This presentation gives the reader a deeper understanding for those confounded by religious terms and harms.

1. Spirit Journeys: To Heal the Hurts of Religions' Misnomers

2. Cry of our time: "NO Organized Religion Pu-lease !!"
Independent thought was my "God" (or so I thought)... and for me, truth is a cherished priority, yet ...
My rebellion became a prejudice against religion-- I had to let go to
the Open Mind, truly the Supreme Healer…
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3. To Heal the Hurts: Religions' Misnomers
Part One: Cycles of Rebellion: Religion, Peace & Unity
Part Two: Religion & Science, Words, Sexism, Language & more… Page 16
: Soul's Heaven, Souls Hell: Religious Law, Shame, "Should", Abuse, & Other HurtsPart Three
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4. Part One
Strange Bedfellows: Rebellion, Religion, Peace & Unity
Cycles of Rebellion, God of the “Long White Beard & more…
" Any religion that contradicts science, or is opposed to it,
is only ignorance..." Ab'dul Baha, Baha'i Faith

5. Do you know that "rebels of religion"
appear from age to age ??
Read about it here>>>>
History's Repeating Cycle
The Long White Beard Syndrome
The idea of God as sort- of a glorified human up on a cloud probably
developed
out of a more childish age, yet terms like "the Lord" etc., can still
invoke that image.
Is humanity's rebellion stuck in the recoil from offensive, outdated
ideas, including the "Long White Beard" idea that lingers in the often
innocently used words "He' & "Him" to refer to that Great Spirit ?
Can we forgive reliance on the convenience of the terms---
I am clear that "God" is NOT a human look-alike.
"She/ He/It" (if I may use the terms:)) Is Spirit, Being, Essence,
...Something Beyond what words can truly Encompass...

6. History's Repeating Cycle
From Reverence to Rebellion
Every 500 –1000 years a Prophetic Being appears Who is said by
some to be sent by God. His/Her life and teachings form the core of a
new religion and are geared to the level of maturity of the age in
which they appear.
With the passing of ages and centuries( as much as 1000 years),
humanity begins to "outgrow" the old teachings, which have also been
altered or mis-interpreted in the ways of the times.
There is rebellion and dissatisfaction with the old teachings of faith,
for a new & different remedy is needed for the needs of the new age.
The changing needs of time accounts for many differences in the
various religions. and the comings and goings of the Great Prophetic
Beings explain much in history.
Links
Pages for Unity and Spirit at
UnitySeeker.com
SpiritTop.com
Hearts Reunion, New Book Home

7. The Cycle of Revelation
The waxing and waning of religion
can be Likened to the rising and setting of the sun--
The birth of a new religion is beautiful, like the Dawn, and seen by
Few...
.....As a faith grows, & prophecy ripens,
It becomes clearly seen by all, like the Sun bright at midday.
But at Sunset or the Fall season, the sun’s light fades.
Clarity is a memory, as the people argue over and add to or change
the Prophet’s meanings...
Many are disillusioned and angry, with good reason, at the religionists.
It is time for a New Faith, a new Prophet, Who clarifies the old ways
and brings new teachings to fit the new age
The Cycle Begins Anew...
Every 500- 1000 years the garment of religion must be made new …

8. Many amazing details are connected with the
Cycle of Religion, Rebellion & Revelation…
(See "Spiritual Springtime" among other writings)
More from this author: Blog at LuckyWells.com
Food for Thought:
A Prophet for our time would bring a remedy for all
humanity, don’t you think?
For example,
The needs of Peace include Equality for all, of whatever
sex, race, culture or nation
spiritual Solutions for Politics, Economics and Justice as
well as personal & World Problems...
Unity is Key-- Without it, there will be no lasting
solutions...

9. Science & Religion Must be in Harmony.
In this age it is clear that
Spirit can be rational, and must agree with science.
Read more about Science & Religion
in Part Two (page 16)
UnitySeeker.com
SpiritTop.com
Home / Hearts Reunion, New Book Home
Spirit & Unity Pages / Contact / Blog
Email

10. Religion & Peace
It's true that victimizers have used religion in hurtful ways; yet it is a tool that can be used for good or evil.
Its misuse is largely related to the misunderstandings that have put religions in competition with one another
Religious leaders have done great harm by clinging to outer forms rather than the inner Essence of Spirit
Let us attach to the Light instead of its lamp…
Also see Religious Differences Unveiled (end of Part 3)

11. On Unity and the Faiths:
Religion, Competition & Unity
The world is picking up on the idea that religion is one. God did not send competing Prophets,
rather, each religion builds on the books of the ones before…
Throughout history, the faiths have been key in uniting the family, tribe, city, state and nation.
The power of Spirit in Unity is great. When the faiths cease their unholy competition, they can
play a great role in uniting the hearts of the people…

