The other day a friend of mine asked me on Instant Message if I was an atheist. Despite the fact that this was a little more than I really wanted for a conversation on the Instant Message format, it occurred to me that people who read this blog probably think I hate all religion or something. This really isn't true despite the fact that I really don't approve of what most Christian denominations are attempting to accomplish politically the last few years. I will repeat that I am not Christian, however, I am not an atheist either. I should also provide some back-story here. Myy parents raised me Methodist and would not allow missing more than one Sunday in a row. Considering the hypocrisy I felt from our church, this might not have been a positive thing for me. However, my late Uncle was a Methodist minister and probably the kindest and most generous person I have ever known... this was a positive thing.
So what am I? I am a liberal religious thinker.
This is not liberal as in politics, this is liberal as in being open. My beliefs revolve around old school liberal-religious thoughts that are best realized today in Unitarian-Universalism. UUs are a non-doctrinal liberal religious organization that believes spirituality can be found in any experience. For me it is most important to understand that our own thoughts and ideas can be as illuminating as the ideas and experiences of those who came before us. This does not imply that they will be superior, nor does it suppose that the ideas before ours are. To me, no single book, revelation, or doctrine contains the whole truth, and I am not sure that we can know the whole truth of existence.
This is my religious liberalism. Not an attempt to follow a fad, simply being open to any source of spiritualism. I can find religion sitting on the floor with headphones on listening to albums, as easily as I can find it standing on a mountain that has taken days to climb, as easily as I can find it standing on stage having a crowd of people completely involved in notes I am playing, as easily as I can find it in a text.
Growing up I remember having to repeat a doctrine in church that (to paraphrase in my words) stated that we believed in Jesus being born of suspect circumstances, Jesus dying a terrible death, and Jesus rising again in suspect circumstances. Not once did we repeat any belief in the things Jesus taught in between those suspect endpoints. Why is that? Where did the "be good to your neighbor" go? What happened to meek inheriting earth? I think its apparent in our society that these are secondary elements to many modern religious teaching. I want religion that attempts to update one's point of view, not doctrine that refuses to change.
The nice thing about liberal religious organizations like UUs is that I can have these personal beliefs and someone else can have slightly or extremely different ones.
On a more personal note, I simply think I could do with a little more development of the way I go through the world. I am too critical of others, and I am lacking in service to others. All religious texts, humanist texts, transcendental texts, and many secular texts speak to being better people and I feel I could use some time studying these. Perhaps most of us could.
Does this mean I will go to a UU church every Sunday? Well maybe, maybe not. I don't think that's necessary though it could be a good way to take time, relax, and think which is not a bad thing for anyone.
OK, that is how I approach spirituality as best as I can explain it. I hope you had the patience to read it and think about your approach. Even the belief in atheism is a valid approach to something more than the here and now to me.
Posted by dmason at August 18, 2005 03:54 PM