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Ask A Religious Scientist: If all paths lead to God, how do you choose one?

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What do you want to know about Religious Science? Revs. Joe and Toni Niemiec, New Thought ministers, are ready to answer your questions. Fill out the form below or submit your question online

Q. If all paths lead to God, how do you suggest for one to go about choosing one path over any other path?

Ad_House_SPO_ask-a-religion-scientist_091013Most people are given a spiritual path or religion as children, based on their families and/or culture. As people mature, they quite often question the beliefs they were raised with and find new answers within their teaching or begin looking for something that speaks to their own personal beliefs more closely. It is not uncommon for people in their 40s and 50s to begin looking for and finding different traditions that speak to them in a more personal way.

What is common today is what is called church-shopping. People may find a place that speaks more personally to beliefs they have held or answers questions that have been bothering them. I would suggest going numerous times to a particular church you may be interested in and attending any classes that they might offer relative to their beliefs.

We Americans so often want a quick fix and, in the search for a new spiritual path, I strongly suggest keeping an open mind while taking the time to study different teachings. One does not become a Zen Buddhist during one weekend retreat, nor can you accept a new definition of God from hearing one or two Sunday talks.

Read books based on various teachings. Religious Science is based on “The Science of Mind” first written in 1926 by Ernest Holmes, with a second edition (used as our text) revised and edited in 1938.

When you have read the foundational writings, ask yourself, “Are the spiritual leaders and teachers (ministers, rabbis, monks, imams, etc.) you’re listening to teaching from that openness or is their interpretation vastly different from yours?” Ask questions of the teachers, the spiritual leaders. Most of all, ask yourself, “Does this speaking support me in my quest for spiritual understanding? Does it feed my soul? Does it make my heart sing? Do I believe in the basic principles of this teaching?” Taking time to listen within, to tune out those around us who may have a vested interest in our choice, we find the answer.

Remember that searching for a new spiritual path is real work and finding a teaching that speaks to you is often only a part of that work. We must then also release our beliefs of the past — those that we no longer consciously believe but that have been with us since childhood.

Joe Niemiec
Joe Niemiec
The Rev. Joe Niemiec Jr. began his spiritual quest in 1986 when he walked out of a Houston jail and was struck by the realization that his life was in shambles. He began his quest for ‘getting back on track’ with 12 step programs, followed by learning and practicing meditation with a local Redding, California, teacher.

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Diane Kipp
Diane Kipp
10 years ago

Good article, and good advice on questions to ask when choosing one’s path.

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