Posted by Fiona I don't know if I can give any advice - but I can give some thoughts that occured as I read your message. You appear to feel responsible for your sister being where she is now (i.e. you got her into religion) Do you therefore feel responsible for getting her out of where she is? Can we be responsible for other people's actions/life choices. I have not yet finished E.C. but one message I think I understand is that we have to accept reponsibility for ourselves and our own feelings only. You seem to be a great place and would like her to be in that place to. This I can totally understand but she can only get there herself. One thing I have found in my life is that I move on when the time is right for me and with hindsight I can realise that it wouldn't have worked at any other time. i.e. I didn't have enough self knowledge to be able to move on to another level of awareness. I have also found that the tools for moving on come into my life at the right time. I think that some people hide behind religion because they are scared. Of what? Real life, living without rules to guide them, needing the conformity if religion, needing the approval of others because they 'believe'. Yes they can be closed minded and unaware but it keeps them safe. Does your sister 'need' religion for one of these reasons? I have not been in your situation but I have been in the position where I can see that someone I care about is unhappy and I can see why. The hardest thing is to stand back and have to let them find their own way. You can only be here for them and hope that they can look at you and see the peace you have found for yourself and start to think 'I want some of that too'. Religion is controlling, it is very, very sad and the consquences of religious beliefs are sometimes horrific. But I guess you handle it like anything you don't agree with. Trying to empathise with the other person, not agreeing with their beliefs but trying to understand why they have them. Have I said anything of any value? Or did I totally misunderstand your point Tony? Or even worse tell you what you already know (not intentional) Feel free to ignore me/tell me I got it wrong/insult me! The non-christian in me will turn the other cheek! Be happy Fiona --Previous Message--
on 3/19/2006, 2:28 pm, in reply to "Christian Faith"
86.128.211.83
Hi Tony
: Greetings and Peace to all who open
: this thread!
:
: Well I grew up with my litte sister,
: she is two years younger them me.
: We are now both approaching 50. In
: our college days together she
: followed me somehow around in the
: university and also into military
: service. We were both in the early
: days "Christians." My
: life took me off to Europe and she
: stayed in the states and got
: married. Of course we all know that
: marriage sometimes does not work.
: When it goes bad it can have adverse
: effects on ones personality and
: character. She is still christian
: and as she approaches 50 it is
: amazing how closed minded and
: unaware these people can be. I was
: the one who got her into this
: religion but somehow I was lucky
: enough to work my way through it.
: Now I am really at peace about life,
: myself and the crazy world around
: me.(If "Heaven" is not
: right now where your sitting, where
: will you Look?) But my sister is
: still caught up in it. She has two
: daughters from her x-man and I was
: just wondering if someone
: understands where I coming from and
: could give me advice or a tip on how
: to handle people who are still being
: controlled by their religion. It
: has been said that it is the modern
: Opium of the People. When one
: becomes aware and sees through the
: smoke screen their is no doubt that
: billions are caught up in this and
: it is very, very sad.
:
: Tony
:
:
:
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