Breaking Free from the Cages of Religion: From Catholic Roots to Spiritual Awakening

Jamie
Jan 25
6 min read

Updated: Feb 15

“Religion is for people who are afraid of going to hell. Spirituality is for people who have already been there.” — Vine Deloria Jr.

Religion has always fascinated me—not because I blindly follow it (far from it), but because of how it shapes people, cultures, and entire generations. Growing up Catholic, I often felt caught between reverence and restriction. There were rules about everything: how often I should attend church, how I should pray, what made me “good enough.” I remember sitting in pews on Sunday mornings and feeling my intuition whisper: This isn’t the whole story.

When I stopped attending Mass regularly, I felt judged—not just by the church, but also by my family and even myself. It was as if my worthiness could be determined by a checklist: Did I attend confession? Did I recite the rosary? Did I abstain from sin this week? If I faltered, I felt condemned. Catholicism provided me with beautiful rituals and prayers, but it also confined me to a space that was too small for my soul. It was as if my soul, like many of yours, was meant to rebel and break free from the conditioning! Rebellion is often misunderstood, and people tend to take it too far.

However, my story is not unique. Around the world, people are awakening and questioning the structures that were once unquestionable.

Scientology and the Mirror of Control

For most of life, Scientology was a topic in tabloid headlines about Tom Cruise and John Travolta. It may not have been the right time to explore it, as researching a controlling faith might have reopened old wounds from a Catholic upbringing, with stringent rules. Even Leah Remini's public departure from the church did not spark interest. While she was admired as an actress, her exposé series felt like a story not yet ready to confront.

This emotional resistance began to shift recently, following the release of Lisa Marie Presley's posthumous memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown, co-authored by her daughter, Riley Keough. Listening to her story, a resonance emerged. Lisa Marie's account of her decades within Scientology, which began after her mother was introduced to the church by John Travolta, sparked intrigue.

Her narrative, woven with her own voice recordings and completed by her daughter, revealed a system built on controlling beliefs and financial extraction. Witnessing her struggle unlocked a deeper understanding: all controlling systems, regardless of their labels, operate on fear, money, and power.

Scientology promises enlightenment through expensive "auditing" and courses—a "Bridge to Total Freedom" that costs adherents thousands, sometimes millions, of dollars. Adherents are taught they can't heal or achieve spiritual wholeness outside the church's "technology," creating a deep dependency. However, everything they are searching for already exists within them.

As the anonymous quote reminds: “The truth is always free. It’s the lies you have to pay for.”

In this light, the parallels between Scientology and a Catholic past are hard to ignore. When people sacrifice their life savings to climb Scientology’s “Bridge,” it mirrors the Catholic practice of selling indulgences—the payment for forgiveness. The religions are different, but the central trap is the same: the manipulation of spiritual hunger for financial gain.

Scientology: Spiritual Awakening with a Price Tag

Founded by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s, Scientology promises spiritual freedom and enhanced abilities through auditing sessions and courses along the “Bridge to Total Freedom.” But each step comes with a cost—often tens of thousands of dollars. Celebrities are courted for visibility, making the system seem glamorous and desirable.

Leah Remini and Lisa Marie Presley both shared how much money and energy they invested before stepping away. Others, like Paul Haggis, also left after realizing the church demanded loyalty and silence above all else. Over and over, the stories are the same: curiosity, belonging, investment—and then disillusionment when the cost outweighed the freedom promised.

“You don’t need a church—or a checkbook—to heal trauma, strengthen intuition, or awaken spiritually.” – Leah Remini

Scientology auditing mirrors practices many spiritual seekers encounter naturally: introspection, processing past trauma, and connecting with inner guidance. The difference is that Scientology charges thousands of dollars for what many of us can accomplish through meditation, journaling, energy work, or shadow work—free or at minimal cost.

Spiritual awakening isn’t something you buy; it’s something you uncover within yourself.

The Business of Belief

At the end of the day, churches are businesses.

That may sound harsh, but think about it: massive buildings, tax exemptions, tithing, donation plates passed every Sunday. Religion sells belonging, fear, and salvation as products. If you don’t follow their rules, you risk damnation. If you do follow, you might buy your way into heaven.

