When you go to a bank to get a loan, the bank actually lends you back your own labor with interest, because they don't actually lend you the money. The money comes into to existence through your own effort to pay back the loan.

Religions are somewhat similar in that they first convince you that you don't have a connection to the creator unless you adhere to their teachings and disciplines.

And you grow up believing "until I open my personal connection to God I will find refuge within the spiritual safety of this religion".

And for the most part, the religion is designed to NOT allow you to stumble upon your existing connection to God except within the context of the said religion.

depends on the person and the leval of their obsessions with it. I.E. if a person embraces the ideals of most religions and this brings them a greater understanding of God (creator) and makes them a loving and moral person this si AWSOME,,, BUT when they become so obssesed with the idealism unstaed of teh principals ,, this can greatly crippel them spiritualy. I.e. If you can say that ALL things in a book are right and if u do not believ the exact things that i do ,, then u are wrong and are a bad person,,,, my point is when your "convictions" are of a crooked nature and make you go agianst what teh origonal principals of your religion are (like judging and not unconditonal love) , then it is defeating itself in a spiritual growth! ,. I have met mant true religious people who LIVE what they are taught, those are the ones who grow. The rest will suffer in the pursuit because of their own crooked convictions!

love n light,

rob

My religion consists of a humble admiration of the unlimitable superior who reveals Himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble minds. That deeply emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the incomprehensible universe, forms my idea of God. Quote by Albert Einstein

They hinder because they set out a strict doctrine that you must conform to.

There isnt much room in these man made religions to feel your own way to the God inside. For the most part they have externalised God and made Him someonr above and beyond them.

There needs to be complete freedom to discover the God within.Religion often claims to set one free,infact it stifles the discovery of the God within.

I believe the world would be a better place if all the organised religions ceased to exist.

But there only there because there is obviously a need for them. Some people enjoy the security that their religion gives them. And while people support these organisations then they will continue to exist.

Monty