On Religion
So I've just been inspired by a friend's post to write a little on the subject of religion. If asked, I'll generally describe myself either as 'agnostic,' or 'spiritual, not religious,' depending on how I'm feeling at the time. But that's not all there is to it.
Most of the time, I crave religion. I've experienced my fair share of existential angst, and the notion of a shared purpose and a shared experience, more than anything else, is still what draws me towards religious organisations, even those which hold political and social views radically different to my own.
Sometimes I think that's just a part of being human. We all need ritual, in one form or another, and we all need meaning - and I haven't yet been able to create my own.
I visited a Unitarian church lately, and its service, ritualistic yet not tied to any one tradition, really appealed to me. If it wasn't so far from where I live, I'd probably go every week. The service itself left me feeling at peace, and over coffee afterwards I had some really interesting theological discussions in which I learnt more about the personal beliefs of others and examined my own a bit, too. It's a church for those who think deeply about spiritual matters, and reject dogma, but don't want to be without the traditional sense of community a church group offers.
If only it were closer. *sigh*
As to what I actually believe - I've stopped trying to pin it down to anything definitive. I believe there is a force greater than humanity in this universe, greater than our comprehension - and the way we can relate to it is through images and archetypes, God and Goddess figures. And within this force is both power and truth. But mine is certainly not a belief in God in the traditional monotheistic sense.
I don't know that I'll ever stop searching or re-evaluating my views on the matter, probably because I think the truth itself is unknowable. Maybe I'll get close someday, though, and in the meantime all I can do is strive to live up to my own moral ideals, unconnected to a spiritual framework. I do know that there's something more than what we can see, though.
Most of the time, I crave religion. I've experienced my fair share of existential angst, and the notion of a shared purpose and a shared experience, more than anything else, is still what draws me towards religious organisations, even those which hold political and social views radically different to my own.
Sometimes I think that's just a part of being human. We all need ritual, in one form or another, and we all need meaning - and I haven't yet been able to create my own.
I visited a Unitarian church lately, and its service, ritualistic yet not tied to any one tradition, really appealed to me. If it wasn't so far from where I live, I'd probably go every week. The service itself left me feeling at peace, and over coffee afterwards I had some really interesting theological discussions in which I learnt more about the personal beliefs of others and examined my own a bit, too. It's a church for those who think deeply about spiritual matters, and reject dogma, but don't want to be without the traditional sense of community a church group offers.
If only it were closer. *sigh*
As to what I actually believe - I've stopped trying to pin it down to anything definitive. I believe there is a force greater than humanity in this universe, greater than our comprehension - and the way we can relate to it is through images and archetypes, God and Goddess figures. And within this force is both power and truth. But mine is certainly not a belief in God in the traditional monotheistic sense.
I don't know that I'll ever stop searching or re-evaluating my views on the matter, probably because I think the truth itself is unknowable. Maybe I'll get close someday, though, and in the meantime all I can do is strive to live up to my own moral ideals, unconnected to a spiritual framework. I do know that there's something more than what we can see, though.