“When a religion is good, I conceive that it will support itself; and when it does not support itself, and God does not take care to support it, so that its professors are obliged to call for the help of the civil power, ’tis a sign, I apprehend, of its being a bad one.” — Benjamin Franklin

Religion often begins with profound truths, but over time, ego warps them. They hide greed and power behind sacred words. They use fear to keep people compliant. They convince you that you are small, flawed, and dependent.

But spirituality is the opposite. It reminds you that you are already divine. That no one can sell you access to God, because you’ve been connected all along.

“The kingdom of God is within you.” — Jesus (Luke 17:21)

That line from the Bible was one of the first spiritual truths I clung to when I began to question Catholicism. It confirmed what my intuition had been whispering all along: God wasn’t in a building, a priest, or a ritual. God was within me.

Control Beyond Scientology: Churches and Dogma

Scientology isn’t unique in using fear, obedience, and money to control followers. My stepmom once shared her experience leaving a Christian church that demanded 10% of members’ paychecks and dictated personal choices. She recounted a pastor telling a couple they needed to kick their teenage son out because he was gay. That’s manipulation disguised as faith.

Reality TV reflects similar patterns. On 1000-Lb Roommates, Neesha shared her story about leaving a controlling church that tried to dictate her life. Listening to her reminded me of countless others who wake up to the fact that some systems claiming to teach love and truth are really about power, control, and financial gain.

Growing up Catholic, I often felt boxed in. I questioned teachings that didn’t feel right, and I felt “not Catholic enough” if I didn’t attend church every Sunday. My intuition whispered, This isn’t right. I watched as people were judged or condemned, told they’d go to hell for failing to follow rules.

“If love and worth are conditional, then the system isn’t sacred—it’s a cage.” – Personal reflection

At the end of the day, many churches function like businesses. They rely on obedience, fear, and money to maintain influence. And when you combine this with the promise of spiritual awakening, it can be intoxicating—but ultimately limiting.

My Path: Beyond Boxes and Labels

I broke away from religion for this very reason. I didn’t like being put in a box, condemned for not following rituals or rules that felt disconnected from truth. My soul couldn’t breathe in an environment where missing church on Sunday meant I was “less Catholic.”

Instead, I began creating my own beliefs—a living, breathing spirituality that borrows wisdom from everywhere:

From Catholicism, I carry prayers that comfort me, like the Hail Mary.
From Buddhism, I embrace mindfulness and detachment.
From Indigenous traditions, I honor nature, ancestors, and cycles.
From mysticism, I hold the truth that Spirit lives within me, not outside.

I am spiritual, not religious. My faith is fluid, expansive, and evolving.

“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” — Mahatma Gandhi

That quote has always struck me, because I’ve seen how many Christians judge others, declaring who is or isn’t a “good Christian.” I’ve heard threats of hell used to control behavior. My intuition always whispered: God doesn’t speak like that.

Religion vs. Spirituality: The Ego Factor

Here’s what I’ve realized:

Religion often becomes about ego—who’s right, who’s wrong, who’s saved, who’s damned.
Spirituality strips away ego and asks: Who are you beneath all the labels?

Religions often start with profound truths, but over time, ego warps them. They hide greed and power behind sacred words. They use fear to keep people compliant. They convince you that you are small, flawed, and dependent.

But spirituality is the opposite. It reminds you that you are already divine. That no one can sell you access to God, because you’ve been connected all along.

“Enlightenment is when a wave realizes it is the ocean.” — Thích Nhất Hạnh

That’s spirituality to me. Not hierarchy, not rules, not control. Just the deep knowing that we are all part of something vast, beautiful, and loving.

Spiritual Awakening as Liberation

My spiritual awakening didn’t happen overnight. It was born out of loss, grief, questioning, and years of peeling back conditioning. Each time I challenged a belief that didn’t resonate, I felt freer.

I no longer worry about being “Catholic enough.” I no longer fear hellfire threats. I no longer believe that God would punish me for following my intuition. Instead, I trust the whispers of Spirit, the synchronicities that guide me, the inner knowing that lights my path.

And I’ve realized this: what Scientology, Catholicism, and countless other religions sell, I can access on my own—without handing over money, without guilt, without fear.