When people are persuaded that their religion is the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth, they can be fearful of not having (and others not having) the right beliefs and practices when it comes to God/the Holy. Fear of being rejected by God/the Holy or denied access to its Glorious Presence is a feature of this type of closed religious-based thinking. It can also lead people to attack and persecute others for not having the same beliefs and practices. This increases fear in the world. The fruit of someone dwelling in the Presence of Unconditional Love is always less fear-based thinking and behaviour. 

The antidote to fear in religion is two-fold. First, we remind ourselves that all religion is a finite expression of how we understand God/the Holy, no matter how many protestations to the contrary. Nothing finite (human) ever fully contains or manifests the infinite. Second, any beliefs that invite fear-based thinking (e.g. guilt, shame, judgement) are not grounded in the Unconditionally Loving Presence of God/the Holy and are to be dismissed. If it is not about Love, then it is not about God/the Holy. Some will reject other people’s beliefs simply because they do not align with their own, and at the same time demand that all persons accept what they believe. This is inconsistent. If you want the freedom to believe what you do about God/the Holy, then you cannot deny others the right to theirs. Consistency demands we treat everyone the same way we want them to treat us. The only exception is if anyone’s beliefs invite adherents to be less-than-loving. Love is the True Measure of Faith. 

A way forward is to understand that religious beliefs are stories about the relationships between God/the Holy, ourselves, others, and the world. Although some might argue that their story is the whole (or only) Truth about God/the Holy, it is not. It can never be because religion is always grounded in the finite human condition, which, as we know, is limited in its capacity to fully comprehend God/the Holy. Of course, the power of religious stories to shape a life is significant, and the inherent difficulty in changing beliefs cannot be underestimated. It’s why it is hard for someone to change the story of faith they have invested their life in and been trained to believe is true, even more so when this has been reinforced by teachings, rituals, and traditions from an early age. When people know no other truth other than what they have been instructed to believe is true, why presume there are other truths “out there” waiting to be discovered? 

The Liberated Life: Part Three