"It's the goal of an oppressive institution to..."

"It is the goal of an oppressive institution (religious or otherwise) to keep their participants small and immature. For once a participant desires maturity, he/she no longer wants to be "on the bottle" that they are being fed, but wants to discover truth for themselves. This is a threat to an oppressive institution that thrives on the backs of those who are too afraid to question but believe that the institution itself has all the answers."  

- Aimee Dassele

Love Cannot Be Analyzed

"What I love about spirituality and mysticism (pursuit of God through direct experience, intuition, instinct or insight), is that it can only be experienced (and tested) subjectively. It requires an engagement of the heart, not just the intellect. We are given a brain, AND we are given a heart for a *reason*. To use only one is to live in a constant state of duality, confusion, and limited understanding. To dismiss the subjective heart experiences of others just because one thinks the other naive or weak, OR just because one doesn't know how to connect one's head to one's heart is not a discussion worth entering. Some things can only be deeply experienced, in a place without words or scientifically measurable evidence and analysis."

- Julie Ferwerda

I agree with this quote. 

While there is a place for hard questions, trying to analytically dissect faith, or spiritual experiences, is like trying to analyze and define love. We know it when we experience it. This is not head-knowledge, but an inner knowing. 

No explanations can satisfy the analyst, and none has to be given either.

Groupthink

Read this post - Monkey See, Monkey Do, by Steve McVey, on a study done on monkeys, on indoctrination.

In any system that is enslaved to groupthink, people who begin to question the unquestioned answers, will be viewed through the lens of suspicion, and labeled.

And since we hate the idea of being ostracized, often times, we resort to sticking our heads in the sand. 

It's a bit hard initially, but in the process of being true to ourselves, it is important that we stop expecting that everyone around us will nod in agreement with us. 

I thoroughly enjoy the company of people who are not afraid of questions (whether we agree with our answers we have at the moment, or not), than pretend-friendships that are based solely on social, political and/or doctrinal agreements.

The More You Know, The Less You Realize You Know...

"A life of faith is not defined by being proud of your answers; rather, it's defined by your humility to keep asking questions. 

When it comes to living a spiritual life of faith, the more you know, the less you realize you know, and therefore the more eager and prepared you are to keep seeking the truth. Don't be afraid to ask questions. That is what seeking the truth is: It's like picking up a question, throwing it into the dark forest outside, then taking the lamp of the Holy Spirit upon your feet, and, one step at a time, walking by faith until you not only find the question again, but also the answer wrapped around it as well."

- Mick Mooney