I have written here on more than one occasion that people must penetrate their attachment to their ethnicity, nationality and religion. The New Message from God encourages people to be global citizens. Exactly how does one do that, exactly? All I know is that any religious custom that interferes with a person experiencing and expressing their deepest inclinations is part of the problem. Psychologist Vincent Smith has created a series of questions for exploring the extent of one’s religious investment. I will put it in the form of an image and text.

What is the strength of your religious conditioning?

Am I allowed to read these questions?
If I continue to follow my religion, will I gain something?
If I stop following my religion, will I lose something?
If I stop following my religion, will something bad happen to me?
Does my religion welcome all human beings regardless of what they do for fun?
Does my religion welcome all human beings regardless of culture and ethnicity?
Does my religion welcome all human beings regardless of sexual orientation?
Do these questions make me feel uncomfortable?
Does my religion encourage serving those who follow other/no religions?
Does my religion encourage fellowship with those who follow other/no religions?
Does my religion encourage separation from those who follow other/no religions?
When I do things that make me feel guilty, is it temptation by evil?
Am I in a battle against evil?
Are people who follow other/no religions evil?
Would I share these questions with my loved ones?
If I struggle with illness, does it mean I lack faith?
If I struggle with mental health issues, does it mean I lack faith?
If I struggle financially, does it mean I lack faith?
If I lack faith, will my community accept me?
If I lack faith, does that make me a bad person?
If I lack faith, does that make me evil?
If I lack faith, will I be punished?
Does reading these questions make me a bad person?
If I had no faith, would I still love my loved ones?
If I had no faith, would I value my own life?
If I had no faith, would I love myself?
If who I worship did not exist, would my life have any value?
If who I worship did not exist, would I still love my loved ones?
If who I worship did not exist, would I still love myself?
If I had no religion, would I care about other people?
If my religion was taken away from me, would my life still be worth living?
Would I share these questions openly?
If I left my religion, would my family still openly welcome me?
If I left my religion, are there any friends I would lose?
If I left my religion, would my community still openly welcome me?
Am I worried someone may find out I am thinking about these questions?
Does my religion serve humanity, or does humanity serve my religion?

What is the strength of your religious conditioning? It is well-known and well-documented that religious participation damages some people’s wholeness and integrity. I can appreciate people wanting to demonstrate that they are devoted, but they might just want to sit with the cool kids. Sometimes religion is used as a weapon to coerce people into doing things. Perhaps these questions will help some people get untangled.

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