learn how to seek out new ideas seeking new ideas is how to grow spiritually

How to Seek Out New Ideas and Grow Spiritually

We need people who know how to seek out new ideas to solve global problems. It’s the only way we will make the world a better place. So, are you on the side of progressive thinking, or do you see it as an enemy of your religious beliefs? Don’t let fear hold you back from growing.

If you don’t challenge yourself, you won’t grow. That being the case, you’ll need to become comfortable breaking down old ways of thinking. You do this by examining your paradigm and beliefs and eliminating harmful ones. When you stay the same, you are easier to control. To regain control of your mind, you must challenge the cultural narrative and question the national folklore.

Why Seeking New Ideas is Difficult

Most people will tell you they want to learn and grow. The problem is many people get sidetracked by commercialism, entertainment, and religion. You lock yourself into a rut when you substitute mythology and superstition for facts and processes.

Anti-science and anti-intellectualism are a growing problem. These ideologies get the support of three of the most influential religions. Christianity, Islam, and Judaism (1) all support the return to dark age beliefs and values. Today, these religions still control much of the cultural narrative. This is why bias and prejudice are growing. Religious and political conflicts are increasingly violent.

“Religion has ever been anti-human, anti-woman, anti-life, anti-peace, anti-reason and anti-science. The god idea has been detrimental not only to humankind but to the earth. It is time now for reason, education and science to take over.” — Madalyn Murray O’Hair

“Christian churches and Muslim groups have no more right to have their say than women’s institutes or trades unions. The government has actively encouraged faith-based education and therefore given a megaphone to religious voices and fundamentalists.” — A. C. Grayling

Here is a chart of religions by population (2).

Religions By Population

We are creatures of habit, and because we like routines, we resist change. Therefore, the only way to grow is to challenge our patterns of belief. However, organized religion uses our habitual nature to control what we think. You must make a choice. If you want to grow, it will require breaking old ways of thinking.

Breaking away from organized religion is complicated. These religions make it hard to leave because they want to keep paying customers. They don’t want you seeking new ideas. How do they make it hard? Here’s the shortlist of tactics:

1) Religion is the home of group and self-hypnosis methods for controlling people. These are proven methods of mind control. The more you exposure, the more susceptible you become to the programming of radical ideas.

2) Link their belief system to your life in as many ways as possible. They use their social reach in friendships, business, and social systems. It is hard to leave if all your friends are in the system. If your work or business depends upon your relationship with the system, leaving is hard.

3) Confuse the belief in their system with learning. It’s known as making faith and belief perform like knowledge. You get brownie points for memorizing meaningless texts, doctrine, and dogma. It keeps you busy, but leads nowhere.

Want to Grow Spiritually?

Seeking New Ideas and Grow Spiritually

There’s a great debate going on about what spiritual growth means. How do we know if we are spiritually awake? Does it matter to be spiritually aware in the modern world?

We have an innate desire to explore. The need to understand ourselves is the natural impetus for the spiritual quest. However, joining a religion doesn’t make you spiritual. Nor does it mean you are on a path that will promote growth.

Memorizing ancient texts is not the answer. People have been doing that for ages, and the world is not a better place for it. To grow spiritually, you need to make internal changes.

“Truth is not to be found outside. No teacher, no scripture can give it to you. It is inside you and if you wish to attain it, seek your own company. Be with yourself.”  — Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Osho

People have devoted their lives to organized religion, and in the end, this has led to wars, genocide, and increased tensions.

“Religious intolerance is an idea that found its earliest expression in the Old Testament, where the Hebrew tribe depicts itself waging a campaign of genocide on the Palestinian peoples to steal their land. They justified this heinous behavior on the grounds that people not chosen by their god were wicked and, therefore, did not deserve to live or keep their land. In effect, the wholesale slaughter of the Palestinian peoples, eradicating their race with the Jew’s own Final Solution, was the direct result of a policy of religious superiority and divine right. Joshua 6-11 tells the sad tale, and one needs only read it and consider the point of view of the Palestinians who were simply defending their wives and children and the homes they had built and the fields they had labored for. The actions of the Hebrews can easily be compared with the American genocide of its native peoples – or even, ironically, the Nazi Holocaust.” ― Richard Carrier, Sense and Goodness Without God: A Defense of Metaphysical Naturalism

“If something can be proven with facts, you don’t need faith.  Faith requires disbelief in facts for it to work.  Belief and faith masquerade as evidence, but it is nothing more than the results of religious brainwashing.” — Guru Tua

How to Seek Out New Ideas

We need to find solutions to global problems. We need freethinkers, people who can find answers to complex global issues. Unfortunately, the superstitions of the most popular religions still have significant influence over the cultural narrative. The Abrahamic faiths fight vigorously to maintain their customer base. They fight against the progress of science. These people are the true enemies of progress. They fight against the discoveries of the hard sciences and facts because they need to keep as a paying customer.

Here are the steps we recommend:

1) Examine Your Beliefs

If you want to find out how to seek out new ideas, you need to examine the boundaries of your beliefs. Ask yourself, “When was the last time I challenged my thinking and beliefs?” Confronting your beliefs is the first step to spiritual and intellectual growth.

If you are a member of one of the religions listed in the chart above, it’s time for a reality check. Perhaps you are one of those who aren’t satisfied with the answers they give. Or, maybe you see through the circular logic used to support discrimination and the erosion of personal rights. If so, it is time to become a Freethinker. Learn to grow spiritually and intellectually by creating your path.

We don’t expect you to agree with everything. So we hope it is a catalyst to challenge the way you think. We encourage you to learn how to seek out new ideas about spirituality. It’s true. We’ll occasionally tread upon your sacred ground, hoping it will open your mind. That’s what an excellent teacher should do.

2) Identify Harmful Programming

Harmful beliefs start with a “chosen one” mentality. It is the sectarian philosophy that makes people believe an imaginary friend chooses them. Therefore, you are better than others. So, much better than you can kill other people who don’t believe as you do. You can also identify these kinds of beliefs by the fruit they produce. They produce people who use their imaginary friend to justify bias, prejudice, and discrimination.

3) Minimize and Eliminate the Source

It is difficult to remove negative thought patterns if you keep exposing yourself to harmful groupthink manipulation tactics. Many people start by minimizing their exposure. Stop watching religious-oriented programming and news, including all Christian network-supported programming like Fox News.

In some cultures, it is tough to eliminate your exposure to the power of religious dogma. They design it that way to protect their customer base.   You may need to learn how to project the outward appearance of assimilation to keep from being subject to their wrath.

4) Read and Study the Forbidden

Study basic science. (3) The scientific thinking method will help you regain control of your mind. We also recommend you consider developing your consciousness and discovering what spiritual exploration is about. Last but not least, learn why you should enhance your critical thinking skills.

We highly recommend reading anything on your paradigm’s forbidden books list (4). If they don’t want you to read it, they are afraid of it and only fear what might help you choose another path.

So, after you ask about challenging your thinking, then do it. Try it now. Write your most sacred beliefs. Then, do independent research, specifically looking for sources contradicting or presenting a different view. By entertaining these opposite points of view, you will grow.

In Conclusion

There are only two steps to the path of growth and development. First, identify your current opinions and beliefs. Then, the second step is the challenge them. You can do this. You need to grow. Your future and the world’s future depend on people who are awake. Learn how to seek out new ideas and grow spiritually and intellectually.

References

(1) Abrahamic Religions. 
(2) World Religions by Population
(3) Basic Books on Science
(4) List of Forbidden Books