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A call to awareness about how the ego has corrupted religion and spirituality. In this video, spiritual teacher Beth Green challenges us to self-examine and change. She describes the origin of the ego and how it develops. She then shows us how it begins to dominate all our lives and how that hurts us. And finally she makes us aware of just some of the ways the ego has corrupted the true purpose of spirituality. Watch this one to the end! The Divine energy builds up to a powerful conclusion. Subscribe to Beth Green TV. Share this video with others. If you think people should watch it, support an ad campaign to bring it to others. You can make a tax-deductible donation of any size to The Stream and it will go straight to spreading this video. For more about Beth and her work, and to learn how to contribute, go to http://bethgreen.org. While there, sign up for her newsletter and get your free PDF of Living with Reality. Tune into her radio show, InsideOut, on VoiceAmerica.com, at :http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2224/insideout.
Also see Beth’s other videos on Beth Green TV right here at YouTube.
I think the spirit of { Kindness } is divine ~
I think the spirit of { Compassion } is divine ~
I think the spirit of { Generosity } is divine ~
Because when we learn to act in ( The spirit of the Divine ) ~ We promote
harmony between one another and we become better people ~ What the world
needs now ~ Is better people ~ Not angry people ~ Blaming other people ~
But better people helping other people ~ Experience the Divine ~
Acting as if a *God* or even *The Universe* wants a Damn thing for *Your
Life / Your Wishes* that is also *Ego Driven!*
If you want to call Spirituality caring about others that isn’t
Spirituality that is called *Empathy!*
Why dress up *Empathy* into something that is centered around Religious BS
that is driven by *Fear, Threats, Manipulation, Intimidation, Etc*
Bottom line is God is a Psychological Projection of Your Own Ego!
That is why God Thinks Just Like You!
God Likes Just what You Like!
God Hates what You Hate!
So on and so forth!
There is No Evidence of a Divine Anything!
Really? What makes anything you say more likely than any of these other
bullshit religions?
Great Video. Beth just forgive them they dont no want they do. From a
christian ;)
Btw I should have stated I loved your insight and your spunk!
The entire spiritual pursuit is a completely self centered activity. What’s
an ego? Another concept and nothing more. Has anyone ever seen an ego,
touched an ego. Everything else is speculation. Even talk of oneness is
silly. If you experienced oneness you as you know yourself would not be
here. The issue is thought and thinking. Thought seems to appear and then
separation and then fear, isolation and the desire to get back. The one
trying to get back is as ficitonal as the separation.
BRILLIANT VIDEO. LOVE IT!!!
Powerful words!
It’s great to see someone pointing out how ego can hijack spirituality. Why
would it be any different than any other aspect of life? I find this
message especially relevant in light of the responses to Obama’s comments
at the national prayer breakfast. If we truly are one, than we need to take
an honest look at ourselves and be real with ourselves about we use ego to
justify ourselves and how everyone else does too. If we confront ourselves
on these matters to the best of our ability, it is also our responsibility
to confront the same in others. Thank you Beth! Though it is a very serious
topic, I laughed out loud so many times during this video!
+Beth Green TV & Radio Upon reflection allow me to point out the ambiguity
in your use of the term “ego” in the phrase at 2:25 ff “…the ego’s
associated with survival…”
Not quite. The reason “ego” is a negative thing is found in the term
“egotism” – that is to say; it is NOT because the ego per ce overcomes the
personality BUT because the ID overcomes the ego proper.
Freud (properly) uses “ego” as a quite neutral term.
It is not PART of duality but a MEDIATOR between a higher duality, called
the “superego” – that part of the mind which imagines and is forward
looking – set against the “ID” which is the thing YOU mean by ego.
—–
If I still have your attention, I will give you the benefit of the doubt
and say that I do not think this had occured to you;
that the “ego”, in common parlance, really means “egotism” and that this is
in conflict with the scientific use of that term.
Those of us who understand Freud have a valid objection to your (mis)use of
the term, not on grounds of this ambiguity-of-terms but on the fact that
you have put out your ego by publishing on the internet.
I (via Freud) can assert that that is a good thing; you have asserted your
ego validly, by virtue of placing it under the superego and over the ID.
Please meditate upon this.
——-
[edit] Try placing together the terms (from the science of which Freud id
the leading light):
1. ID, ego and superego
next to the terms
2. body, soul and spirit
We are now able to meditate upon the similarities and differences between
ID and body, ego and soul, superego and spirit.
