What better month to be a practicing Christian than Easter season? I'm sure if you're a practicing christian you would argue every month is a good month to be practicing. So how do you go about being a "good practicing christian"? That's a tough question, and a loaded one at that. So this month I set up a few rules.
1. Going to church. I plan on attending church each week.
Growing up and baptized methodist, I am looking to check out other styles of churches, ones that offer a different flavor of christianity. I went to the Vineyard Church a few weeks ago with a couple of friends. It was a really nice church, (disclaimer: Any place that has free earl grey tea is hard to talk bad about) and the first I have attended that had a band, which was nice. I was curious about the message, but I found it to be pretty inspiring. A lot of talk about being better people, helping community, and nothing about fire/brimstone/hell.
Today I attended church with my family and grandparents at the methodist church I was baptized in. It was nice being back, and I was grateful to be there with my grandparents, but I wasn't as inspired by today's service as much as the one I attended in Lexington. To be fair, I had my children there, so a good part of the time was spent keeping paper out of Em's mouth and wondering if Ro would say the word "butt" outloud. What didn't really "do it" for me was the structured agenda of it all. Sit, read, stand, sing, call and response, THEN a sermon, then more reading. I didn't really feel like I had time to think for myself and soak it all in. I don't want this to be a negative thing, but it didn't give me what I liked about The Vineyard. The Vineyard was like listening to someone in your family. Christian ideals were definitely preached, but in a way that connected it to the community, and allowed me to reflect on how to be a better person.
2. Attend a weekly bible study group.
I feel so fortunate and grateful for the group of guys I get to hang out with this month. Randomly, I was hooked up with a pseudo bible study group consisting of 7-8 retired preachers. Thinking about a bible study was a daunting task. I wasn't really interested in my idea of a traditional bible study (I probably have the most untraditional view of a traditional bible study). I thought my time constraint would not allow me to get a whole lot out of it. Would there be open discussion? Would we be going through one book of the bible? Would I be preached at? Would they even let me in if they found out I subscribe to the buddhist tradition?
What I wanted was an open forum. A place where we could shoot the shit, talk some Jesus, and debate the christian ideals that seem to drive wedges between community members. And that is EXACTLY what I got myself into. These guys are great. Granted, they are still trying to save me, but they sincerely treat me like one of their own. We have pretty lengthy discussions, I feel completely comfortable explaining my true thoughts on christian teachings, and the guys answer my questions without any detectable traces of judgement. It's nice to know guys like this were building ministries throughout the country. We obviously have some major philosophical differences, but we all want the same thing. For those of you who have a really negative view of christians, I have to tell you there are some really great christians out there. A year ago I don't know if I would have believed how great my conversations with a self-proclaimed conservative christian could have gone. But here I am hoping you get the opportunity that I have had so far this month.
3. Pray.
This is the one thing I was sure would be easier than it has turned out. Obviously, praying is not a difficult thing. I have been somewhat serious with meditation up until now, and praying seemed an easy alternative. Well....it wasn't. Praying in the morning to start the day...no problem. Praying at night before I go to bed...should be easy, but I seem to forget most nights before lying down to sleep. Saying a little prayer before a meal has proven to be the most difficult for me. The big issue is my forgetfullness. But when I do think about it at lunch, I get self concious about it. I sometimes think to myself "this is going to be a good one" or "hot damn! I'm feeling the love and Im going to include everyone that made this meal possible". Then reality sets in. I start to think to myself...is anyone going to stare at me when I do this? I wonder if they were like my former self and think what I'm doing is silly. Then what happens is my extravagant grace turns into a few second of thanks. (the ministers assure me any grace is better than none...maybe its more of a self dissapointment I let unsubstantiated thoughts get in the way)
4. Read/listen to expand my understanding
I have been hitting the podcasts pretty hard on my drive to/from work.
CS Lewis is my new free time favorite.
Any other suggestions? I have a book by Ravi Zacharias that was loaned to me, but I'm just not sure its in the cards. I'm sure he's a great man, but I listened to a few of his talks on podcast and he didn't do it for me.
So that's what I have been up to this month. Looking forward to continuing, and improving, my understanding on the subject over the next week and a half. I hope everyone who practices had a great easter. I hope all of you who don't did as well.
Stay Blessed.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Monday, April 7, 2014
Call it what you want...there is no God.
Did you know there are many different types of "atheism"? The internet says so, and it's never wrong. I grew up in simpler times, times when you could be a believer and non-believer. So easy, but like I've discussed before, nothing is permanent. The non believers have apparently joined more modern times and tried to overcomplicate things. Now there are a lot of hip and cool new ways to not believe in a higher power.
Atheism
Atheists deny that atheism is a religion. They do not believe in any God/Gods/supernatural powers. The internet (in its infinite wisdom) reveals that "An Atheist has no specific belief system. We (atheists) accept only that which is scientifically verifiable. Since god concepts are unverifiable, we do not accept them." Obviously this is an oversimplification. There are many different views on atheism. The one common theme is the belief there is no God figure, but I would argue they DO, in fact, have a belief system...just not one the incorporates an omnipotent being running the show.
