Important Book About Religion as a Virus

Hi Darrel,

I realize I haven't replied to you in some time. Part of it was catching up on other things and part of it was reflecting on what I could contribute to your purpose.

I've attached an article that explains who I am on the religion issue. Feel free to publish it if it suits your purposes.

As far as starting any groups I'm not interested in doing that. Although I appreciate what you are doing and I see an enormous need for "rehabilitation of abused christians and members of other faiths" I do not agree with the proposed method. Simply put, for me, the Divine resides within. I can access it any time I want, and I do. I do not believe it is necessary to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I believe the real nature of God, or Source, or the Divine can be explained and separated from the religious indoctrination of the past 2 milleniums.

I have found my way there by ridding myself of the physical, sexual and religious abuses I suffered as a child. As each layer was stripped away, the true nature of my soul and my connection to the Divine was revealed. For me this is bedrock, a foundation I can rely on and a feeling of truth that reverbererates throughout my body.

When I was still in practice I attended a number of meetings based on the AA model, where people got to talk about their experiences, their trials and tribulations, without being judged. As a psychologist I found these leaderless groups to be limited. The psychological dynamics that underlie any addiction or pattern of abuse have to be exposed. That requires an expert, or least, a well crafted guidebook. When I saw some of these people in my office that was the tack taken and results were good.

In the case of your work I understand the desire to keep all elements of indoctrinated faith out of the mix, since they have proven themselves to be a source of abuse and compromise from the very beginning. But for me there is a place inside where all these contradictions can be dissolved, leaving only the primary elements of faith which have NOTHING to do with religion.

I can tell you honestly it was a total surprise to me at first. As I worked through my own issues and helped my clients work through theirs I discovered this unwavering element within and couldn't believe my eyes. Today, I can safely and proudly say, that the further I move away from religion, the closer I come to God.

This is who I am Darrel and I'm past the point of lobbing off parts of myself to fit some program. I applaud your work. I applaud your book. You sir have a very important mission. If you like my article and it fits your agenda then please use it and let me know. I can produce more from my new found platform as a Spiritual Psychologist.

I wish you every success in this Very Important Endeavor.

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The God Virus: How Religion Infects Our Lives and Culture by Darrel W. Ray, Ed.D.
A ground breaking study of religion and its practical effects. Why are people so clear about the faults and failures of other religions and so blind to those of their own? Learn how religion impacts and influences your life and what you can do about it. See http://www.thegodvirus.net/ for more information.

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