Church Part 2
Church Part 2
Thank you for all the solicited advice. It is very helpful but ultimately it is all up to me.
You might ask, "Wait, you are not a single mother, where is the divine head of your household, Jeff, and why hasn't he fulfilled his husbandly duty by issuing a binding decree?" Well, after I went on about all this at him, he just looked at me seriously and said, "You are a good mother." So, I can't say he's not supportive. But I'm the one who gets to decide and act.
Picking a religion... or more accurately my mental process to pick a religion.
Where to start? How about with a favorite topic ... myself. I had a pretty decent secondary education and I love history, which means I'm well read enough, I think, in the area of religion. I've read the Bible (the entire thing, even the lists), the Koran, a little of the book of Mormon (as much as I could stand), etc. Now my favorite past-time, I get to be all judgmental.
Catholicism. I was born into this tradition and seriously considered this, for some reason. Luckily my brain reminded me immediately about the pedophilia and oh ya, they hate women. What with their controlling no birth control stance and no female priests. So no, fuck-em in the ear.
Protestant Christianity, all 10000+ sects. So in college I went to church often to a non-denominational church. It was fun, in the wrestling with wolves kind of way, and they really emphasized personal bible and religious study. I left because they all turned into fascist fundies and I got tired of arguing about ... nearly everything. I did learn quite a bit about denominational differences and about myself. Like I really don't believe in the divinity of JC. The miracles are propaganda. The Trinity sets off a three alarm BS detector in my head. I think Jesus was a real guy and the bible has plenty of wisdom to offer but it is really not the infallible word of the Universal Overlord. Ya, holding these beliefs eliminates all but the most liberal congregations. And even then my conscience will not let me take my kids to a Sunday school where they are taught things I don't believe in. So no.
Judaism. I have yet to meet a Jew I don't like. So I considered this as well. I mean come on, they call themselves the Chosen People, that's as cool as a smoking French person, in all black, sipping espresso while reading Sartre. The problem is I've read all the old testament. No offense to my Jewish friends but your religion is f'ed up. I mean the Torah is this set of super OCD legalistic laws (I still don't get why Jews don't have to sacrifice animals anymore) and the rest of the OT is all murder and rape and incest. Wow, boring AND terrifying. Oh and I can't live without bacon. So thanks but no.
Buddhism. As far as I can tell it is all complex incomprehensible mystical ... WTF's?! I really don't understand it. My real problem with Buddhism is ultra liberal hippies love it and I'm afraid they'll insist I need to do yoga. So no.
Islam. It has all the draw backs of Judaism in that it tries to be all super legalistic and perfectly monotheistic. Adherents claim it is modern and progressive, which I suppose is true ... if it were the 7th century. Unfortunately this conversion will never happen for many reasons, I can barely remember to brush my teeth twice a day, forget praying five times a day, I look terrible in a burqa, and I believe in the sanctity of sex outside of marriage. So no.
Miscellaneous religions like Paganism, Hinduism, Moromonism. I lumped these together because when I learned about their founding or core beliefs, my response was laughter. Not at the people mind you, just the dogma. Between Joseph Smith's golden plates and 'diving stones,' that all conviently vanished, to the legion of stunning devas and avatars in Hindu traditions to the pagans group sex with Odin's mother. Seriously?! You people must be smoking the good shit. I can not join any religion where my main reaction will be constant internal chuckling. So no.
What does that leave? ... Oh yes, Atheism ... I love atheists. You people are so smug and full of yourselves with your no God and pursuit of personal hapiness. But I noticed atheists tend toward the shrill, melancholy, know-it-all end of the spectrum which while endlessly entertaining to me I find quite off putting for my kids. But more importantly, you folk have no churches and I'm an agnostic. Last time I checked, this universe is still mightily complex and not fully understood by science, enough that there is room for an Ultimate Other and even an afterlife. So while I'll happily let my kids listen to atheists foam at the mouth about their non-God, no, it is not the doctrine I want to program my kids with.
All no. A bit of a pickle. Luckily I have a fall back position whenever I need to make and important choice in life. WWJAD?
What would Jane Austen do? She would say, "Convert to the King's Religion, and make an advantageous match." Hum, no, that won't do. I mean I've already made my advantageous match.
Let's try again.
What would John Adams do? Well he'd say, "Convert to Unitarianism, you godless sluggard. I did all the hard work two hundred years ago, apparently so you could sit around on your fat ass surfing the internet. Oh God, I hate my whiny posterity." Ahh, eureka! Thank you John Adams.
My writing-fu has grown weak, so further churching adventures will have to be written about later.