Agnostics
Agnostics believe that our knowledge is limited to the natural world and we are never going to know if God exists. They tend to be skeptical of all/most things related to theology. Some take the stance that they don't know if God exists or not, others seem adamant that no one will ever be able to understand.
I used to describe myself as agnostic. It was my ideal place to deal with both believers and non-believers. It was like I could have my cake and eat it to. (By no means am I debasing Agnosticism, I personally described myself this way because I wasn't really sure what I believed and it was an easy out)
Free thinkers
"free-think-er n. A person who forms opinions about religion on the basis of reason, independently of tradition, authority, or established belief. Freethinkers include atheists, agnostics and rationalists. No one can be a freethinker who demands conformity to a bible, creed, or messiah. To the freethinker, revelation and faith are invalid, and orthodoxy is no guarantee of truth." - Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc.
This is not fully hitting the mark, but this seems to relate to some Buddhist teachings I discussed previously.
Humanism
"Being a Humanist means trying to behave decently without expectation of rewards or punishment after you are dead." - Kurt Vonnegut.
"Humanism is a progressive belief that, without supernaturalism, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity." - American Humanist Association
Bloggers note: this is an "ism" that I can really get down with. I also had the pleasure of joining an online humanist forum. What I found was a group of people interested in making Lexington a better place. There were discussions of local fundraisers, many community building opportunities(I'm looking forward to a family bowling get together), and discussions on how to help families in need, and discussions on where to learn more about humanist ideas. Sounds like a church community...without God of course. And full of people I am happy to share my community with.
Naturalism
"The mental attitude which unreservedly accepts the supremacy of reason and aims at establishing a system of philosophy and ethics verifiable by experience, independent of all arbitrary assumptions or authority." - American Rationalist
So what is all the fuss about? What makes us so afraid of atheists and where do these negative feelings come from? I'm not going to pretend it doesn't happen, because it does. I have talked with quite a few people about atheism recently and I have witnessed first hand the stigma that can accompany it. Lucky for me I was only atheist for a month, I don't know how you full time non-believers do it.
It seems that somewhere along the way the dialogue became more about being on the "right team" versus the "same team" (ironic, considering the other major religions consider us all Gods people) As long as there are people fighting for their view to be the right one, as long as there are people unwilling to listen to another perspective, as long as people use their beliefs to justify their fears; ignorance will continue to negatively influence our communities.
In case you missed it, no where in any of these definitions does it say atheists don't believe in good, they just don't believe in god. I can think of many reasons why someone may denounce religion. (more on that with my next post) I cannot think of any reason living a moral/productive/fulfilling life has to be mutually tied to a certain belief system, however. The reality of it all is that regardless of their reasons to believe in what they do, they have the capability to love, to be loved, to help, to cooperate, to do good. And anyone focused on making a positive impact on my community is ok in my book...regardless of what happens to them when they die.
Atheism
Atheists deny that atheism is a religion. They do not believe in any God/Gods/supernatural powers. The internet (in its infinite wisdom) reveals that "An Atheist has no specific belief system. We (atheists) accept only that which is scientifically verifiable. Since god concepts are unverifiable, we do not accept them." Obviously this is an oversimplification. There are many different views on atheism. The one common theme is the belief there is no God figure, but I would argue they DO, in fact, have a belief system...just not one the incorporates an omnipotent being running the show.
Agnostics
Agnostics believe that our knowledge is limited to the natural world and we are never going to know if God exists. They tend to be skeptical of all/most things related to theology. Some take the stance that they don't know if God exists or not, others seem adamant that no one will ever be able to understand.
I used to describe myself as agnostic. It was my ideal place to deal with both believers and non-believers. It was like I could have my cake and eat it to. (By no means am I debasing Agnosticism, I personally described myself this way because I wasn't really sure what I believed and it was an easy out)
Free thinkers
"free-think-er n. A person who forms opinions about religion on the basis of reason, independently of tradition, authority, or established belief. Freethinkers include atheists, agnostics and rationalists. No one can be a freethinker who demands conformity to a bible, creed, or messiah. To the freethinker, revelation and faith are invalid, and orthodoxy is no guarantee of truth." - Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc.
This is not fully hitting the mark, but this seems to relate to some Buddhist teachings I discussed previously.
Humanism
"Being a Humanist means trying to behave decently without expectation of rewards or punishment after you are dead." - Kurt Vonnegut.
"Humanism is a progressive belief that, without supernaturalism, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity." - American Humanist Association
Bloggers note: this is an "ism" that I can really get down with. I also had the pleasure of joining an online humanist forum. What I found was a group of people interested in making Lexington a better place. There were discussions of local fundraisers, many community building opportunities(I'm looking forward to a family bowling get together), and discussions on how to help families in need, and discussions on where to learn more about humanist ideas. Sounds like a church community...without God of course. And full of people I am happy to share my community with.
