I always thought I'd make a good mystic. I'd be the "cool" old spiritual lady who could give good advice, a listening ear, a different take on the scriptures that would be just what someone needed to hear. I'd discuss the things of God over a bottle of wine and some Grateful Dead music.
It may be better to be kind than to be right, is something that is on the foremost of my mind lately.
Gloria stayed after her shift last week and had some drinks with her friends at the bar. After a few, she pulled me over and began telling the story about me coming clean with her about my not being a believer. It made an impression I guess, not that she shares my view, but that I was honest with her.
I'm feeling jumbled lately, but in a good way.
Like I've said before, I don't have any problem with an alternate reality, even though I have proven to myself that the claims of Christianity are not true, but the world is full of many things.
I feel like I want to hope again, not in religion, or God even as one would picture it, but in something.
I just don't know what that is.
It may be better to be kind than to be right, is something that is on the foremost of my mind lately.
Gloria stayed after her shift last week and had some drinks with her friends at the bar. After a few, she pulled me over and began telling the story about me coming clean with her about my not being a believer. It made an impression I guess, not that she shares my view, but that I was honest with her.
I'm feeling jumbled lately, but in a good way.
Like I've said before, I don't have any problem with an alternate reality, even though I have proven to myself that the claims of Christianity are not true, but the world is full of many things.
I feel like I want to hope again, not in religion, or God even as one would picture it, but in something.
I just don't know what that is.
How cool. I just posted something about alternate reality. Give it a read and tell me what you think. And consider reading the book I recommended. It is probably at your public library, but I bought my copy because one or two readings weren't enough for me to absorb it. By the way, I think you would make a good mystic, too!
ReplyDeleteThanks Doug:)
DeleteWe do plan to take some library trips this summer, so that'll give me an excuse to check and see if they have it.
I think it's quite possible to have faith without religion, but it's one of those odd beliefs that I've never quite been able to articulate clearly.
ReplyDeleteI am beginning to think a lot of people have faith without religion, but still consider themselves to be religious. Back when I was Christian, I knew of people (in the Catholic and Protestant churches we attended) who liked some of the things about the bible, Jesus, God, but didn't bother to nit pick every detail like I did. I guess they took all the unpleasantness "on faith" much more than I was able to, but to me, it was the whole ball of wax or nothing- this is the truth or it is not.
Delete"but to me, it was the whole ball of wax or nothing- this is the truth or it is not."
Delete'Same here. If the Bible is just, eh, sort of true, then you and I are ultimately left trying to figure which parts are true and/or worthy of imitation, and which parts are false and/or are not worthy of imitation. What else but our own sense of reason do we have for determining such things?
"It may be better to be kind than to be right[...]"
I think it depends on context. It seems to me that aspiring to know the truth is to at least indirectly aspire to be right, because knowing the truth makes one right by default. They go hand in hand. In some areas of life I suppose it's possible to be both kind and right, or even be kind and let people think you're wrong. But when it comes to our most deeply-held beliefs about reality, I think things become trickier. Throughout history there were clearly times when people who stood for what was right meant them having to be less than kind to convince others that they held the correct, more reasonable view. Had they put being kind ahead of being right, people of color might still be prohibited from drinking out of public water fountains, or people with mental illness might still be burned at the stake.
I think it depends on context
DeleteI agree there.
I guess in my mind over the last several weeks, I have been less desiring to try to make a case that Christianity/ the bible are not true, since I really do think many believers really have no idea what the book says. I think for some it's not about the book at all, but their own idea of what it means to follow Jesus, even if that idea has no basis in the scriptures at all.
"...I really do think many believers really have no idea what the book says. I think for some it's not about the book at all, but their own idea of what it means to follow Jesus" ~ Alice
DeleteAfter the last couple of weeks, reading in "Trusting Doubt" and having some discussions with people on different sides, thinking about how I perceived things when I was still a (liberal) Xian, I have to agree with you, Alice. Maybe people do not even follow Jesus, but simply pray to their version of God, ignoring all the evil and insane stuff described in the Bible, holding on to what they believe to be a (the) right way of living. And for some reason this depends on what version you were brought up with. Typical.
Maybe people do not even follow Jesus, but simply pray to their version of God, ignoring all the evil and insane stuff described in the Bible, holding on to what they believe to be a (the) right way of living.
DeleteYes. I overheard a conversation between some co-workers last week and one said that she followed her own God. My question over the years has been why do we need an outside source to tell us what is right. I think we all do really KNOW that. It's maybe that we feel the need to reach for something beyond ourselves?
