust and know who you are Becoming.

    I AM that I AM BEcoming.

    Hugs and loves
    Shirl

  5. John Cali

    Thank you, Judith and Kathelena, for your thoughts. This is indeed a "dicey" and divisive subject. I believe we will find a way to just get along, as you said Kathelena. It's either that…or else.

    Blessings,
    John

  6. Kathelena

    I recall as a very small child (pre-school age), how confused and upset I was by the phrase "fear of God" that my religion was teaching us. Even at that tender young age I found myself thinking that if God were the pure love we were also being taught that "he" was (and which rang true to me even then), how could "he" possibly be worthy of fear, let alone *expect* us to live in fear of him? I guess that was the start of my personal disillusionment. It wasn't until later that I realized it was the church that wanted us to be in fear, for their own reasons and purposes.

    As with you, John, I too know many who take great comfort from their religion. This is a wonderful thing and I would never try to dissuade them from it.

    That said, I think it's disempowering to perpetuate a belief that anyone needs another human being to intercede between themselves and "God" (or whatever term you use), whether that belief comes from religion or anywhere else. As I see it we humans are all in this together, and it would behoove us to think, speak, and behave that way.

    I love the comments that you posted from Dr Chopra, and of course your conversations with Spirit. The phrase "can't we all just get along here" comes to mind. Or as Steve Rother's 'the group' is fond of saying "nurture one another and play well together".

  7. Anonymous

    I had a very different experience as I was raised in an atheistic household – my parents having left the Catholic faith after realizing that a lot of the supposed exclusivity of Catholic Doctrine also appeared in many non Christian faiths world wide, and so they eschewed all religion in favor of science.

    I have often thought of how betrayed and hurt my father must have felt to have decided that all faith was wrong instead of that all faith was right and held in common, no matter what the specific – that God is LOVE.

    And there I was a highly spiritual child with OBEs, a divine teacher who came into my mind at night and taught me so much, and other events going on in a household that only accepted what could be proven by the scientific method and learning not to mention a lot of what really mattered most to me.

    If we personalize God, which I do not, thinking of the Order of the Universe as a Unifying part of whatever is going on, it seems sensible that whatever this divine being may have been would have loved all of mankind and found different ways to send the same message that would be accepted by each group according to their belief structures.

    Such as the Marion sightings in Medjegoria are in the same area as the ancient Venus figurines, but if the Divine Feminine started appearing as a headless woman with gigantic thighs and breasts in this day and age, people would run away screaming. So, they are shown Mary and accept the light and love abounding that flows.

    ~Judith Marie

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