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And it was interesting what ExPentecostal wrote about whether you perceive the guilt as coming from people or from God... I think mine comes from God and therefore might be harder to shift?


That's what I thought too... I thought the guilt came from God, and I embraced it accordingly (i.e. I am flawed and need to measure up spiritually). When I determined that my guilt had in fact come from humans and not from God, the shift away from it became much easier.

The fact is, humans wrote everything ever written about God. In 90% of religious doctrines, you will find that their means of enforcing their doctrines rely on guilt and fear.... fear that God might send you to hell or be disappointed in you... guilt that you have failed God.... shame that you do not "measure up" to the religious doctrines. All of these doctrines were written by humans.

Am I saying that God and Jesus are myths? Not at all... simply that all we know about either one of them are things that humans have written. Religious fundamentalist leaders grab hold of these doctrines and try to enforce them on their followers with threats of hellfire and damnation. That's where all the guilt, fear, and shame comes from. Once I realized this, it became much easier to break free of their grip on my soul.

Let's say for the sake of the Christians here that the story of Jesus is true, and that He died for our sins to provide forgiveness for mankind. If that is in fact true, where did all the guilt and fear come from to begin with?

The finger points right back at humans again.

:dohh