Naturalism
"Naturalism is a metaphysical theory which holds that all phenomena can be explained mechanistically in terms of natural (as opposed to supernatural) causes and laws. Naturalism posits that the universe is a vast machine or organism, devoid of general purpose and indifferent to human needs and desires...naturalism neither denies nor affirms the existence of God, either as transcendent or immanent. However, naturalism makes God an unnecessary hypothesis and essentially superfluous to scientific investigation. Reference to moral or divine purposes has no place in scientific explanations. On the other hand, the scope of science is limited to explanation of empirical phenomena without reference to forces, powers, influences, etc., which are supernatural." - The Skeptic's Dictionary
Rationalism
"The mental attitude which unreservedly accepts the supremacy of reason and aims at establishing a system of philosophy and ethics verifiable by experience, independent of all arbitrary assumptions or authority." - American Rationalist
So what is all the fuss about? What makes us so afraid of atheists and where do these negative feelings come from? I'm not going to pretend it doesn't happen, because it does. I have talked with quite a few people about atheism recently and I have witnessed first hand the stigma that can accompany it. Lucky for me I was only atheist for a month, I don't know how you full time non-believers do it.
It seems that somewhere along the way the dialogue became more about being on the "right team" versus the "same team" (ironic, considering the other major religions consider us all Gods people) As long as there are people fighting for their view to be the right one, as long as there are people unwilling to listen to another perspective, as long as people use their beliefs to justify their fears; ignorance will continue to negatively influence our communities.
In case you missed it, no where in any of these definitions does it say atheists don't believe in good, they just don't believe in god. I can think of many reasons why someone may denounce religion. (more on that with my next post) I cannot think of any reason living a moral/productive/fulfilling life has to be mutually tied to a certain belief system, however. The reality of it all is that regardless of their reasons to believe in what they do, they have the capability to love, to be loved, to help, to cooperate, to do good. And anyone focused on making a positive impact on my community is ok in my book...regardless of what happens to them when they die.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Survey says...atheists are not to be trusted
It's true, recent studies have shown that some people have a pretty negative view of atheism. Half of all Americans polled said they would not vote for an atheist president. Studies report many people do not consider atheists as trustworthy as other Christians and Muslims. Some argue that people who believe God is watching over them are more likely to behave morally. I believe that people who praise a higher power can certainly use their faith to bring awareness to a better life...but to say atheists are not trustworthy folk, is a dangerous way to see the world.
I have not been able to get to know many new atheists this month, but I have done some reading up on atheist philosophy and other educational perusing of the world wide web and I have discovered an amazing truth. Atheists seem to be just like everyone else. They have beliefs, and some hold them tighter that what is healthy. Some of them seem to genuinely care about a multitude of the worlds problems, and some seem to think the "others" are the bat-shit crazy ones.
Atheists seem a lot like people. Real people, people with problems, people who meet with other like minded people to try and save the world (or school...or city), people who see the beauty of community. From what I can tell, a common thread of all people is to want to belong. So we hang out with like minded people, which is great...so long as we keep trying to expand our personal bubble to include other people who aren't quite like minded. What we may find is these unlike-minded individuals are more like us that we originally thought.
So where does this negativity come from? Probably a lot of places, in a lot of different forms, but one commonality is ignorance. I'm not talking about bad people necessarily. Ignorance has many shapes and sizes ranging from down right damaging and completely made up to a simple lack of updated information. But here is the good new friends, I have something special coming up for you! (not really, just a lot of information that is mostly new to me)
Be warned. I have been studying atheism for over a month now, with the help of my smart phone AND the internet. Clearly I know my stuff, but in the case that I write something incorrect, please correct me. And when you are correcting me, please try to be helpful...otherwise you might end up looking like one of the crazies.
I have not been able to get to know many new atheists this month, but I have done some reading up on atheist philosophy and other educational perusing of the world wide web and I have discovered an amazing truth. Atheists seem to be just like everyone else. They have beliefs, and some hold them tighter that what is healthy. Some of them seem to genuinely care about a multitude of the worlds problems, and some seem to think the "others" are the bat-shit crazy ones.
Atheists seem a lot like people. Real people, people with problems, people who meet with other like minded people to try and save the world (or school...or city), people who see the beauty of community. From what I can tell, a common thread of all people is to want to belong. So we hang out with like minded people, which is great...so long as we keep trying to expand our personal bubble to include other people who aren't quite like minded. What we may find is these unlike-minded individuals are more like us that we originally thought.
So where does this negativity come from? Probably a lot of places, in a lot of different forms, but one commonality is ignorance. I'm not talking about bad people necessarily. Ignorance has many shapes and sizes ranging from down right damaging and completely made up to a simple lack of updated information. But here is the good new friends, I have something special coming up for you! (not really, just a lot of information that is mostly new to me)
Be warned. I have been studying atheism for over a month now, with the help of my smart phone AND the internet. Clearly I know my stuff, but in the case that I write something incorrect, please correct me. And when you are correcting me, please try to be helpful...otherwise you might end up looking like one of the crazies.
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