Why does the conversation for spirituality seem to be replacing the conversation for religion in our world today? And what does that have to do with the concept of manifesting anything we want? I want to discuss this from the perspective of Christianity today- as that is what I am most familiar with. But bear in mind that similar problems show up in other religions – problems of past-based interpretations versus the modern and enlightened mind.
Some things to consider when we talk about Christianity. The bible was written to be understood by people 2000 years ago. These were people at a different stage of evolution than we are at now. Some of the concepts were interpreted a particular way then, as people were not able to understand it any other way. 2000 years later we are more enlightened, We can hear a more enlightened conversation. And the bible is somewhat amazing in that we can now extract from it a whole different conversation, using our more developed brains.
For instance it is not common practice in the accepted world norm, to stone a woman for adultery. Sometimes it happens, but by and large the world frowns on it. Now in biblical times one would be quite out of the norm. to question the practice of stoning. So that we have a new perception in the world today of what is ‘good’ and what is ‘bad’- and we do the ‘good’, by and large, not because we have to or we desire some reward- but because it is good. In other words, as humans we have evolved to a stage of some measure of self monitoring, based upon some inner gauge. And we crave to be ‘good.’
Now there are a million and one ways where we don’t do the good, as people and society. But we see that and know that. And so, contrary to biblical times, we now have a much higher standard that we reach for in terms of expected behavior. And giving credit where it is due, much of the content of this higher standard was created by Jesus, Buddha, Gandhi, Mother Theresa, and the other great religious leaders. And these leaders did what they did not out of fear or greed, but out of their inner goodness, or spirit. Yet even though we have been ‘led out of the dark’ so to speak, by these great religious leaders-modern Christianity and other religions still tend to gravitate toward a fear based interpretation of the bible. They seem to say that people do not operate from any inner gauge, but rather because they are afraid of damnation, or greedy for eternal life and bliss.
So let us take a better look at Jesus, since he was our role model as Christians. Jesus said that we, like him, are sons of GOD, and children of GOD. With this in mind, consider that Jesus was not teaching people that HE was special, and made in the image of and likeness God (which he was, of course)… but rather that we ALL are special, and made in the likeness of GOD. Consider that Jesus was saying that there is God in each of us. Now if that is true it follows that if Jesus can perform miracles, walk on water, feed the masses, etc, so can we all.
As Christians, for those of us who are, we mouth some nice words about faith and being made in GOD’s image. But we think that only Jesus can move a mountain. Consider that any one of us CAN move a mountain, and we can do it literally. But if that is true, you might ask, why haven’t we done it? And how come Jesus did do it? The obvious answer… Jesus had faith. He knew that he could walk on water- so he could. We don’t think we can- so we can’t. Jesus had faith and belief not just in GOD, but in the God within him, and in himself. So he could walk on water. We don’t, so we can’t. And I count myself in the ‘we’ because to date I have not dredged up enough faith to move a physical mountain- though I have moved a lot of figurative ones. (I plan to go physical soon.)
So coming back to our original premise, we are ready in our world and in religion for a new conversation about GOD. We are ripe for a conversation that acknowledges what Jesus said, that each and everyone of us as God-like, and can operate from our inner goodness and spirit. In this model their will be no room for fear or greed for reward. This will in turn, allow us to manifest anything we want out of faith and belief. Of course we will manifest what is good just and beautiful- because we will be operating from the God within.
This article comes from my Squidoo lens How to Manifest Anything you Want. For more on this conversation about GOD, and spirit, please also visit my law of Attraction hub below.