Growing Up Without Religion (Blog)

[Erin Pavlina]

Use this thread to discuss the following entry from Erin Pavlina's blog:

Growing Up Without Religion

[Holistic Star]

I Erin,

I grew up without religion too. It's very freeing. I was attracted to Sunday school by choice when I was 10 because it was a fun kids activity - sure they went on about Jesus a lot but I liked doing the plays and painting and meeting other children!

I remember my dad telling me explicitly that I shouldn't feel I had to go to church / sunday school, and that nothing bad would happen to me if I didn't. He didn't want me growing up with fear of eternal damnation etc. He let me go because I wanted to, but I think he would have prefered it if I didn't.

However having a Christian bf from when I was 15 - 17 left me rather messed up with a lot of hang-ups. (He was one of those fire and brimstone judgement types rather than unconditional love ones!). The concept of being a sinner was overwhelming, which is the attitude I received from him and his family. It was very damaging.

At 17 I broke with the church and my sense of spirituality for a long time and it is only in the last 4 years that I have really connected with that deeper sense of myself again. I love being spiritual and grateful that there is no organised religion around it.

[jasonkostempski]

This reminds me of the Star Trek TNG episode where Picard is believed to be god by a less advanced race. Turns out god is just like us, he just has cooler stuff.

[Matt Willard]

I never went to church, but I think my parents do believe in God to a minor degree. Not sure about Dad, but I know Mom's expressed some belief. It's pretty small, though. I don't think we ever went to church because Dad simply didn't want to go. I don't really mind, though-I'm glad I've got a clearer perspective now to choose my own path. And whenever I hear of the awful and stupid things people do to each other in the name of some god, I'm glad I'm not religious. I know religion can be a powerful positive force, but it can be a negative force as well that alienates you from others if you blindly believe and don't value others no matter what their spiritual beliefs.

[lacinato]

I relate to your story nearly all the way. Am very grateful to have been raised in a non-religious household--but also one that didn't care what I chose to believe in later on (sounds like yours).

Community is a good point--has anyone been involved with Unitarian Universalists? What's that like, I wonder.

[Erin Pavlina]

Jason, I was thinking of that same episode of ST:TNG before writing this. "Who Watches the Watchers" Great episode.

[justhopingandsearching]

I'm just getting around to this side of the forum, and was wondering if anyone can point me the right direction to learning more about the Source or this type of Spirituality that Erin is talking about. I've been looking to truly connect to something (been reading about various religions, and while there are points about each I really like, there's always just something about each one that really turns me off).

[SimonaRich]

Great article. I grew up as a christian but my parents were hardly practising it and I went to a church only couple of times. I did feel a bit guilty in the past when I used to commit a sin. But now I realise that guilt is just not worth it and even if you do something you are not very proud of it is better not to think about it then keep dwelling on it and create more negative manifestations as a result.

[Rachelle]

"Who Watches the Watchers" is one of my favorite TNG episodes!

[Erin Pavlina]

Originally Posted by justhopingandsearching

I'm just getting around to this side of the forum, and was wondering if anyone can point me the right direction to learning more about the Source or this type of Spirituality that Erin is talking about. I've been looking to truly connect to something (been reading about various religions, and while there are points about each I really like, there's always just something about each one that really turns me off).

First I suggest that you keep an open mind about everything. Second, start reading books or websites by people that interest you. I've got several articles on my blog about this sort of thing but you'll have to wade through them a bit. Maybe do a search on God and see what comes up.

Third, explore and feel. What feels right to you? Experiment. Experience. Try things on and see what fits.

[pras]

Good Article.

..God person..

-funny expression

Want to share the following which I think would be relevant here:

Talk by Jaggi Vasudev ( thought provoking):

Isha Foundation - Inner Engineering Video

God is not a solution but a problem:

YouTube - OSHO: God is Not a Solution - But a Problem

[Parthon]

Wow, great read Erin.

I love the question, "Why would a benevolent god send good people to hell and sinners to heaven?", it really doesn't make sense.

justhopingandsearching: There's Erins' blog, of course, for heaps of info but also check our Ariel's site of http://www.youaretrulyloved.com/ for some really good posts about source spirituality.

[Airstream Driver]

@Erin - I believe God is Loving, Kind and Empathetic but not intrusive and definitley not angry. BTW - caught the Raw Food web cast, good stuff for sure. You have a beautiful home.

[MidasGirl]

As I matured I realized that religion is man’s way of trying to interpret the divine presence inside all of us, of trying to make sense of the memories we retain even after the veil is drawn and we are left here, seemingly disconnected from Source. I reconnected with Source on my own.

