There is a large misconception revolving around spiritualism and God.
When I began my spiritual journey several years ago, i had many (many) questions. Some came from my upbringing and beliefs set-in by experiences, while others were a result of influence.
As i began to grow and see life differently, through a different lens, I started to feel a bit conflicted. Sure, I believe there is a higher power that has a plan for our lives, yet what I've come to realize is this..
Humans have many things in common, the most important is free will. what we choose to believe and allowing certain things to penetrate our lives (i.e.. people, experiences, what we consume, etc).
by having free will, we choose how our life will progress, who or what we allow into our personal existence, if or when we ask for help from others or a higher source, as well as if we believe there is someone or something out there influencing our thoughts.
In doing what I do, I have experienced things that contradict what my religious upbringing lead me to believe. Is it wrong? Well, we could look at this many different ways. Wrong? I'll say no, yet open to interpretation. the reason I say this is because had i not personally experienced communication with spirits in a peaceful, well defined manner, I could have no opinion on a subject i knew nothing of. had i not received downloads (definitive messages from spirits) with explicit details of persons in another life body, i would have no basis to say that past lives are real.
according to some beliefs, communication should solely be between yourself and God; According to some the communication between yourself and God should be done so by a medium (priest, religious leader, etc). It is an unfair assessment to say one belief is better than the next, as we all have free will to choose what feels aligned to our souls. I do, however, feel that believing in something is key to understanding - yet doesn't define as a religious practice.
take for instance, spiritualism. I am not a defined spiritualist in the textbook concept. On the contrary, i am a christian who believes and trusts God, has seen his grace throughout my life and others, yet feel there is a gateway to communication with God and spirit that is different that what conventional religion allows us to believe.
Where do we go from here? It's simple. believing isn't about seeing, yet about what you feel in your heart. as humans, we are given the gift of freedom to choose, to form thoughts, opinions and beliefs based on what resonates with our highest form of self and to base our beliefs on what we can feel through a spiritual connection.
Much of spiritualism has come to light as a new religion that expresses itself through speaking to the dead. As this is correct to some extent, i believe there's more to spiritualism - and christianity - than is being shared.
Why does one have to follow a book defined version of belief? Why does one have to sit amongst a group to believe in God? Why can't one ask questions contrary to said beliefs?
Without understanding we have nothing.
Chapters of my life have become an expansive part of who I am in the past few years. I have grown beliefs and changed the path from which I fought for years. I have built an understanding and grown respect for being who I know I am meant to be. I have received confirmation from God (spirit) that I have been put in my position in this time for a reason - some of which were difficult to understand.
I believe in God because I have felt his presence in my life. I have seen the miracles unfolding before my eyes and I know that without divine connection and accepting of guidance, I would be lost.
My life transformed miraculously because I chose to believe in what I felt,
In what I saw and I stopped fearing what was frowned upon because one religion said it's not "right".
I know that with a loving heart, pure intentions, an energy that fuels life with love and grace, i am fulfilling my purpose to help others heal and transform their own lives.
One final thought - when wanting to transform our lives, finding our peace begins with peace within our hearts. to transform is to heal. to heal is to forgive. to forgive is to love.
don't be defined by what doesn't resonate with your soul, yet fall in-love with the growth that you seek and allow yourself to follow the guidance of what you choose to believe. When coming from a place of love, desire to understand and transform for yourself - your inner world becomes the magical place you had dreamt of, leading your outer world to follow suit. when your heart's desires become a sacred part of your journey, you can move in the flow of alignment.
I do believe it's important to believe in something - and if religion fits for you, then do so. If your beliefs contradict what is conventional, allow yourself to question and have space to understand. follow your heart.