JASONGASTRICH

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spirituality.

Spiritualty is an important part of life for many people; myself and my family included. Praying and meditating can help you obtain intangible qualities you need.

I have concerns about religious people who constantly fail to live up to their own religion's standards. Hypocrisy hurts the hypocrite more than it hurts everyone else because it's a waste of time to say one thing and do another. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Be consistent, but correct yourself, too. Grow. Thrive.

My Dad Rex Gastrich (aka Rex Ford) was the co-founder of Coleman College (now Coleman University). Not only did he staff the entire college, but he also found people jobs in the computer field for over 25 years and the applicants often told half-truths, exaggerated their strengths and hid their weaknesses (which is pretty typical on job interviews). They did this as well as they could in order to land a job. My Dad had to use discernment and nearly all of the interviews were conducted over the phone, so he didn't even get any facial cues or body language signs. You can learn a lot when you listen very closely.

u.s. christianity.

Did 21st century, American fundamentalist Christianity get it all right? Or do you think this present snapshot of biblical Christianity we see from right wing conservatives might be a few degrees off the mark?

We all make our own beds and we will all have to lie in them, too. Some of us are in denial while others are processing difficult truths. Be sensitive to others because no two paths are exactly the same.

Don't act like you know it all. You don't. Every person should constantly be updating their beliefs with new information. If we aren't learning and adding on to what we know, then what's the point? Would it be better to hold on to lies just because our parents believed them? Of course not.

After I had a religious awakening in college, I blazed a very religious path for over a decade. Being raised by fundamentalist extremists helped me explore the Bible and fundamentalist Christianity to its core. During this time, I wrote a few books. One is a book of quotes and one is a book of possibilities. Discover what is provably true and take baby steps from there because a wrong starting point produces a false conclusion nearly every time.

you.

Decide to seek, find and follow the truth. That's really the only way to progress and become better. Building your life on a foundation of wishful thinking could cause some problems. Hang on to what you know is true. Don't worry about the rest. Avoid neglecting spirituality, but always spend some time focusing on the things you can see and feel.

Since we are so ignorant about so many things, what right do we have to judge others? Even though I've been raised with intolerance, I choose to accept others and whatever they want to believe and I'd like them to do the same for me. I can only hope our beliefs are empowering and helpful, not counterproductive. Let's work on showing everyone respect on their journey because we're on the same journey and it's a long and winding road.