Agreed, religion is a tool some people use to explore their spirituality. It annoys me to tears when religiosity is confused with spirituality. You don't need religion to be spiritual.

Somehow I feel like for me it was a good thing I grew up with religion. I learnt to pray and beg God from a very young age. I begged God to help me do well in my school tests, and he did. I begged God to keep the monster away from me at night, and god did. Even though it seemed to me rather unfair that God would burn you forever (forever?!? what is forever to a child anyway?), I was still able to see him as my nice parent who could do things every one else couldn't. God was my comfort as a child. Without religion, I don't know honestly what I'd have turned to. My parents didn't have it in them at the time to provide comfort and emotional security to us. I've always said bible stories (and it's what they are) are great for children to help them have something of a fairy tale thing to get lost in.

My daughter, at 10 and in catholic school, already sees the b/s aspect of religion, but she still loves bible stories. Her favorite one is Noah's ark. And now Jonah being swallowed by a big fish. We discussed it the other day, and she goes: yeah, I can see how a person would live in a whale's stomach for 3 days. NOT! But she still loves the mythical aspect of it.

[Erin Pavlina]

I'm teaching my kids to tune in to their higher self and their spirit guides. And angels too now that I think about it. I don't think God helped you on your tests. I think you were a vibrational match for doing well and so you did.

[Ace22]

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

I'm teaching my kids to tune in to their higher self and their spirit guides. And angels too now that I think about it. I don't think God helped you on your tests. I think you were a vibrational match for doing well and so you did.

Erin,

How confident are you that the entities you channel are truly who they say they are, or who you think they are?

I know a person that was blessed with spiritual gifts like yourself. This person had no religious exposure what so ever. He claims he actually hated religious people. He could communicate quite openly with the non-physical world. This same person, ignorant of any religion, claims to have met a power he claims is the Christ. He calls Him Jesus. This power taught him specific teachings that are found in the Old and New testament. Yet he claims to have never read either book. When he did pick up a bible, he was stunned to be reading what this entity had already told him.

He does not endorse any specific brand of Christanity, but through his spiritual practices has become what one would call a Christian. He doesn't see himself as a catholic or a protestant, but he says his view of the after life was changed by a power that called Himself Jesus.

He also warns that there is no shortage of demons in the spiritual world.

[Erin Pavlina]

Well you dont' want to just open teh door for anything that's knocking, that's for sure.

Back in my teenage years when I would encounter the negative beings it would have been more likely I could be fooled into belieiving their lies. But not now.

Ouija boards attract lying spirits. so you want to avoid that.

[ChrisDP]

I was raised in a non religious background as well. My parents were young and earning money to maintain the house. The basic routine would be get up get me and my younger siblings to school. Go to work come home make dinner watch a bit of tv then go to bed and repeat. On weekends they spent most their time going round town or to markets to get a pot of paint to renew the front room something that needs replacing in the kitchen. There was just no time for religion.

My infant school and primary school were connected to the all saints church as the 2 schools are built in the surrounding area of the church. I found it interesting how close the schools were built to the church infact the infant school was next door to the church.

I was also fortunate my dad had a big interest in sci fi so i grew up with the original doctor who, Blakes 7, star trek, star wars. and so on as new shows came out like farscape. I was unlucky with farscape because i got signed up to scouts which was ran in the building behind the church and we had to attend special occasions like remembrance day and christingle day thingy. And farscape was always on the day scouts was on. Ultimately i decided farscape was far more interesting. I managed to go trough the whole of scouts without earning one badge and a bunch of memories of sitting in the church singing "lalala ah lalala amen" to what ever they were singing in those services.

It was also interesting that all saints school taught about Egyptians in the first year. Hinduism in the second year and Tudors in the third year in which king henry decided he wasn't having it. If the pope didn't give him a divorce he will make his own religion. Same ideas just hes in charge. It brought to mind a kid who had made their own gang/club and the one kid who doesn't get in says fine ill go make my own club :P Kinda the final nail in the coffin when you see how easy it is that your past ruller could change religion at the snap of his finger but we cant.

Also have you written any articles on actually how you are teaching your kids about source and finding their higher selves? I find the idea of the perspective if teaching it to a child could also work for anyone else trying to experience this for the first time. Its also interesting if there's any resistance or how difficult they found it to understand the concepts and practising it.

[Erin Pavlina]

Others have asked me how we are instilling spirituality into our kids. I'll write a blog entry about it soon. it's on my list.