12. Does God argue amongst Himself?
The True Calling of the Faiths is Unity
A legitimate, healing faith for today must uphold an
Absolute Prohibition against violence.
The leader of such a Faith* says that the purpose of religion is to unite human hearts, and
if instead it creates disunity, then we must abandon it…

13. "The leaders of religion… set things awry”, misunderstanding
"their true purpose, as agents of one civilizing process", "chapters in the same book of God…"*
This Prophetic Writer* charges us to choose a Faith which brings about Unity.
The needs of Peace include Equality for all, of whatever sex, race, culture or nation
spiritual Solutions for Politics, Economics and Justice as well as personal & World Problems...
Unity is Key-- Without it, there will be no lasting Peace...
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14. Dear Friends,
May I open the possibility that such a power may well have appeared, combining major forces of Spirit and Unity,
Melding diverse peoples as the "fingers of one hand”, and showing forth amazing Miracles of Unity in our time...
A Great & Wondrous Power for the Healing of Earth...
Such possibilities may be within the scope of investigation….

15. Such a search is between you and your own Spirit, and for that
I leave you to your own discretion.
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16. To Heal the Hurts Part 2
More Misnomers of Religion:
Religion & Science, Words, Sexism, Language & more…

17. Religion and Science
"When religion, shorn of its superstitions, traditions, and unintelligent dogmas,
shows its conformity with science, then will there be a great unifying, cleansing force
in the world which will sweep before it all wars, disagreements, discords and struggles,
and then will mankind be united..." -- 'Abdu'l-Baha

18. Science & Religion Must be in Harmony....
"Any religion that contradicts science,
or is opposed to it, is only ignorance..."
--Ab'dul Baha

19. "Science must be accepted. No one truth can contradict another truth.
Light is good in whatever lamp it is burning!"*
"Be free from prejudice, so you will love the Sun of Truth from whatsoever
point on the horizon it may arise!"*
"...Religion which consists only of rites and ceremonies of prejudice is not the truth...
Much of the discord and disunion of the world is created by (these) man- made oppositions and contradictions."*
..."We may think of science as one wing and religion as the other; a bird needs two wings for flight..."
Ab'dul Baha

20. Weigh carefully in the balance of reason and science everything that is presented as religion.
If it passes this truth, accept it, for it is Truth. If, however, it does not, then reject it, for it is
ignorance...."*
"Religion and science walk hand in hand, and any religion contrary to science is not the truth...

21. “Reason is the discoverer of the realities of things, and that which conflicts with its conclusions
is the product of human fancy and imagination." *
"God made religion and science to be the measure, as it were, of our understanding...
Weigh all things in this balance." *
"Reason is the first faculty, and the religion of God is in harmony with it. "*
*Quotes above from Baha'i* scriptures, suggested among possible faiths “for our time”**
Web link-- more on Science and Religion

22. The Language of Religion
"Thee"s, "Thou"s & $%@#!
&
O Those Wordy- Words!"
The Great Teachers of the Faiths have seen their teachings last a thousand years & more
The Prophets knew that such a spiritual force as They would not appear
for hundreds or maybe thousands of years……

23. ...Think of it...
If You wanted something to last 1,000 years ( a period of time in which language will undergo radical changes),
would you speak in the slang of the day?
Or would you choose a more Classic toungue, perhaps
Even one with a sense of grandeur for power, strength and feeling?
Like any accent, it may at first sound strange, Yet
We take the time to learn what matters to us: appreciation of certain kinds of music, or art;
forgiving that first bitter taste of an alcoholic drink,
studying physics or the workings of a computer or an automobile…

24. The learning of anything takes time, acceptance & and willingness to learn the "lingo".
The nuances of poetry or certain arts, writing styles & scholarly doctrines must be read with Knowing or "Heart"...
If we may rise to this Challenge we may be enriched, in Education and thought...
Just as time invested in any learning, the rewards can surely be amazing!
Spirit’s Writings have begun to "grow on" me :), becoming Poetic, expansive food
that my soul has joyfully come to crave....

25. The scriptures of the faiths of earth have helped me
learn to be Humble & Teachable, keeping with the Truth of who I am—
Finite, Fallible, & "Human", yet graced with the Power of Reason....

26. Scripture & Sexism
Is God A Sexist?
In the rules of English, "he" is often meant to include "she", but I feel the Rules should be changed.
‘Til then, I have to live with a language shaped by men...
Will I let Human mis- application turn my face from truth?-- I will not!
Powerful woman I, No way can I let anything, big or small,
stay me from the great or monumental Gods that I and all the world must grasp.
Spirit speaks through no gender, or perhaps through all gender

27. I’ll do anything to hold close unto the Higher Spirit and the truth that it may hold.
whether I change the gender readings or even speeches of the Holy Ones in my own most private knowing
does not matter so much as fidelity to Spirit in the best that I can do.
(I can always change it back when & if I learn & can do better!)
The Greater world, I know, lives and knows far beyond this world and gender designations--
Our souls are male and female both at heart, so what concern this simple slight, for me,
in the eyes of Great Eternity….

