Realizing essentially no one here agrees with Steve's style - I think what this writing clearly indicates is that even those with a tremendous level of consciousness such as Steve can still have very toxic feelings/emotions when raised in a legalistic environment.
This section was especially troubling:
Quote:
When you externalize compassion into a set of rules and laws, what you’re left with isn’t compassion at all. True compassion is a matter of conscious choice, and that requires the absence of force-backed rules and laws.
The more religious a person becomes, the less compassionate s/he is. The illusion of compassion substitutes for the real thing. Religious people tend to be the most bigoted and non-accepting people on earth. They’re the least trustworthy and suffer from the grossest character defects. They pretend they’re doing good, but they’re really collaborators in a system designed to push people into unconscious slavery to a “higher” authority. They are slaves promoting slavery.
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People with such a traumatic upbringing clearly have a real problem believing any good can come from organized compassion - when it's backed by a religious group.
Call me crazy - but I contend Mother Theresa was more compassionate than Steve Pavlina. So, maybe she really wasn't very religious - I could discuss that issue - but she lived her life completely for the cause of being Christ to the poor and downtrodden.
Again - I'll listen to the argument that toxic religion - which is Steve's upbringing - is not too compassionate. But, true followers of Jesus have a strong leaning toward being advocates for the downtrodden - with no strings attached.