Sunday, October 7, 2012

Sunday musings.

A little background and disclaimer: When I was a young kid, my family belonged to a historic Unitarian-Universalist church in Lexington, MA, where Ralph Waldo Emerson once preached. Later, I was baptized and confirmed in the Episcopal church, continued my role as an acolyte in college and also became a lay reader and (as an adult) a lay Eucharistic minister. In the midst of all that, I returned to the UU church for a few years. I loved the ritual and pageantry of the Episcopal church and the intellectualism and free-thinking nature of the UU church. Neither were a perfect fit, and I reached a point where I only believed on a metaphorical level. Then I began reading about Buddhism, took up meditation and attended silent retreats with monks of various Buddhist disciplines. After a week-long retreat lead by Thich Nhat Hahn, I took the five precepts, which are mindfulness vows. He stressed that he taught a practice rather than a religion, and that it could easily be incorporated into any religious tradition. Indeed, there was an Episcopal priest in my discussion group, and I saw a Catholic nun attending in her habit. Although I don't meditate regularly any longer, I still find value and peace in attempting to live mindfully. Finally, I found a liberal Quaker Meeting, a tradition that had interested me for years. My family and I attended and eventually I met with a Clearness Committee and became a member. I like the lack of hierarchy, the absence of a minister, the silence, and the focus on a set of shared values of simplicity, pacifism, social justice and equality. There are a substantial number of nontheists like myself within the Meeting, as well as a number of people who practice mindfulness.

In spite of what people often think of me, then, I am not anti-religion. I am only opposed to people attempting to impose their religious beliefs on me, or to force them into policy-making. I expect to be left alone to search my own conscience about matters such as the governing of my own body, which adult I choose to share a bed with, and so on.   do not want to be asked to pray as part of a school or governmental function. I cried during the last inaugural speech when Obama specifically included nontheists when he said, "We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus and non-believers." It makes me a little crazy when people suggest that the lack of a belief in a supernatural being implies a lack of values. In fact, the last time I was at a family gathering, my mother said of her priest's boyfriend, "He's an atheist, but a good guy." As if that was a surprise. I could not let that go unchallenged. In fact, the man I've spent the last year or so with attends church regularly, and he has said several times that he thinks I'm a better Christian than he is, in spite of the fact that I don't consider myself a Christian at all. But I do think the very Zen-like teachings of Jesus are valuable and I do believe in Love.
That said, I also have a darkly twisted sense of humor. And one source of amusement for me is imagining making a documentary where I travel around with a film crew to various tent revivals and churches and get saved at each one. None of the religious traditions I've been involved with include this concept, but I am endlessly fascinated by it. From the pressured pre-teens in the movie "Jesus Camp" to the snake handlers here in Appalachia, it's a phenomenon loaded with emotion. And if I ever do make that film, these three Georgia churches are at the top of my list. Especially the last one.



36 comments:

  1. " I am not anti-religion. I am only opposed to people attempting to impose their religious beliefs on me, or to force them into policy-making. I expect to be left alone to search my own conscience about matters such as the governing of my own body"

    I feel the same as you.

    There is not ONE way to God, but many.

    My relationship with God is personal. And that works for me.

    "But I do think the very Zen-like teachings of Jesus are valuable and I do believe in Love."

    Amen!

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    1. And personal is exactly what it should be. I distrust people who think they have the universal truth. In my opinion, you find a path that helps you be a better person and you do your level best to walk it.

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  2. haha i want to see your documentary...i have forever wanted to make a comedy of just church signs....seriously who writes this stuff...i get pretty bent at any intolerance...

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  3. That last picture is hilarious! I presume their patron saint is Joan of Ark? Or maybe the Bishop of Beauvais, the one who burned her?

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    1. I'm assuming this is a reference to John the Baptist saying that someone would come along who would baptize with the holy spirit and with fire rather than with water. (And, an interesting aside - this is why Quakers do not baptize their members - the belief is that baptism is a spiritual act rather than a physical one.)

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  4. "I am not anti-religion. I am only opposed to people attempting to impose their religious beliefs on me, or to force them into policy-making." I totally agree with you. Using religion as a kind of self-help is fine, but when people try to convert everyone else, that's what I object to.

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    1. Because who gets to decide which is the "right" set of beliefs to convert to? We should get to decide for ourselves.

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  5. You have explored this issue much more than I, but we are in a very similar place. My granddaughter has recently started kindegarten at a Friends school. I am so impressed with it and the general outlook on the world. I have never uderstood how anyone can believe that they are in sole possession of the "the truth" and that they are entitled to force it on everyone else.

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    1. I am a firm believer in finding that path that works best for you, and allowing others to walk the path of their choosing.

      And I wish there had been a Friend's school here for my kids!

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  6. I think there's a difference between people forcing a belief on others and people who want to share how God has worked in their lives. Ironically, Penn Jillette, an atheist, describes evangelism best when he said, "how much do you have to hate someone to believe in everlasting life and not tell them about it?"