28. To know Spirit is a greater compensation than all this mortal world of dust can offer…
May all my earthly womanhood truly serve me well,
and this regardless of mankind's manmade grammar ?!
Words like "He" or “Him” to speak of God or Spirit now for me holds but little of pain or felt transgression –
My Soul knows Deeply this:
That "God" or Goddess or "Source"-- and surely I myself, in Heart & Spirit..
purely are sheer Essence: gender-free and genderless
Far greater than any "He" or "She" or It--

29. Grateful, I myself feel so much Freer from all that Gender is --
and freed from aggravation towards the gods or the religions,
Truly trusting, holding Higher Voice, and freed of Earthly bounds
All the answers are not yet mine, I know
but I can trust they will be to come in proper time…
The Peace that knows my hurts are healed in wholeness, if only I allow it...

30. ___________________________________________________________________________
: Part ThreeTo Heal the Hurts
Part 3: Soul's Heaven, Souls Hell
More on: Religious Law, Shame, "Should", Abuse, & Other Hurts

31. The Open Mind is the Greatest Healer…
O Spirit!
" My first counsel is this:
Possess a pure, kindly, and radiant heart....*"
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32. Truth or Consequences:
Heaven, hell or 'thine own self' ??
Souls' Heaven, Souls' Hell
Guilt & fear, as used in scripture, may be seen as "tools"—
they seem to work for some people in walking a good path,
yet for others they are deadly, especially in our time…

33. Religious Law, Shame, "Should", Abuse, & Other Hurts
Ours is an age that has seen much in the way of abuse.
From parents to bosses and those in power, authority, in many ways, has made a mess of things.
Religion has been no different.
If religious teachings are for healing, then let us advance into understanding that
the "you should" tool must be tempered with Wisdom & love(though it works for some)
--or abandoned entirely!

34. It is up to us to become more able to see & counter the misuse & Abuse of power—
A true Heart will surely show the way
Our Highest Good is generous, loving & kind, as we must be with Ourselves...
if we wish to heal this world...
To Judge another ( even oneself) is a right reserved for Spirit, & perhaps the Super - Wise--
Too often, that judgment has been usurped by clergy or other “authorities”—
and many today are not "buying into" that!

35. Do you believe that there are natural consequences to things?
Do you believe that
Our Soul craves Truth & Knows the Truth of Spirit … in an Instant?
Do you believe that
If an important truth is denied, this would hinder spiritual development, and our soul knows it…

36. For example (a bit of a "far-fetched" example):
The soul’s inner Knowing may operate this way:
had appeared (& there are a small handful of claimants)IF a true Manifestation of God
Our soul would recognise His/Her Teachings & would instantly Blaze out In Love for that Master...
If we were then to turn away-- especially for a trivial reason, our soul would grieve,
Like a child without words, our soul will "kick & scream", create chaos & tests,
or do any thing that might draw our attention-- in the attempt to "bring us "Home"--
to Truth—the greatest Healer—
And before that Power that could mean hope and the Source of our Worlds' Salvation...

37. Our Souls seek Reunion with
the Fullness of Life, a sense of "Home"
Guidance in a chaotic Age, and answers; these are what our Soul Seeks Reunion with...
The soul seeks, and it will have these, with or in spite of any stubborn or unyielding self…

38. … With all its power, the persistent Soul will seek a Way to get us to the truth…
"Heaven is reunion with God, hell is thine own self." -- Baha'u'llah
.... And yet there is much more to Spirit’s truth than this ... *See Notes

39. "Law", Spirit, & Truth : A Brighter View
"Spirits' Law" – those commandments and guides brought by Prophets & scripture
can be likened to Natural Law, which is like an Ocean surrounding and shaping our lives.
A Prophet or "Divine Master" informs us of these realities for our own Good.
Just as with the natural law of gravity (for one example), we are affected by all "truths of life & Spirit"
whether we know of them or not.

40. Spirit's Law says that there are natural consequences to certain acts...
Our lives, our spirits, /or our community may suffer when we violate the spiritual "laws"
(just as when we transgress a natural or human- made law.)
For example:
If one jumps out a window expecting to fly-- gravity will not excuse him for not knowing—
he or she will still fall!
Spirit's Law tells us that there are natural consequences to certain acts...

