Forum topic: Peace

I spent an hour on the phone last night, with a gentleman I met on social media who's become a friend.  He grew up only miles from where I am now, but also spent time (years ) , living very close to where I'm from. ( my place of origin...where I grew up ). 

This gave him a unique perspective which I recognized and asked him if we could talk. I picked his brain in other words. 

Within that talk...he identified the culprit that has caused me endless grief since I arrived here,  especially within the ecosystem of my SO's family. 

To be clear...I'm not about to sight religion as a problem. I don't have a problem with religion for what it's worth.  I do have a big problem however with judgmental people. And certain Religions in particular, that breed judgment as a core feature in their system of belief .  The "Heirrachal System" I've referred to here recently. 

My friend explained what happened to me. In his debriefing...he explained the following: Paraphrasing;  "because I grew up around these people...I was "let in" on their beliefs and more specifically...:they we're explicitly taught...that those not in their belief system were seen as a "sub-species" ie: below them, lesser than, dehumanized, unworthy.

  Explicitly...not ..implicitly taught, by the place they went to, for answers in the world.

I've thought about this, and it rings true. This glass wall or invisible shield...was at the heart of everything I experienced.  And the net effect of, or end result ( bottom line ) arrives to you at the relieving end as judgement. 

Not only that, as my friend described, "they can do anything to you they want...and not feel a thing about it." Why? Because you're a "sub-species"....less than human. Or at least...less than they are. The "us" and "them" mentality. 

I mean, this is it as far as I'm concerned.  If everywhere you go...and your brain has to determine if the other person is an "us" or a "them ". Then speaking as a "them"...I can tell you what happens. 

RSD. If you're a "them" you're rejected before you even walk through the door. Rejection becomes a way of life...especially if you don't share the same belief system...including: "secret hand shakes and signals ",  between members to indicate  who's an "us", and who's a  "them"....

As my friend so eloquently described. Shunning is a way or expression...it becomes engrained into the culture.

Fortunately for me...I developed an immunity to shunning. It has almost no effect on me other than being extremely annoying.  I don't have strong beliefs in any one particular "system of beliefs"  in fact....I've learned there is a name to describe me ( of course there is ):

"Omnism is the belief in, recognition of, and respect for all religions and their gods, based on the idea that all faiths contain elements of truth and represent different paths to a single, shared ultimate reality. An "omnist" believes that no single religion holds all the truth, but rather that all faiths collectively offer a, or a, glimpse into the divine."

I can make that easier and less wordy.  My belief system is critical thinking. Full stop.

When I say, "I split the program" at about 10 years old and refused to go to Chruch anymore ( at my moms extreme protest ) that what I'm talking about. It's the road less traveled....no one said it was going to be easy.

J