I do want to start this post by acknowledging that this will be a basically religious bias that is not shared by everyone, and that I don’t argue about religion, I respect peoples’ right to their beliefs. Faith is such a deeply personal thing, and I’ve learned that arguments in that realm rarely create ”aha” moments—they often only further separate us, rather than bring us closer together.
But if we can take the conversation to that level: Big ideas, shared values, ethical ramifications, the real-world implications of some action or ideological stance, I remain open to dialogue. I’m not here to make anyone see the world the way I do, but I am here to find understanding, commonality and respect, even when we don’t view things the same way.
I have the right to talk about the religion that adopted me as a child and took me along for the ride and finally culminated into killing innocent children in Gaza and deporting my neighbors to El Salvador! But if you don’t want to talk about that, is it because you are afraid to go there?
Shalini I so appreciate you considering my perspective and I love you trying to make the world a better place.
We need you. I want you to figure out a way to help these people. I said it earlier - if they can be reached, the world would be healed.
I don’t know how to do it. I swear, I have tried. I tried until it almost destroyed me and my family. I NEED someone like you, who hasn’t been scarred and can see clearly.
But maybe you and others like you can all collect the experiences of those of us who have tried and form a different plan?
I know about a few of my abusers. I know they were hurt and insecure.
I know they acted the way they did because they never wanted to feel vulnerable again.
So they do it to others what was done to them to feel powerful.
How do we reach them? And just because we cannot be near them doesn’t mean we can’t love/pray for them from afar.
I pray for them to gain empathy. I pray for them to feel the pain they have caused others so that they seek relief from Source.
Thank you Michelle. I understand your pain. I also try. I try to make them understand every time they bother me with something. I ignore the pettiness. But when it bothers me, I make sure I let them know how they hurt me and continue to do so.
I go back to the roots. I ask them what is the difference between me and them. I ask them—is this why God created me? To serve you incessantly? To do everything for you so that you can come back and hurt me again?
Usually that serves as a good reminder until next time they hurt again. And if that doesn’t serve as a good reminder, I go back further still and call upon those who were responsible for their behaviors and ask them what is my fault in this time. That also helps.
But like I mentioned, my abusers are not really evil. They are just misled. So I think they can be changed. Attitudes can be questioned and challenged.
But how do we change those who intentionally hurt, kill, set fire on buildings while rescuing their pets? I don’t have answers to that.
Maybe we have to form an expedition to the prisons of the world and sit down to interview every one of them who have been bad and maybe from their truths will emerge a solution to the evil in this world.
Or maybe we just have to get money off the table, and let all people live without having to work for money. I don’t know the answers.
But there’s definitely goodness in the questions. Did you ask these questions to any of your abusers? What was their answer?
There absolutely is evil. The question of whether or not some men are born evil is still up for debate.
I do want to start this post by acknowledging that this will be a basically religious bias that is not shared by everyone, and that I don’t argue about religion, I respect peoples’ right to their beliefs. Faith is such a deeply personal thing, and I’ve learned that arguments in that realm rarely create ”aha” moments—they often only further separate us, rather than bring us closer together.
But if we can take the conversation to that level: Big ideas, shared values, ethical ramifications, the real-world implications of some action or ideological stance, I remain open to dialogue. I’m not here to make anyone see the world the way I do, but I am here to find understanding, commonality and respect, even when we don’t view things the same way.
I have the right to talk about the religion that adopted me as a child and took me along for the ride and finally culminated into killing innocent children in Gaza and deporting my neighbors to El Salvador! But if you don’t want to talk about that, is it because you are afraid to go there?
Shalini I so appreciate you considering my perspective and I love you trying to make the world a better place.
We need you. I want you to figure out a way to help these people. I said it earlier - if they can be reached, the world would be healed.
I don’t know how to do it. I swear, I have tried. I tried until it almost destroyed me and my family. I NEED someone like you, who hasn’t been scarred and can see clearly.
But maybe you and others like you can all collect the experiences of those of us who have tried and form a different plan?
I know about a few of my abusers. I know they were hurt and insecure.
I know they acted the way they did because they never wanted to feel vulnerable again.
So they do it to others what was done to them to feel powerful.
How do we reach them? And just because we cannot be near them doesn’t mean we can’t love/pray for them from afar.
I pray for them to gain empathy. I pray for them to feel the pain they have caused others so that they seek relief from Source.
Thank you Michelle. I understand your pain. I also try. I try to make them understand every time they bother me with something. I ignore the pettiness. But when it bothers me, I make sure I let them know how they hurt me and continue to do so.
I go back to the roots. I ask them what is the difference between me and them. I ask them—is this why God created me? To serve you incessantly? To do everything for you so that you can come back and hurt me again?
Usually that serves as a good reminder until next time they hurt again. And if that doesn’t serve as a good reminder, I go back further still and call upon those who were responsible for their behaviors and ask them what is my fault in this time. That also helps.
But like I mentioned, my abusers are not really evil. They are just misled. So I think they can be changed. Attitudes can be questioned and challenged.
But how do we change those who intentionally hurt, kill, set fire on buildings while rescuing their pets? I don’t have answers to that.
Maybe we have to form an expedition to the prisons of the world and sit down to interview every one of them who have been bad and maybe from their truths will emerge a solution to the evil in this world.
Or maybe we just have to get money off the table, and let all people live without having to work for money. I don’t know the answers.
But there’s definitely goodness in the questions. Did you ask these questions to any of your abusers? What was their answer?