41. "Law": A "Recipe For Living" ?
Law: Restriction or Freedom ?
By limiting certain freedoms, other freedoms may be enhanced.
A friend of mine, a heavy drinker had hit the wall. She wanted to stop, but thought life would be awful without
alcohol. On stopping, she was amazed at how much her life had improved. She said she'd never have believed Just how
tightly the booze had her in its grip of lies and chains!
We never know, you see, til you walk in a new pair of shoes, just what they will really feel like!

42. Laws for the One vs. Laws for the Whole
Some spiritual laws seem to serve the protection of the individual; while others are may address
the good of an entire community or world... (Here, the needs of the group preside over the need of the one.)

43. The Prison Of Self
Our Attachment to "natural" ("animal") comforts and our personal desires can become like a prison…
The "addict" or “near- addict”, caught in his or her desire, often acts as one "enchanted" by his or her perceived
need. Unaware of the extent of his attachment and the negative results, such a person is the last to know,
just how much the call of self is truly burdening the life.
Filling the "hole" that can't be filled except by Spirit—
is the core of attachment and (perhaps) the “disease” of our times.
Turning to Spirit fills the void, and is a basis of the most successful addiction recovery programs.

44. "Animal Nature" = concern with present Comfort
is easy and instinctual, but the human
"Spiritual Nature" can rise above desire or self for a future or Greater Goal
that may require effort or self-sacrifice, with resultant personal growth (virtue)…

45. ... The Human Choice
The animal has no recourse over pain or fate, but the human being who practices Spiritual attitudes
makes his lot in life infinitely better thru strength of character and the practice of
Love, Tolerance, Detachment, Patience & the like. Choosing Spirit over animal desire,
such person is spiritually prepared for the trials of life by developing qualities that are also said to be
the "eyes" & "ears" needed in the "Next World " that is to Come...

46. "God-Competition" ??!
Spirit's Law-- A Truth- Seekers Test
In scripture, “Eternal Law” is the Spiritual "Guidelines" that are never "outdated"...
Yet “Social Laws” change from age to age with the capacity and needs of the people.
For example in the Law of Moses:
" An eye for an eye, A tooth for a tooth"-- was needed in a lawless age:
Prohibitions on eating pork, which we now know often had parasites, are the types of laws that
can be vital to life and health in their times, yet may not be not so for a different age…**

47. The Changing of the Sabbath, the calendar and rituals by the Prophet of a new age
are always big tests for seekers, and may, in part, serve that spiritual purpose.
Ritual is merely the outer form and not the essence of faith –
Those who remain attached to the "Lamp" (the old form) instead of its Light will miss the new developments.
Their attachment is to the symbol of truth, while the truth itself may suffer...

48. The Purpose of these Pages…
is that all should come as close as they can to the Great Source of soul,
To reach, to the highest of their potential, the power closest to that Universal Force,
that Place or Heart wherein the greatest power may be tapped.
It is this work that can free us as a world and bring us home to justice, peace, and to our oneness as a people…
The Open Heart will bring us home to truth, the Worker of Miracles on earth & our greatest Healing Source.
Spirit opens the most beautiful of gardens.
However little or however much our lives are touched, may all receive a measure of Peace...

49. …As for my Withholds, wants, fears, Opinions, & so on…
My part is To be Humble & Teachable, in keeping with the Truth of who I am
Finite.. Fallible, & "Human", yet graced with the Power of Reason and hopefully
The open mind, trusting Spirit, and believing that there are healthy, reasonable Answers
to All my Questions & Withholds...

50. Links & Notes…
Author’s Pages for Unity and Spirit at UnitySeeker.com / SpiritTop.com
* Much in these pages is inspired by the teachings of Baha'u'llah*, For more, click here . Baha'i official pages are at Bahai.org
More from this author at : Hearts Awaken Home : Spirit Journeys ,
or read my Baha'i – related articles: A New Light ; Divine Charisma-- for Today?

51. _____________________________________________________________
Notes:
* There are understandings of Spirit that may touch our lives on earth as well as in what may be a life "hereafter"
Just as in the womb we must develop the faculties that equip us for life in this world, so also may we
Develop on this Earth the qualities that we will need In a Greater life... – Baha'i writings
* *Jesus the Christ, in a later age, eased the dietary laws and said to "Love Thy nieghbor as Thyself", teachings said to be suited to the
higher social development of the people... As to the law of Moses, today we know to avoid worms by cooking pork well some now choose to
abandon this precaution. But Mohammed prohibited the eating of pork as well, which was something needed in His time and place…
* Unattributed quotes from Baha'i writings
• Disclaimer In many ways this page draws on the teachings of the Baha'i, yet these are soley understandings and opinions drawn by this
author, and do not claim to represent the Baha'i Faith in any way. Baha'i official pages at : Bahai.org

52. Lucky Joy Wells
Copyright 2012