I use Facebook as one of my virtual offices.

I was browsing through my Facebook newsfeed today, which is a normal Saturday morning for me. As a holistic health coach, I work with a majority of my clients virtually.

As I was browsing, I came across an image quote—one of those fancy background images with fancy lettering to capture the eye and stand apart from the usual, bland, black and white print quote statuses.

Well, I almost couldn’t believe my eyes when I read this one. The background was beautiful; it resembled a starry sky, and written on the top portion read:

“Karma—you get what you deserve”

and on the bottom portion read

“Christianity—Jesus got what you deserve.”

I try to steer clear of religious dogma. It just seems like an all-out principle war, at times, and someone always ends up emotionally injured, if they are on the opposite side of their opponent. I couldn’t help have this initial reaction.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

I wondered how this post makes people feel after they read it and if they feel loved by Christians because of it. I bet—slim-to-none felt loved. As a Christian myself, I just wanted to tell the person who posted it to shut up. I felt that nobody would want to enter a church because of the fear of judgment.

Seriously.

Have we honestly blinded ourselves from the truth of life and love? In my opinion, insinuating a person is worthless, or deserves what Christ went through, is soul deteriorating. To believe that we all deserve to be nailed to a cross and have a crown of thorns on our heads is heart wrenching to me. It’s quite disgusting actually. Jesus didn’t deserve to be murdered, and I don’t believe anybody does. That’s not love.

Our mission here on Earth is to love, isn’t it?

The problem I have with modern day religion is that a very large portion have an I’m not worthy of love attitude, and along the way some lose their strength, sight of their purpose, and have zero confidence in who they are as a people.

I see an increase in depression, among today’s society, all while dealing with these thoughts of unworthiness when a place to feel loved is sought.

Is this the introduction to love? Spare me.

Which is why I felt the need to speak up and speak out on this.

Normally, my blogs and posts consist of my favorite juice recipes or methods to stress less and detox life. As a holistic health coach, I take into account all aspects of health and part of that is our spiritual health. I can’t help but think that this negative self-talk is just another form of spiritual illness which, in turn, increases depression, anxiety and ultimately can bleed into other areas of our life including our physical health.

It’s one thing to appreciate a life sacrifice that was made, but it’s entirely different to depreciate the value of our own lives in the process.

More honestly, this modern religious mindset is ruining the truth of what Jesus intended to teach, which was to love our neighbor as ourselves.

I think the modern day religious sects should start focusing more on loving themselves and others.

I wish I could to erase the words and message the hundreds of thousands of people who hit the “like” button on that morning post in my news feed.

Instead, I would have written something along the lines of:

“Jesus thinks we’re loved no matter what we do.”

My religion is love—to love all.

 

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Apprentice Editor: Ashleigh Hitchcock/Editor: Travis May

Photo: Nina Matthews / Raymond Pauly/Pixoto