Towards honesty

[lerite]

Believing in the Creator, in the Christ, and in the Holy Spirit: we covenant together in this church to walk in the ways of God known or to be made known to us. As a community of concern, we pledge ourselves to worship together, learn together, and work together to further the cause of human unity.

Comments

[anonymous]

As a kid I learned being a Christian meant being a “believer.” I thought belonging to a particular religion was synonymous with having certain beliefs. Later I learned it’s more complicated. I met an Irish Catholic that doesn’t believe in God or go to mass; for him being an Irish Catholic is about not identifying with the British (protestant) occupier. I know several atheist Jews, including one that’s active in his synagogue. Judaism, he told me, is as much about community identity as acknowledging a set of doctrines or beliefs. I discovered Buddhism requires no belief in any supernatural being at all

[thegelf]

Coming from a Jewish background, it's tough for me to understand the angst about believing in G-d. So what if he/she/it exists or not? What with Judaism what's important is following Jewish law, whether or not you believe there's a G-d watching somewhere.

I don't usually feel the philosophical differences between Judaism and Christianity, but essays like this one point them out emphatically. I'm glad that I was raised in a religion that puts its emphasis on how you act and behave in this world, due to your behaviors' consequences in this world, and doesn't use the carrot/stick of faith and of heaven/hell as a motivation.

[lerite]

My life would make much more sense if I were a Jew.

Maybe I can give my kids, if any, a solid enough background in Judaism that they wouldn't feel inauthentic converting? Bah.

[peojkl]

Good post, Yeah I forgot the "believing in . . . " part. A couple of small corrections. I think you were the one who brought up communion, although I have noticed your behavior I have not seen it as a contradiction. The church genuinely believes in an open table that is open to anyone who wants to come to it on whatever basis they want to come. I think it is kind of like going to a concert where you know you cannot hear in the music the same things others hear, but willing to be there for the companionship and whatever you can get out of it on your own terms

[lerite]

I cheat all the time! It was the hymns that got me. At first I said to myself, I must not say anything implying I believe in God or want his attention. But I kept slipping because I love to sing and a lot of the words to hymns imply faith. And from there I slippery sloped into taking communion and saying prayers when I'm afraid. Just because no one else minds doesn't mean the actions aren't dissonant.

[ext_2266542]

Zee, thanks for your post. I grew up going to Community of Hope UCC, and spent summers at Moon Beach with some of the ORUCC people. This articles brought up lots of thoughts and feelings that I suspect I will be pondering for a long time.

[maid_of_madison]

I don't do the church thing but I like and can relate to most of what you say about atheism and what it means to you. And the parts about religious morality.