In Religion Love Is Painful

Summary

The text critically examines the concept of suffering and sacrifice in religion, suggesting it perpetuates a cycle of pain and a feeling of never being good enough, advocating instead for a mindset of mutual respect and appreciation.

Abstract

The author reflects on the harmful effects of religious doctrines that emphasize suffering and sacrifice as prerequisites for receiving love and blessings. They argue that this emphasis on humility and self-abasement can lead to a sense of inadequacy and is a form of mental manipulation. The article suggests that such teachings are akin to brainwashing, keeping followers in a state of subjugation and distracting them from living fully in the present. Moreover, the author draws parallels between religious sacrifice and forms of slavery, highlighting the pervasive influence of religious ideologies on societal norms and individual mindsets. To combat these issues, the author proposes a few steps: treating others as equals, focusing on the positive qualities in people, and embracing one's true self without the constraints imposed by religious dogma.

Opinions

Religion's insistence on human suffering and sacrifice as a path to divine favor is criticized for promoting a toxic mindset.
The idea that one must be 'brought low' to receive true love is seen as a detrimental doctrine that perpetuates a sense of unworthiness.
The author believes that religious teachings can keep individuals in a defeated state, obscuring the reality of their suffering behind doctrinal justifications.
The article suggests that the power of religious beliefs over people's minds has not alleviated widespread suffering and may contribute to despair and suicide.
The author advocates for overcoming the religious mindset by valuing others equally, seeing the good in them, and being authentic without the masks imposed by religion.

Human + Sacrifice = Religion

“There comes a time where we must go our own ways” ~Toni Braxton~

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Many people believe they must suffer in this life because religion teaches us this is a sign of humility. This triggered my soul because, according to that logic, to receive true love, we have to be brought low. It puts many in a state that we are never good enough.

Why does religion always require human sacrifice for us to be perfect? Why must people deal with abuse to receive blessings in this life? Religion is the brainwashing that keeps its followers in a low estate.

How can people understand how to be present at this moment if they are always thinking they have to sacrifice others? Religion has left me with a broken mindset because it wasn’t real. It’s a cover-up to hide suffering in the name of a doctrine. The idea needs to stop.

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I have concluded that the language in religion is used to keep many people in a defeated state. We not only see human sacrifice in faith, but we also see it in countries that still have some form of slavery.

It’s unfair that these different religions have so much power over people’s minds, which hasn’t helped on a large scale. Many people are still suffering. Some are ending it all to find some relief. So what can we do? How can we overcome this?

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A few steps to overcome the religious mindset

1) Do not look at anyone else as beneath you; we share more similarities than differences.

2) Try to look at people and see the best in them; there are good qualities in people, and they don’t need your judgments to add to their suffering.

3) Learn to be yourself. Remove the mask that you learned from religion. Wash your mind from the mental destruction.

I just wanted to add my little two-sense. Maybe once the toxic mindset of sacrifice is removed, we can learn to appreciate the quality of others. 🙏🏽