I don't know.
"My question over the years has been why do we need an outside source to tell us what is right."
DeleteDo we need an outside source to tell us what's right? I guess we all look at others/our environment to determine what's right and what's not. In the past this seemed to align with the ten commandments. And well those seemed to align with the secular ones, AKA the law.
But in all honesty I never thought about it, back in the days. As said, the rules seemed logical and hence that specific part in the Bible as well.
"It's maybe that we feel the need to reach for something beyond ourselves?"
It's human nature to look at others for approval, especially when we have difficulty understanding ... (blanks are left open for anyone's own interpretation, as long as it's related to topics one cannot comprehend). If I got to understand something lately, it's that when we have trouble grasping something, it's easier to attribute it to something outside of ourselves.
"I don't know"
That is soooooo understandable ;-) !!!! It shows that you are willing to consider other options, which is a good thing, Alice.
"I overheard a conversation between some co-workers last week and one said that she followed her own God." ~ Alice
DeleteAt least she's being honest, albeit, it's probably never occurred to her that her "own God" is simply her own conscience, complete with an innate sense of right and wrong. This is not to say that some of our fellow human beings may not have one of those, because, clearly, some people are mentally disturbed/mentally ill and lack a conscience, making them amoral..e.g...Charles Manson. But for most of us, we don't need "commandments" to know right from wrong.
"It's maybe that we feel the need to reach for something beyond ourselves?"
No doubt about it. The thought of this life being all that there is and the thought of being responsible for our own selves, including, creating our own purpose, can be a very scary thought. Of course, when one spends a lifetime looking for something beyond themselves and is continually met with a "dial tone", it's extremely difficult to pretend that there's someone or something actually there. I'm speaking for myself, here.
"I don't know"
Some things we don't know( and may never know), other things we can, and do know, at least in a practical sense. IMO, I think it's easy to make the mistake of using ignorance(not of the pejorative type, but lack of knowledge) as a reason to holdout for that which is not plausible. For a quick example, if you ask a scientist if there's an "afterlife", the true scientist must answer "I don't know". But that doesn't mean that there's a 50/50 chance. Of course, I'm not entirely sure in what context you wrote "I don't know", so maybe this doesn't apply.
Of course, when one spends a lifetime looking for something beyond themselves and is continually met with a "dial tone", it's extremely difficult to pretend that there's someone or something actually there. I'm speaking for myself, here.
DeleteI completely understand that boomSLANG.
"I have been less desiring to try to make a case that Christianity/ the bible are not true[....] ~ Alice
ReplyDeleteI honestly never got the impression that the time that you spend talking about Christianity was to make a case that it isn't true, but instead, I got the impression it was to attempt to explain why you can no longer believe it's true. Yes, it's a subtle distinction, but a distinction, nonetheless.
"[....] since I really do think many believers really have no idea what the book says." ~ Alice
Yes, and for the few that actually do know what it says, they must resort to apologetics, which, as we both know, is to explain away or circumvent the unpalatable parts of the bible, and this is done, not to convince you and me to come back to the fold, no, but to quell their own doubts. And let's face it, that what apologetics are for..i.e..to keep the already-convinced convinced.
"I think for some it's not about the book at all, but their own idea of what it means to follow Jesus" ~ Alice
But how does anyone learn who or what "Jesus" is, or for that matter, that he should be followed? It's the bible, right? And if not via the bible firsthand, then via the bible secondhand. IOW, for those believers who've never even cracked open a bible, it's a very safe bet that, somewhere down the line, any info' they possess regarding Jesus' character or wishes was taken from straight from the bible and then passed on. This is why I find it laughable when believers state the "It's not a religion!.... it's a relationship!" canard.
When I started believing in Jesus, it was that I was spiritually looking for SOMETHING and Jesus was the only thing I had ever been introduced to. I had been to church a few times, I knew a bit about the story, but had no idea of the huge baggage attached and the problems of scripture. I just wanted something to believe in, and I think that's where many people are.
DeleteAnd let's face it, that what apologetics are for..i.e..to keep the already-convinced convinced.
And I had to hit the apologetics pretty early on ;)
"And I had to hit the apologetics pretty early on ;)"
ReplyDeleteMe, too. 9 years old. huh! lol
I wish you fulfilled dreams and realized hope Alice.
ReplyDeleteThank you Bob:)
Delete