This interaction of word meanings shows us how one may break down the
subconscious understanding into a conscious comprehension/naming of their
constituent parts; soul => senses, reason, emotion (a further trinity)
When the ego is under the rule of the superego we take our pleasure from
anticipated future merit – I did good and got nothing back,
but I am playing the long game of imaging a world I’d prefer to live in,
as opposed to the response of the ID which seeks happiness in more
imediate gratification/the immediate return of something good.
This is not just a description of the virtue of patience (for example) but
a description of virtue itself, of what “is nobler in the mind” as Hamlet
says.
Or again as Spinoza says (in paraphrase) this is a description of what is
the only true sin, and conversly the only true virtue.
What we hear as external (from other people, their writings etc) labels of
things called sinful/virtuous, are not our true sins/virtues. We have to
know ourselves thus;
through this process known as parsing,
and
through the extending of the delay of gratification to infinity/to never
and calling that our ‘spiritual’/’superego’ realm.
Video isn’t playing :/
This is a direct talk…
I disagree with part of your message; There is a God! God is our spiritual
father and he promised to fulfill all your needs according to his riches in
Christ Jesus.
what a wonderful person u r … thanks 4 being here 4 us
his video is a fantastic wake up call and I urge everyone to watch it! It’s
a real eye-opener as to how much ego dominates our spirituality and our
religious views. Beth talks about how much ego cloaks itself in religion
and furthers alienation and separation within ourselves and between one
another. I found it very liberating to see how pervasively ego has
dominated not only my own spirituality but my entire life! We all have ego
as that drive from infancy through every stage of life to meet our needs by
behaving in ways that will draw attention and resources to ourselves. Our
egos keep us in a state a separateness from our authentic selves, each
other and the oneness that we can experience with all of life. Beth offers
us insights and and refers us to tools that can help to liberate us from
egoically-dominated separateness and increase our connectedness with one
another and the process of living. This video is a breath of fresh air and
I hope you will enjoy it!
I see the truth in this and have been a part of using ego to pull on God
for most of my life and have used religion to make me feel and look better.
The information in this video makes so much sense. If everyone could take
this in with an open mind, it could really have positive impacts on our
world. For those who watch this and have a negative reaction, look deeper
within yourself. Thanks so much for speaking about this Beth!
yes i have read the koran lying and killing are in fact in there check ur
facts fool whose ego is hijacking now ? ur all over the map tripe alert
nice try but epic fail the basic premise has merit but then ur ego blows it
all to hell!
+Beth Green TV & Radio 6:43 ff “…I thought spirituality had to do with a
sense of oneness with the universe…”
The only problem I have with that sentence is “spirituality”; it is a
slightly (!) loaded term.
As a New atheist I still enjoy a sense of connectedness:
1/ with the universe –
not because I have a spirit to connect me, but because I know about atoms
and how the elements are made (we are stardust).
2/ with mankind –
not because I have Father in heaven but because I know about ‘Genetic Eve’,
and Lucy (the Eve in the fossil record).
3/ with my neighbours –
not because I share their spirituality, but because I have empathy (and so
do they).
*______*
That said. this Bonobo agrees with pretty much all you say about the ego. I
had to get out of religion, decades ago, precisely because of how the big
egos throw their weight around, using dogma as authority.
Very few (and very precious) are those in leadership who really put their
flock before their ego. I had to walk away from what Chesterton calls “this
weird and horrible humility”:
“This is the great fall, the fall by which the fish forgets the sea, the ox
forgets the meadow, the clerk forgets the city, every man forgets his
environment and, in the fullest and most literal sense, forgets himself. ”
G.K.Chesterton – The Defendant
I realised I was a Bonobo living in a society ruled by common Chimps, but
in you I recognise your inner Bonobo. Thank you for sharing that.
You sound New Age to me. I’m going to run for the life of my soul away
from such absolute crap!
Wow! Thanks Beth…I couldn’t agree more!! There is so much ego on parade
in the world. And virtually anyone who challenges religion and an egoic
form is shouted down. I, as a self-proclaimed aetheist feel more
spiritually alive and at-one with ‘it all’ then I ever did as a Catholic
(the religion of my upbringing). Bless you for helping to enlighten the
world.
Beth, you nailed it and how can we say all these other spiritual beliefs
such as Islamic, Hindu, Skih, Buddah, etc. are wrong compared to
Christianity that have killed, hurt and destroy other peoples such as the
North American Indian spiritual culture. It’s so wrong and ridiculous and
who said they were better and knew more. I have part of my family that is
spiritual and the 2 others are Mormon so they don’t try and convert me
although they have tried and I don’t say anything about what they do but we
don’t discuss it at family gatherings and all love each other so “live and
let live”. Just love one another and treat each other with dignity and
respect of all people. One people, One Love. Thank you for that post and
you are so hiliarious, I love it!!!!!
