How to reconcile CwG with my Christian friends?

How can I lovingly respond to friends who tell me that the only way to access God is through Jesus Christ and that I will be condemned if I don’t accept him as my Lord and Savior? I love Conversations With God and still attend a Christian church, but I am beginning to feel alienated there. Please help!… Patt

Dear Patt… My father, who believes as your Christian friends do, once told me he was worried about my Soul. I told him as earnestly as I could that God and I have a wonderful, loving, close personal relationship and he need worry no more! I think it helped ease his mind.

Living in Nashville, the city some refer to as the Buckle of the Bible Belt, I sometimes find myself in conversations about my CwG work with fundamentalist Christians. When this happens, I make an effort to relate to them in terminology that they can understand. I look for common ground in these discussions because the foundational principles of Jesus’ teaching and Conversations With God are not so very different, although CwG offers us a much larger view of Life and how it works. Knowing that each of these discussions is an opportunity to gently introduce people to CwG and to help expand their spiritual awareness, I try my best to be impeccable with my word and as loving as possible.

Since you are being proselytized to, Patt, you may want to suggest setting judgment aside and listening with an open mind when discussing each other’s beliefs. Then speak your truth, but soothe your words with peace and loving kindness. Don’t be surprised, though, if, as time goes on, you feel yourself being pulled more toward other people who share your beliefs. You may even find that a different church or spiritual center more deeply resonates with you, and please don’t feel guilty about it if this happens. You may make wonderful new friends who will support you on your life’s journey and in your spiritual growth.

(Annie Sims is the Global Director of The Conversations With God School, is a CwG Life Coach and author/instructor of the CwG Online School. To connect with Annie, please email her at Annie@TheGlobalConversation.com.)

(If you would like a question considered for publication, please submit your request to:  Advice@TheGlobalConversation.com, where our team is waiting to hear from you.)

 

Comments

6 responses to “How to reconcile CwG with my Christian friends?”

  1. mewabe Avatar
    mewabe

    I am not sure that I understand why it would be necessary or simply preferable to respond “lovingly” (politely is one thing, but “lovingly”???) to a person who is essentially putting another person on the defensive, forcing that person to defend his or her spirituality as if on trial.

    Do these Christians actually care about what they view as another person’s “salvation”, and even if they genuinely do, isn’t their belief that they alone know the ultimate truth a tiny bit on the arrogant side, and possibly offensive when they proselytize, which is a nice word for pushing one’s beliefs on others?

    Hasn’t the world suffered enough from this form of abuse from certain religions?

    Jews, Buddhists, Taoists, Native Americans do not do this…Indians do not go out there and say “Come to the sweat lodge this evening and accept the stone grandfathers as your savior or you will go to hell my friend”.

    I personally avoid Christians at all cost…thank Goddess I live in California!

  2. mewabe Avatar
    mewabe

    I know that by my comment above I appear to “miss the point” of having the opportunity to “lovingly” introduce people to CWG…but I wouldn’t do this either.

    I find the CWG material interesting, as I do many other spiritual teachings, but I would not attempt to “convert” anyone to it or to any other belief or worldview, spiritual path or way of life. There is a lot of material out there on spirituality, and all of it is widely available to anyone who is actually interested.

    I have met many people who, because having a belief, feel a need to entice others to follow the same path. Why is this? Do people actually think that if we all believed the same way, the world would be at peace? Do we all have to be clones in order to get along?

    This is a widespread perception, one that betrays an underlying and dangerous misunderstanding of what peace and harmony are: to aim at eradicating differences to achieve peace is to demonstrate the false belief that peace cannot ever exist in the natural condition…that it can only happen if humanity becomes a homogeneous mass of group thinkers…thinking and believing as one…which mean, actually, no longer thinking, just believing.

    Real peace, harmony can only come when embracing diversity, of beliefs, lifestyles, cultures, racial and gender identities, and from understanding the fundamental interdependence that holds this beautifully creative diversity as one.

  3. Marko Avatar
    Marko

    Hi Annie I think you have a sound approach to this often very touchy charged subject.

    To be frank, it can certainly be tiring to get into these discussions with closed minded people. However, it’s “our” attitude & vibrational energy that can help shape & direct the discussion from one of harsh negative judgment debating, to one of friendly openness, acceptance & gentle discussion & or disagreement where we differ.

    Each of these people we encounter is coming from a different space of understanding & awareness. They’ve come into our space for a reason.

