And So I Set My Spirit Free
By Tempest ~
I felt what so many others around the world felt- the sadness, fear, and anxiety at the mere thought of leaving their faith. All my life my Ive been told that God was real, and that Heaven and Hell were real. And yet, even as a young child, I had my doubts about God. If God existed, why was their so much sin and squalor in the world, even among his believers? If he loved people so much, why does he see us suffer?" These unanswered questions weighed down my heart, as I feigned faith in Jesus many years of my young life. I had a very religious niece, who talked often about saviour, refused to watch shows with "witchcraft or demons" in it, and often preached to me. Each time that she talked about God, my heart sunk- would I get in trouble for not believing in God? This Spiritual death left me in many years of depression, thoughts of suicide, and recently, attempted suicide.
And it was last year that I did research on Witchcraft. My teacher had briefly talked of it in class, and me, with my curious nature, being interested in learning, began to research. I joined a close online community of "Witches", and I began to learn. It completely changed my life forever. I learned the difference between Spirituality and Religion, learned why I was different, and for the first time in my life, I felt as if I belonged, and that heavy feeling that so often weighed heavy on my chest was gone.
My Spirit was Free!
I learned to connect with Nature, how to care minor ailments with herbs and stones. I learned to enjoy life, every day, and I found my faith in another path, a path that I haven't been walking for very long.
Many people have lost their faith, their sense of Self under the reigns of Christianity, and yet are afraid to leave, in fear of being wrong, in fear of the truth. Those of us who are not afraid of the Unknown dive in head first, and welcome the Spiritual freedom that comes outside of the Christian faith.
Whether it is yoga and meditation, a distant Goddess, paganism, or no belief at all, that curious spark-that spark that encourages us to question what we've been told for years-changes our life forever.
I felt what so many others around the world felt- the sadness, fear, and anxiety at the mere thought of leaving their faith. All my life my Ive been told that God was real, and that Heaven and Hell were real. And yet, even as a young child, I had my doubts about God. If God existed, why was their so much sin and squalor in the world, even among his believers? If he loved people so much, why does he see us suffer?" These unanswered questions weighed down my heart, as I feigned faith in Jesus many years of my young life. I had a very religious niece, who talked often about saviour, refused to watch shows with "witchcraft or demons" in it, and often preached to me. Each time that she talked about God, my heart sunk- would I get in trouble for not believing in God? This Spiritual death left me in many years of depression, thoughts of suicide, and recently, attempted suicide.
My Spirit was Free!
I learned to connect with Nature, how to care minor ailments with herbs and stones. I learned to enjoy life, every day, and I found my faith in another path, a path that I haven't been walking for very long.
Many people have lost their faith, their sense of Self under the reigns of Christianity, and yet are afraid to leave, in fear of being wrong, in fear of the truth. Those of us who are not afraid of the Unknown dive in head first, and welcome the Spiritual freedom that comes outside of the Christian faith.
Whether it is yoga and meditation, a distant Goddess, paganism, or no belief at all, that curious spark-that spark that encourages us to question what we've been told for years-changes our life forever.