Honesty in Religion Posted by Jeff

I've noticed a frightening trend amongst people on an individual level, a group level, and even a deliberate organized effort, to try to sweep certain things "under the rug", so to speak, that they find awkward, hard to explain, or embarassing. These "dark places" in history are a bad idea. Not only do they actually DRAW unnecessary attention to the perceived "problem" by making it seem as though the person doing the hiding is "admitting guilt" to something, but by deeming these things unacceptable to teach those coming after you, you are submitting them to a certain imposed ignorance, when it most likely was not your rightful decision to make.

Proper steps? If there is something wrong: Admit it, or apologize for it. If there is something confusing or not comprehendable, admit so. By doing this, you are aiding the young seeker of truth to gain strength. If you hide things from them, you are only setting the stage for them to acquire the sense of betrayal once they realize what has happened. The reaction to this, can sometimes be worse than the "thing itself", and could send a person "off the deep end", depending on how serious the matter is.