    We may possibly see them coming from a very narrow minded spectrum awareness. Even if that is true, the biggest effect we can have on them may simply be being nice & friendly to them. In turn, even if no agreement is reached, they leave knowing that a more metaphysical, new thought or new age person didn’t belittle them or cut them down. Rather, they simply listen & discussed similarities as well as differences.

    Now in the future, when their hearts start to open up & questions come up about the possible expanding of their spirituality, will they return to discuss this with the person who was dismissive & argumentative or to the one who was friendly, respectful & kind?

    We do not have to be rude because we disagree, that is our own stuff coming up & that is what needs to be examined.

    In fact, in the future, those whom seem most against the ideas we express may become our biggest advocates & even our teachers. Their fire & passion now focused on a more expanded spirituality will accelerate their process thus benefiting us all.

    And to think it started from a loving discussion where they felt heard instead of dismissed.

    Magical blessings,
    -Marko

    Thank you, Marko. I guess I’m especially willing to go the extra mile in these conversations because of my Dad’s sincere concern about me. I know he was genuinely worried, and it took quite a bit of courage for him to open up about it.

    One thing I would add is, I never intend to impose my thoughts or beliefs on anyone. Rather, I am willing to share if people seem to want to have a good, heart to heart dialogue about faith and spirituality. I definitely adhere to the 15-word New Gospel from Conversations With God:

    “We are all One. Ours is not a better way. Ours is merely another way.”

    Much love,
    Annie

  4. Marko Avatar
    Marko

    More great points Annie.

    I’m quite fascinated about your dads experience & his concern for you. I’m happy you were such a help to him with your sincere gentle understanding & compassion.

    One thing I sometimes think about is, how terribly hard it must be, to feel your family & friends are all doomed to hell if they don’t believe as you do.

    I never hear about this from people but it has to way heavily on them & how do they cope when others will not sway to their beliefs?

    Your sensitivity toward this is certainly a beneficial promotive healing balm.

    As you quoted “We are all One. Ours is not a better way. Ours is merely another way.” This is so refreshing to hear & use as a counteracting agent on this oft time touchy subject. The trouble with some rigid Christians is, they feel Theirs is the “only” way.
    And yet again, how we respond back makes all the difference.

    Love & blessings,
    -Marko

  5. Therese Wilson Avatar
    Therese Wilson

    Mewabe,

    For me, acting lovingly with those who think differently is my choice. Meeting hostility with hostility doesn’t work to change anything, it merely prolongs what is. If I meet hostility with civility, I have stopped playing the game of lose-lose, and exampled, quite simply, how I would like to see the world. Others can play the game the way they like, but I do not have to join in that game any longer.

    One of the reasons that I like the CWG thinking is that it states, very, very clearly, that ours is not the only way, it is but one way. Meaning, to me, that the ideal isn’t to have all who think alike, but all who agree to be different, if different they be. It means, to me, that instead of only one way, we move away from a place of judging something different, and start understanding why that something is different. This way of thinking is very appealing to me.

    As Marko states, we all, bottom line, wish to feel that we are heard. Even better than heard, would be understood, wouldn’t it?

    Therese

  6. mewabe Avatar
    mewabe

    Therese,

    I never act with hostility towards anyone who acts or thinks differently or the same…I remain respectful and civil. But I do not force myself to act loving (there is a difference between civility and acting loving) if I do not feel loving, I try to be real and honest at all times.

    I too like that the CWG material teaches tolerance, rather than unity through sameness, which always leads to tyranny.

    When meeting a person whose views (ideological, religious, etc) are quite different from mine, I try to understand where they come from, to learn something. But I do let them draw me into a debate, I simply do not state my own point of view…I keep my thoughts and opinions to myself, because I know that they would not be able to understand, that they are not ready to hear other views. If they were, they would have already found the material, the data, the source of information that would have opened their mind.

    In other words, unlike what I have done here lately when expressing so many of my opinions, in person I never give information or advice or share opinions unless specifically asked, because I know that what is not asked for is usually not welcome.

    Only when a person asks is the door actually opened for real conversation. Making statements, as I do here online, is not conversing…And in person, I prefer to have a real conversation.

    So when a religious person makes statements to me, such as about accepting Jesus etc, I listen politely, I may ask a few questions (I could be sarcastic and ask them why Christians believe in human sacrifice, such as in the case of the crucifixion, but I restrain myself), and I gently go on my way. I know from experience that anything else would be a waste of time and energy.

    I may express myself with some intensity when writing, but in person I am soft spoken and I have been accused of being too gentle. So I am not the scary monster I may appear to be here 🙂

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