Thank you for all the solicited advice. It is very helpful but ultimately it is all up to me.
You might ask, "Wait, you are not a single mother, where is the divine head of your household, Jeff, and why hasn't he fulfilled his husbandly duty by issuing a binding decree?" Well, after I went on about all this at him, he just looked at me seriously and said, "You are a good mother." So, I can't say he's not supportive. But I'm the one who gets to decide and act.
Picking a religion... or more accurately my mental process to pick a religion.
Where to start? How about with a favorite topic ... myself. I had a pretty decent secondary education and I love history, which means I'm well read enough, I think, in the area of religion. I've read the Bible (the entire thing, even the lists), the Koran, a little of the book of Mormon (as much as I could stand), etc. Now my favorite past-time, I get to be all judgmental.
Catholicism. I was born into this tradition and seriously considered this, for some reason. Luckily my brain reminded me immediately about the pedophilia and oh ya, they hate women. What with their controlling no birth control stance and no female priests. So no, fuck-em in the ear.
Protestant Christianity, all 10000+ sects. So in college I went to church often to a non-denominational church. It was fun, in the wrestling with wolves kind of way, and they really emphasized personal bible and religious study. I left because they all turned into fascist fundies and I got tired of arguing about ... nearly everything. I did learn quite a bit about denominational differences and about myself. Like I really don't believe in the divinity of JC. The miracles are propaganda. The Trinity sets off a three alarm BS detector in my head. I think Jesus was a real guy and the bible has plenty of wisdom to offer but it is really not the infallible word of the Universal Overlord. Ya, holding these beliefs eliminates all but the most liberal congregations. And even then my conscience will not let me take my kids to a Sunday school where they are taught things I don't believe in. So no.
Judaism. I have yet to meet a Jew I don't like. So I considered this as well. I mean come on, they call themselves the Chosen People, that's as cool as a smoking French person, in all black, sipping espresso while reading Sartre. The problem is I've read all the old testament. No offense to my Jewish friends but your religion is f'ed up. I mean the Torah is this set of super OCD legalistic laws (I still don't get why Jews don't have to sacrifice animals anymore) and the rest of the OT is all murder and rape and incest. Wow, boring AND terrifying. Oh and I can't live without bacon. So thanks but no.
Buddhism. As far as I can tell it is all complex incomprehensible mystical ... WTF's?! I really don't understand it. My real problem with Buddhism is ultra liberal hippies love it and I'm afraid they'll insist I need to do yoga. So no.
Islam. It has all the draw backs of Judaism in that it tries to be all super legalistic and perfectly monotheistic. Adherents claim it is modern and progressive, which I suppose is true ... if it were the 7th century. Unfortunately this conversion will never happen for many reasons, I can barely remember to brush my teeth twice a day, forget praying five times a day, I look terrible in a burqa, and I believe in the sanctity of sex outside of marriage. So no.
Miscellaneous religions like Paganism, Hinduism, Moromonism. I lumped these together because when I learned about their founding or core beliefs, my response was laughter. Not at the people mind you, just the dogma. Between Joseph Smith's golden plates and 'diving stones,' that all conviently vanished, to the legion of stunning devas and avatars in Hindu traditions to the pagans group sex with Odin's mother. Seriously?! You people must be smoking the good shit. I can not join any religion where my main reaction will be constant internal chuckling. So no.
What does that leave? ... Oh yes, Atheism ... I love atheists. You people are so smug and full of yourselves with your no God and pursuit of personal hapiness. But I noticed atheists tend toward the shrill, melancholy, know-it-all end of the spectrum which while endlessly entertaining to me I find quite off putting for my kids. But more importantly, you folk have no churches and I'm an agnostic. Last time I checked, this universe is still mightily complex and not fully understood by science, enough that there is room for an Ultimate Other and even an afterlife. So while I'll happily let my kids listen to atheists foam at the mouth about their non-God, no, it is not the doctrine I want to program my kids with.
All no. A bit of a pickle. Luckily I have a fall back position whenever I need to make and important choice in life. WWJAD?
What would Jane Austen do? She would say, "Convert to the King's Religion, and make an advantageous match." Hum, no, that won't do. I mean I've already made my advantageous match.
Let's try again.
What would John Adams do? Well he'd say, "Convert to Unitarianism, you godless sluggard. I did all the hard work two hundred years ago, apparently so you could sit around on your fat ass surfing the internet. Oh God, I hate my whiny posterity." Ahh, eureka! Thank you John Adams.
My writing-fu has grown weak, so further churching adventures will have to be written about later.