Most have experienced a crisis in faith during their lifetime.
Some have experienced it with their organized religion. The most common is finding out your leader (pastor, priest, etc.) is human and not perfect. No excuses, but for some, a harsh reality leading to question and/or a crisis in their beliefs.
Some may have experienced it through perhaps in connection with a traumatic incident and/or loss of loved one. They may have a crisis in faith regarding their view and/or belief in God, the Creator, Source, etc.
Some crises are subtle; some, not so subtle.
We’ve all been experiencing crisis in faith in multiple forms over our lifetime – as our knowledge and experience grows, our beliefs change and grow as well – but recently it has really cranked up.
Our belief systems – and not just religious or spiritual – are being jostled or down right shook up, forcing us to take a closer look at those beliefs.
Some examples of shaken beliefs shared with me were (but not limited to):
- Teachers/school systems
- Organized religion
- Personal relationship(s)
- Local, state, and/or federal judicial system
- Local, state and/or federal government
- Rights – both human and animal
- Racism/Prejudices
These are just a very tiny portion of a very big iceberg.
Why is This Happening?
We have (generalized) accepted others view and beliefs our whole life; usually starting with accepting others beliefs as to who we are – especially as a child growing up. We may have heard many labels, and accepted those on blind faith.
- Troublemaker
- Golden Child
- Good-for-nothin’
- Little Angel
- Freak/Mistake
- Perfect
We also grew up with someone else’s religious beliefs, family “traditions” (which are not always pleasant or healthy “traditions”), prejudices, etc.
But we come to a point where we have to ask ourselves, “Is this my belief, or did someone else give to me, and I accepted it?”
If it didn’t originate in you, your next step may be to see if that belief fits you or not. If not, drop it.
That is just one small example. We are now evaluating our beliefs, in varying degrees, practically daily now.
And it’s happening because it is time for the blinders to come off and to discover you and your own beliefs.
Many have seen on FB where I will write:
Let the truth be known
Let the truth be shown.
We, each individual, are now learning to quit looking outside of ourselves for our own beliefs.
While it’s fine to explore and ask questions, it is no longer okay to blindly accept what you are being told. Many have experienced the frustration with being told what to believe, or what not to believe, by disinformation coming at us left and right. Listen within.
We are being asked, and guided, to release any beliefs that we accepted from an external source, and to look within ourselves to find our own true individual beliefs, on and for everything.
Tall order, eh? Yes, but most are up to the task…just keep faith in self.
Our beliefs do change and grow as we change and grow.
For example, perhaps you used to believe there is nothingness after we die. We die, the end.
But then you started having some undeniable experiences that seem to contradict that belief.
Crisis in faith. Crisis in belief. Your belief was shaken and you had to take a good hard look at that belief.
It can be scary, especially when you’re facing the “death” of a steady, longtime belief – a crisis in faith on a long held belief – and the potential “birth” of a new belief, which sprang forth from within you.
As we grow and change, it is okay to have your beliefs grow and change.
A crisis in faith (beliefs) really isn’t a negative thing. Yes, it can be upsetting, frustrating and disruptive, but imagine what wonders will be discovered as you let the beliefs you accepted from others fall to the wayside and what wonderful, new-to-you, your beliefs that can come in.
What will you discover about self, and the world you live in?
by Jan Toomer
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