I was raised Lutheran, was forced to go to church because "Giving God one day a week was the least I could do". Shame and guilt are not a good foundation for any relationship, and by the time I went in service, I had had enough! It was rough, because my Mom was raised strict Lutheran,(my Dad used to joke that the Lutherans were going to be very lonely in heaven) and she was certain I was heading for hell. Luckily, she had a good head on her shoulders, and when I said I'd rather face God someday with what I honestly believed, than with an inherited religion, she understood. It was a long trip; Unitarians, Theosophical Society, Unity etc., but at a party one night, the talk turned religious, and host went and got his UB saying "You might find this interesting". What an understatement! Well, all the years of religiosity has so tainted me, that it took another 14 years of struggling with the Forward before I discovered Part IV. It opened up a real relationship with Jesus and Father. One final note, after years of trying to "sell" the UB to friends and family, I have come to realize that "it ain't free"... there is an entrance "fee" to be paid; You must be a sincere seeker of Truth. You need to be the one who instigates the search, no one convinces anyone by pushing them towards the book. Now I just try to let them know it is there, if and when they are ready.
Bro Dave
_________________ Life; the solitary journey that we share.
IMperfection... the REAL Gift.
|