"If I am not doing the works of my father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."
- John 10:37-38 (Bible)
"And when it is said to them, 'Follow what Allah has revealed,' they say, 'Rather, we will follow that which we found our fathers doing.' Even though their fathers understood nothing, nor were they guided?"
- Surah Al-Baqarah 2:170 (Quran)
"Do not believe in something just because you have heard it. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. Do not believe in something because it is rumored by many. Do not believe in the written scriptures alone. Do not believe in conjecture or logic alone. Do not believe in something because it appears acceptable. Do not believe in something because it aligns with your preconceived notions. Do not believe in something out of respect for a teacher. But when you know for yourselves that these things are wholesome, blameless, praised by the wise, and lead to benefit and happiness, then you should practice and abide in them."
- Anguttara Nikaya 3.65 (Kalama Sutta)
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| Ruins in Nature - Dall·e AI |
All churches and religious institutions around the world have one big flaw in common: Humans.
Each one, despite their best of intentions, has a very human interpretation and along with that comes pushing very specific agendas and deliberate misinterpretations that uphold a specific status quo.
Some churches have groups of people whom decide what goes in their holy book and what does not, instead of quite simply giving people all of the information and letting individuals decide what is important and what is not. The information that is left out is likely extremely important, even if it seems to some as it is not.
Some religions won't update their practices to account for an ever changing world because... this is the way it has always been done - which demonstrates a lack of critical thinking.
Cut all of that out by going straight to the source: nature.
Nature will teach you anything and everything you want to know, without the misinterpretation of other humans. If there's going to be a misinterpretation, let it be your own, not others.
Nature teaches that everything is connected - kindness, compassion, diversity, and helping others is the way forward. Nature teaches that sexuality is fluid, ever changing, and does not always fit neatly into two boxes.
Nature teaches that you don't need to go through others to get in touch with the universe. The universe is within you and within everything that exists, you can get in touch with it directly, without the assistance of anyone else.
If you read the teachings of the major prophets that have existed in the world thus far, this is exactly what they have all taught - in their own way. The minutia that the various churches and religions have interpreted from those same teachings is all just noise, very loud noise that does not matter. There are always many different ways to get to the same place.
Take driving from your house to a neighboring town, there are always lots of different roads you can take. Some will be faster, some will be more scenic, some you're used to and some are unfamiliar. In the end, they all get you to the exact same destination.
The same is true for traveling around the world. If you want to go completely around the world, you can go North, or South, or East, or West or any direction in-between. Each is it's own journey with it's own challenges and rewards. But if you stick to any one path long enough, they all end up in the exact same spot.
Does the path you take to get there matter?
Multiple things can be true at the same time.
Cut out the middle person and go directly to the source.
The path that you are the most comfortable with and makes the most sense to you is the best path for you.
Don't take my word for it, although I know what I know and believe what I believe.
Think critically, lead with compassion, help others, learn and think for yourself.
All you need is nature, it is the only perfect church that currently exists.
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