For me, I think because I had meanful faith experiences within a Christian framework, I've retained comfort in elements of it. I also had mentors who pushed back against the idea of inerrancy and treated the Bible as more of a combination of people reaching for the Divine and Divine reaching back, plus all the religion as control bs.
If we took the Bible literally, as in God really does or commands this and that, it's horrifying.
I have been reading the Bible as an exercise in curiosity, discernment and faith. I was raised secular with Christian holidays void of reverence. This exact Genesis story hit me and was impossible to swallow. That and “he shall rule over you”. I am unwaveringly faithful to God/Spirit or whatever name you want to use but I cannot for the life of me find a system that is not utterly broken by human “sin”. I wonder how you have come to peace with this cognitive dissonance? Do you seek community and spiritual values/reverence in places beyond the religious? ❤️
I do seek non-religious community, though I look for like values. At times I find church and church talk, even when I agree, triggering, so that's still a point of healing for me. Overall, I do find God everywhere, regardless of religion. The Divine meets us.
I love three comments in! I have very few people in my life that will riff on these subjects with me! Because I never felt any religion was forced on me, I don’t feel as triggered. But I think it’s because I haven’t seen individuals label things as sin or promote purity culture in religious contexts. So I’m looking at the Bible from this theological/analytical perspective paired with a deeply intuitive sense of faith. And I can kind of reconcile the two. But if I had had many voices telling me- “no, no this is literal” or “this is not the way to interpret it” etc I would have a much more negative opinion and experience.
My grandaddy told me once, "I could be wrong, but God will keep me." And the peace in that, in letting go of needing certainty, is something I hold on to.
That’s beautiful. The part that challenges me is spiritual community. Where we find the balance between individualism and start relearning that sometimes it’s the whole or community or a greater good that comes first and we must sacrifice the Self or individual identity/desires. There is a sense of interconnectedness and duty (not the best word) that we seem to be losing the further we go down this path of always trying to meet the individual. Anyway, that’s not what your article was about at all! But it is what I’m searching for when I look to religious systems, I think.
For me, I think because I had meanful faith experiences within a Christian framework, I've retained comfort in elements of it. I also had mentors who pushed back against the idea of inerrancy and treated the Bible as more of a combination of people reaching for the Divine and Divine reaching back, plus all the religion as control bs.
If we took the Bible literally, as in God really does or commands this and that, it's horrifying.
I have been reading the Bible as an exercise in curiosity, discernment and faith. I was raised secular with Christian holidays void of reverence. This exact Genesis story hit me and was impossible to swallow. That and “he shall rule over you”. I am unwaveringly faithful to God/Spirit or whatever name you want to use but I cannot for the life of me find a system that is not utterly broken by human “sin”. I wonder how you have come to peace with this cognitive dissonance? Do you seek community and spiritual values/reverence in places beyond the religious? ❤️
Sorry, three comments in!
I do seek non-religious community, though I look for like values. At times I find church and church talk, even when I agree, triggering, so that's still a point of healing for me. Overall, I do find God everywhere, regardless of religion. The Divine meets us.
I love three comments in! I have very few people in my life that will riff on these subjects with me! Because I never felt any religion was forced on me, I don’t feel as triggered. But I think it’s because I haven’t seen individuals label things as sin or promote purity culture in religious contexts. So I’m looking at the Bible from this theological/analytical perspective paired with a deeply intuitive sense of faith. And I can kind of reconcile the two. But if I had had many voices telling me- “no, no this is literal” or “this is not the way to interpret it” etc I would have a much more negative opinion and experience.
My grandaddy told me once, "I could be wrong, but God will keep me." And the peace in that, in letting go of needing certainty, is something I hold on to.
That’s beautiful. The part that challenges me is spiritual community. Where we find the balance between individualism and start relearning that sometimes it’s the whole or community or a greater good that comes first and we must sacrifice the Self or individual identity/desires. There is a sense of interconnectedness and duty (not the best word) that we seem to be losing the further we go down this path of always trying to meet the individual. Anyway, that’s not what your article was about at all! But it is what I’m searching for when I look to religious systems, I think.