Its a shame so many people have it wrong. From spirituality to religion, we
are given a gift and it’s wasted , as you said, being absolutely honest Is
the way. X
*God* is not what our religious institutions have taught us and God is not
a man. One of the biggest lies of “Religion” is what Ms. Beth Green has
said, that “God” is separate from us. The bible says that *we* were made in
*Gods* image – But God is not a Human Being. God’s image is a higher state
of consciousness and awareness. God will not intervene with our affairs
unless we ask the Divine to do so, but even then there will be no magic
hands from the sky “feeding starving children.” However, there will be a
way provided for *us* and means for *us* to feed starving children
*ourselves*. Bad things happen that’s a part of life and Good things happen
that is a part of life. Life is Yen/Yang – it wouldn’t be truly living if
you don’t have both – the *Key* is when “Bad” events happen, Are you
dealing with it with patience or adversity – making your “Bad” situation
worse. And are you learning from your “Bad” experiences. If not you will
find yourself experiencing it over and over again. If you have prayed and
your prayer has failed its because you were looking for something to happen
but you didn’t put forth the work. Or your prayer was answered but you
didn’t get the answer you wanted. Or you were to blinded by material
illusions and missed it. *We* have the ability to make our lives enjoyable
here on Earth, but at long as *we* (collectively) continue to allow our
*Egos* to drive our lives *we* will always live in a state ignorance to our
true potential, which is *Oneness*
I am closer to you than your jugular vain Quran 50:16 and your sense is
only human seance, you can relate your limited viewpoint on infinite
knowledge. Allot of what your saying makes seance but its only seance?
infinite knowledge has no bounds except its own. Humans can only
contemplate according to our limited ability. How do you know what God will
say! even if it makes seance to you. Why would you do that, EGO makes
seance, so why don’t you question yourself when you make SEANCE! you are
free so follow your belief based on knowledge. you are free to believe what
you want but be logical whilst knowing that logic does not work all the
time.
With Respect and humanity
Abz
For Beth It’s a fine line trying to open people’s eyes to these truths
while being grounded in the glory of God consciousness.
Oneness is life, and any positive evolution toward oneness must be done
together. I share this humble insight to the magnificence of creation and I
share the polar opposite as well, which is humanities ignorance.
Are we doing what some refer to as ‘Gods work’. Beth have you ever asked
the question, why is the work necessary when perfection in the big picture
is so easily attainable? Is it for experience purposes? Why is experience
really necessary for an infinite creator? I feel there has to be something
else that’s beyond our comprehension, do you not feel the same?
Great video! It’s about time that someone take on this topic, the
high-jacking of spirituality by the ego. I love the points you make to show
us the truth of this problem. Thank you, Beth!
Absolutely fabulous…. same word I have which you gave a voice to it.
Thanks
just wondering if you have read A COURSE IN MIRACLES, it would certainly
help you to understand the depth of ego and the surrender of thought needed
to overcome an honest freedom of the self from the mind. There is no
magical answer in this world, this reality, but there is no escape either.
There is only the peace that comes from surrender of thought while the
experience of life is witnessed from the perspective of the observer… It
would be easier to believe you if it didn’t look like you were trying to
set yourself up as if you were selling something. Thanks
Love!
How can you justify a religious war? Easily. Nearly every religious text
demands that followers kill “non-believers”. How can you ask such a silly
question?
5:48 you seem to have overlooked a couple of religions in your little
history lesson. Two striking omissions being Judaism, and Hinduism. Last
time I checked neither of these two religions were pure as the driven snow.
Oh, lets not forget the new religion – New Agism, which you are essentially
promoting here. It’s the same old, same old in a different package. It’s a
control mechanism. In this case sin as been replaced with “ego”. If you
question this bullshit you are probably guilty of being “controlled by your
ego”. This kind of bullshit is no different to any other kind of religion.
It is designed to pacify you so that you will more easily accept tyranny.
It is also designed to switch off your consciousness and whatever powers of
critical thinking you may have. By the way, the history of slavery is
nowhere near as “black and white” or “white on black” as you make out. In
the 1600’s people from North Africa regularly raided coastal towns and
villages in Ireland, Scotland, Spain and other countries and took people as
slaves. Irish people were taken in their hundreds of thousands ans sold in
to indentured servitude in the Americas. Indentured servants were often
treated much worse than African slaves and many did not survive their
period of servitude. Any who attempted to escape and were captured had
their period of servitude increased by 5 – 10 years. Many who survived and
went home arrived back to British ports only to be abducted and sold back
into effective slavery. In Mauritania slavery was still legal until
relatively recently. There is effective slavery going on right now in the
factories of China.