There is one topic I definitely don’t like to debate with anyone anymore in life, although I used to do it quite regularly, and that’s anything to do with religion and spirituality.
I’m a firm believer these days that each of us has our own walk with God and if God exists in an infinite of ways, then why can’t a person’s walk with God manifest in an infinite amount of ways as well?
I say all this because often in my writings, I receive comments from so many who try to refute, debate, argue, prove wrong, and outright deny that which I either propose or currently believe in when it comes to my religious and spiritual views.
And truly, that makes me sad, because I don’t believe that any of us have the exact formula to God.
As I’ve mentioned plenty of times before, my spiritual walk consists of both Christian and Buddhist teachings, along with some understandings that exist in plenty of other religions as well. I’m blessed that I can see a little bit of God in every one of them, but for now, I do seem to be identifying the most with the walk Christ took.
Nevertheless, to debate one’s religious beliefs to another is something I ultimately believe comes from a fear. A fear of the possibility that maybe there is more to God than just what one is raised to believe.
Trust me when I say that I was raised in a way that the only path to God was through Christ and that if one didn’t turn their will and life over to Christ that they would go to some place called “Hell”.
So, for a long time, I debate and argued with people I became friends with, who were good people that walked in other paths to God. I tried to rationalize with each of them all those Christian points I was raised with, and would throw one bible passage after another at them, trying to show them that the Christian life was the only way to salvation.
Yet, when I fully came to terms with my sexuality, the very religion and God that I followed and was raised with completely backfired on me and those who once supported me, now turned vehemently against me. I became a sinner who needed saving in their eyes and suddenly the Christian walk I solely believed in didn’t seem so wonderful anymore.
I stopped debating and arguing religion at that point and began to explore the possibility of God existing in other ways. And the more I delved deeper, the more my eyes started to open to God manifesting Himself in ways I never saw before. It’s then I realized my conception of God had been so blinded by my own fear, the fear that my Christian walk with God might not be the only truth out there.
Truly, I see God now in a multitude of ways, in people who proclaim themselves as Wiccan, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, and even atheist and agnostic. I see God showing Himself in ways that isn’t just limited to the walk with Christ.
But, in the same breath, I must say that I am identify mostly right now in my life with Christ due to the suffering I’ve endured the past bunch of years. And because of that, I have returned to my faith in Christ, except this time I’ve brought other parts of my spiritual journey along with me and that’s what makes my journey to God so unique, like God Himself.
In doing so, I no longer feel the desire to get into those lengthy debates about whether reincarnation exists, about whether it’s a one and done type of deal here, about whether prayers are even answered, about whether God is for or against homosexuals, or even about the notion of if God exists, why do bad things happen then?
Each of those discussions only ever bring about more stress and confusion and move away from what I find is the most important thing in life now and that’s to love each other no matter where their walk is with God.
So, whether you choose to believe in God or not, or how you worship that God every day, or what principles you stand by under that God is, is something I ultimately feel is meant for you. Your journey with whatever exists Greater than you is just that, your journey and not something I think is meant to be thrown onto someone else and argued until they either give up in anger or conform.
That isn’t the way my soul has been leading me, nor is it ever what I saw in Christ, Muhammad, Buddha, or any of the other beings of Great Light that dedicated their lives to God, Oneness, and unconditional love. And although many factions have split off over the centuries ever since, taking original teachings that were once filled with peace and love, and go one to do many bad things all in the name of God, I believe it all started with attempting to argue and debate religion with someone out of fear, instead of just accepting and unconditionally loving them.
Some might say my words here is heresy and well, that’s what was said to so many who have walked on their own path alone with God and shared their experiences along the way.
I’m just thankful I no longer fall into the illusion anymore that God only manifests in a certain way. And I’m also thankful I embrace everyone’s spiritual views these days instead of engaging in any lengthy debates and arguments anymore. Because the only thing they ever did was lead me away from the very thing I believe God is, that being unconditional love, light, and peace…
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson
