One of our favorite lines
One of our favourite lines. Religion is for people who are afraid to go to hell – spirituality is for those who have been there long enough they know they want to get out.
We love this line because it names a hard truth without sugarcoating it: at some point many of us hit that “oh shit, it’s me” moment — the wrenching recognition that our own thoughts have built the prison we’re living in. From the Course in Miracles (ACIM) perspective, “hell” isn’t a physical place or divine punishment; it’s an internal landscape made by the ego — guilt, shame, fear, and the habit of seeing ourselves as separate. Realising that the problem is self-made is humbling, but it’s also liberating, because it means the undoing of it starts with us.
Religion often steps in as a safety net. It gives rules, rituals, and a map that can feel stabilising when life is chaotic. The structure can be deeply comforting. But ACIM points out a limitation: following rules can reduce immediate fear without changing the underlying way we perceive. You can obey outwardly while your inner mind still runs on guilt and separation — in other words, the “hell” stays intact even if your behaviour shifts.
Spirituality, as ACIM frames it, is about retraining perception. Instead of relying on external authority, the Course invites an inner teacher (the Holy Spirit) and practices of forgiveness and choosing love over fear. The “miracle” ACIM talks about is essentially a shift in perception — seeing past the ego’s stories so grievances dissolve and connection is remembered. This is not quick or cosmetic; it’s disciplined mental work, which is why ACIM calls itself a course. You rewire how you interpret experience rather than papering over the symptoms.
That difference explains why the quote resonates: folks who’ve “been there” are no longer interested in rules that only keep the surface calm. They want the root solution. ACIM’s training addresses the internal source — projection, attack thoughts, and the belief in separation — and offers a practical pathway out. Once you start practicing the Course’s mind-training, the value of rigid, fear-based religion often shrinks, because you’ve tasted a different way of seeing that actually undoes the misery rather than just managing it.
