Well I certainly do not equate the Bible with spirituality in any way, shape or form. I used to do so, but not anymore. It may surprise you to learn that I still attend church, but I only do this out of respect to my parents. Unfortunately, the Bible has an uncanny knack of getting under my skin to really irritate me, so I intend to ditch church in the New Year because I just can’t take the shit anymore. As you say, I am at the point of rejecting it all because I can’t get past the words. I heard the Parable of the Talents in church the other day. What a thoroughly appalling Bible passage that truly is. What a Capitalist’s dream it represents. It’s easy to see where the Victorians got their ideas of the ‘Undeserving Poor’ from. They got it from the supposed ‘saviour of the world’; Jesus Christ Himself. Of course, the Biblical Jesus is a completely fictional character designed to prop up man-made power structures. If we had listened to this ‘man of the establishment’  here in Britain, we would still have Thatcher’s hated Poll Tax. For me, the Bible has become toxic and something to avoid. I cannot equate it with spirituality (or indeed justice and fairness) in any way.

And then I think of my younger days before I got involved with religion. I was a MUCH happier person then. Looking back on my younger days is like viewing a world of happiness and colour.

Best wishes,

Tannhauser

Reading through your post You seem to have equated your expectation of ‘the good’ and projected it onto a deity that is out there… somewhere in space and outside yourself. When you describe the deity he/she/it sounds like an alien being of some sort. If such an alien being existed we would in deed be screwed as we could be nothing by playthings to such a being and it would be highly unlikely that we would worship he/she/it showed up on earth one day.

Then we are indeed screwed, because there are beings which exist ‘out there’. I am a plaything to them. I was never informed as to why they have ‘invaded’ my life, or for what reason, and I have little choice but to tolerate it or end up in a mental institution. Perception and reality are two different things. Basically, religion sanitised Pan and Dionysus; it took a force of nature, a free spirit, and put it into a box. Want to know why man is obsessed with sex? Because his Creator is obsessed with it too. This reality shattered my twee Victorian chocolate box perception of Heaven for ever. They are sex mad up there. They must indeed laugh at humans trying to be spiritual with their temples and self-appointed gurus. This is why my spiritual phase is over.

I was FAR more happier when I drank, smoked, ate meat, went fishing, etc.,…

I feel the same. I was happier in my younger days before I got involved with religion and spirituality. And really, that’s all that life is about. If you are happy and contented, then you have discovered the secret of life, you don’t need spirituality for that. Chasing after a god however, will only bring you bitterness, frustration, isolation, depression and mental exhaustion. I thought I was on a ‘spiritual path’, but it ultimately lead nowhere and my life seemed to get worse, not better. There was no ‘eureka’ moment.

Best wishes,

Tannhauser

• This reply was modified 7 years ago by Tannhauser.
• This reply was modified 7 years ago by Tannhauser.
• This reply was modified 7 years ago by Tannhauser.

Well, more than a month later, virtually no one on here really got to grips with this topic, and that’s because Tiny Buddha is more about giving relationship advice than anything else. Well, all I can say is **** you. However, here’s one factor you won’t be able to ignore: increasing cases of suicide and suicide attempts.

That’s because the world, animals and humans are going through a change, an awakening, and some people just won’t be able to live with the strange feelings these changes will bring. They will find the new conditions uncomfortable; they will think they are going insane and will want out, like I have wanted out several times in the past four years. You will hear about depression and especially suicide/suicide attempts more and more.

Watch out for it.

Best wishes,

Tannhauser

A wall of silence then.

Tannhauser

Hello PearceHawk,

I very much agree with your sentiments. I know I have some very negative personality traits and I am trying to address them. I accept I have got faults and flaws.

My main problem is my deep distrust of organized religion. Even though I am an active church organist, I have misgivings and doubts about it all. This mainly stems from contact with the clergy. As I have said before, I think for a good deal of them the priesthood was simply a career choice and nothing more. It wasn’t a ‘calling’, and in fact my parish priest openly admitted that he didn’t know why he had become a priest and wondered if he had made the right choice. Then there was the priest whose church I used to play at occasionally for funerals and weddings. He mysteriously disappeared for several weeks, and we only discovered later that he had been viewing child pornography on his computer. To think that I had often spoke to this individual and helped him out on the altar makes my flesh crawl.  And now the latest experience with priests has only cemented my deep suspicion of them. I have been experiencing strange things, things that cannot be explained rationally. So I had hoped that the Catholic Church would help, but the exorcist I spoke to did not want to do his job and told me to see my GP. This is no good to me, for I know I would be putting myself through unneccesary medical tests. I think that in the end I will just walk away from religion altogether. These people are a disgrace.

Best wishes,

Tannhauser

Yes, my persona, my very essence, is dying.

I just tried to practice my harp for an hour. I didn’t enjoy it, it felt forced. I used to love my music but I don’t think I can do it anymore. I think I am finished because there is nothing I can identify with. I am empty inside and it scares me.

Best wishes,

Tannhauser