Book review: Finding Spirituality After Doubt Has Shattered Your Beliefs

More people are disengaging from traditional religion because of divisiveness, contradiction, and hypocrisy. What can we do to find harmony beyond all this?

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shouldstorm/202112/finding-spirituality-after-doubt-has-shattered-your-beliefs

Interesting article. Very different from my experiences though. Some religious backgrounds consider people more spiritual when they question their beliefs and religion. Does not sound like the author comes from a background like that. Some religions encourage debating beliefs with others and studying to figure out what you do believe.

I do have to say I'm having a lot of trouble with the belief of afterlife that some religions present. Keep reading articles like these: https://www.optimistdaily.com/2022/02/first-study-of-dying-human-brain-gives-a-glimpse-into-our-final-moments/ Also, have seen several scientific explanations of NDEs. Makes it hard to believe in which is very depressing when you've lost someone. Some religions don't include a belief of the afterlife. Some do and some include beliefs not only of an afterlife but of reincarnating.

I do feel strongly that science and religion should complement each other not contradict each other. Often, they're both trying to get answers to the same questions but in very different ways. It shouldn't have to be where you have to choose one or the other.

Yes, the author of the book came from a very fundamentalist background and became a pastor for 24 years, yet was able to transcend it by listening to the doubts of his parishioners. Learning to think for oneself can transcend all limited beliefs.
In the words of teacher J. Krishnamurti, don't believe anything you are told until you have investigated it for yourself and find that it is true. I grew up in a neighborhood of stanch Catholics, but today most Catholics I know are lapsed!

Fortunately while young I got exposed to authors such as Alan Watts (a former Anglican priest) from whom I learned much about comparative world religions, especially Buddhism. Zen, Taoism, etc.

I like the optimistic view of death that many near-death experiencers have reported. Beats rollin' 'round heaven  

Two movies I saw many years ago had strong impacts on me:
Richard Burton as a minister in Night of the Iguana, where he has a breakdown questioning his rout Methodist faith which lacked enough emphasis on a God of love.
Ellen Burstyn in Resurrection, where she has an NDE and discovers she has the power to heal with touch. The Fundamentalists in her town try to kill her because she won't acknowledge it is Jesus working thru her and hence must then be the work of the Devil.

I hope to see more book reviews here!