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    1. I had not heard that quote. Great thought - thanks

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    2. But here's the rub - is "sharing" okay if I've asked you to stop? Don't I have the right to freedom from proselytizing? Do you welcome any and all people to take up your time with whatever they feel has worked in their lives? From the Jehovah's Witness at your door to the person on the bus going on and on about crystals and fairies, all these people sincerely believe their own particular belief system. I'd like them ALL to keep it to themselves if I ask them not to intrude.

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  7. fire-baptized....sweet fancy moses, i get the scripture reference but that sort of branding (pun intended) sounds like not the sort i'd care to engage in.

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  8. ...although come to think of it, my oldest may qualify....one candlelight xmas eve service she accidentally lit the ends of her hair on fire. here's me beating the side of her head in the middle of the service to snuff it out before it reached her scalp. Mubaptismch to our relief it wound up only singeing the ends so we all laugh about it even now. but still, i don't recommend fire baptism.

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    1. Ha! I once spilled hot wax onto my forehead from the candle I was carrying as I was walking in the processional as an acolyte - does that count?

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  9. thanks for sharing your history with us. We all go through many stages in our time here and maybe there is another "time" for us afterward too. I don't know but I don't consider the after time or whatever it could be called to be the most important part of religion or beliefs. The important parts are the guidelines and suggestions for living in the present. Regarding my own stages, I definitely crossed into new stage after Sept. 11, 2001. That tragedy opened my mind to the dark side of many religions. Actually the misuse of religions. Thanks again and peace.

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    1. A good point. I don't worry about whether or not there is anything "after" (I suspect not, but no one knows for sure), I am only interested in how people lives their lives. If your religion doesn't lead you to compassion, love and tolerance, it's a pretty feeble religion. If it does, I'm glad for it.

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  10. I don't know. Tongues of Fire doesn't exactly sound heaven sent. Better to stick with the Quakers.

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    1. Actually, Tongues of Fire sounds a little obscene to me.

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  11. I like your philosophy on religion. :)

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  12. Sure, if you've asked someone to stop, and they keep bothering you with their beliefs, that person is just rude and it is no longer about their faith. I guess I think there is a difference between an acquaintance sharing their faith with another, and a person like a JW who is forced by their religion to go door to door to earn brownie points. The first person cares about you, the second person is worried about themselves.

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    1. And I agree with that difference. But I think even someone who cares about you may be crossing a line if that sharing isn't welcome. If, for instance, I convert to Pastafarianism and truly, deeply believe that the Flying Spaghetti Monster is the way to eternal life, how much do you want to hear about it? I'm guessing that telling you I believe you should embrace my path if you want to find peace and joy would be, at best, irritating. Or even insulting to your own beliefs.

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  13. "He's an atheist, but a good guy." Perhaps we atheists should try that the other way round. "He's a Christian, but he's not too bad when you get to know him."

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    1. I made the same observation to my mother, and she did back-pedal. Still, I think it's the way many people think about atheists.

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  14. Well stated, Secret Agent Woman. I was just commenting on another blog that although I have come to being an atheist through my own life's journey, it is not the belief in nothing. My beliefs just aren't theistically motivated. I think most religions have some really beautiful elements. Some have really frightening elements. But to each his/her own.

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    1. Without a god is not the same as without values or even without spirituality. When I see some act of human kindness or encounter beauty in the world, I feel reverence and awe. It just has nothing to do, for me, with a theistic explanation.

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  15. I've been known to have a Tongue of Fire at times...

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  16. Despite my atheism, I can't help but want to join that last church... for a bit.

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    1. I was sorely tempted to leave in time on Sunday to attend.

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  17. One of my nieces when getting one of her children baptised had said to me "I'd like to pick Adam (my son) but he is not a Christian" I told her "but you will never meet a better person" which is the truth. Her loss!

    I believe in God but I don't mind saying I believe in a higher power. I also believe that this higher power is a very smart person. No two people are alike and I believe that all religions or groups of people who believe are all part of the plan. We are drawn to the one that fits us best!

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    1. Absolutely - you find a spiritual path that brings out the best in you and you do your best to walk it.

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  18. I love this post!! When my husband was going through his 'mid-life whatever' he was searching for churches to attend. He was considering becoming "born again" and I told him in no uncertain terms would I join him in this venture. I too, had a Christian friend tell me I was more spiritual than her even though I didn't go to church or consider myself Christian.

    I use a part of Ghandi's quote by phrasing it my way, "Nature is my church, kindness is my religion." The latter part goes to Ghandi :)

    I love love LOVE what you said here. Find a spiritual path to walk that suits you and do the best to walk it.

    Amen, CS ♥

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  19. Nature is definitely my church as well - hands in the dirt or breathing in the smell of trees or ocean, I feel at my most spiritual.

    Nice to hear from you again - looks like I better check your blog!

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