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captainsblogI decided, as soon as this comment came in on my last post, that it needed its own full post for a reply. I may not be doing it complete justice, but, then, Christians rarely pull that off, so deal.
In response to yesterday's quasi-rant about Fear and Loathing at the local Methodist Church, a dear and much-respected friend replied as follows:
Rude question of the day: Why do you go to church? You seem so cynical about it all, I just have to ask. Is it a sense of obligation or does your wife make you or is it just a habit that you can't break. Because honestly you seem like you don't really care one way or another, so why not reclaim your Sundays? Having faith is one thing; it's personal and not even this outspoken atheist will attempt to talk you out of it if it brings you comfort. But having faith - even shaky faith - doesn't necessarily require sacrificing time, energy, and money to a religious institution. Just wondering...
Fair points, all. I've been working up to a post about the "faith" part of it, so let me try to work that, as well as the actual reply, into this entry.
First of all, it ain't the wife. She got such a good taste of our Not So Friendly Neighborhood Methodists in non-church settings (mainly, at work) that she doesn't have any desire anymore to be seen under that sanctuary roof. She finds our leadership to be stodgy, much of our membership to be hypocritical, and doesn't see much hope for her, or anybody elses', faith there.
Me? I'm a little bit more Poly-adamish about the whole thing. I see, and hate, and make fun of the same things, but I also see enough good people doing good things there to keep on keepin' on, at least for now. For every H. who annoyed the shit out of Eleanor under the Our Lady of Danny Wegman slanted roof, there's a C.,and a M., and a B., who go above and beyond expectations and give me hope that someday I will outlive, or at least outlast, the forces of evil, which time and old age will get the H. out of there.
It would be infinitely easier to just quit. Hellz, I've done it twice in my life after changes of various kinds worked their wedgy ways into how I approached religion. Yet, after each of those times, the memories of good people, in good places, doing good things (not always, and maybe not necessarily all to-the-good on balance, but better than serving the Evil Empire) brought me back. As did the sacred music, the lifelong prayers (changed, if at all, to be more inclusive), even the wishy-washy Methodist dumb-downs of the sacraments.
And that's what gets me to the challenge, rather than the crisis, of faith. I know I believe in something good. But it's scientific, logical, and I'm entitled to call bullshit on doctrine if it's inconsistent with any of that. How many professed atheists are fans of Harry Potter magic? Or of "the Force" from Star Wars? Perhaps my longtime fandom interest in the 80s show Quantum Leap captured it best: every week's episode opened with a saga cell saying that Sam found himself "driven by an unknown force to change history for the better." Writers on the show referred to that "unknown force" (see what they did there?) as GFTW. That stood, and for me stands, for "God, Fate, Time or Whatever."
You/we can debate the omniscence/presence/potence of that Thing. You can compare and contrast it to the Yahweh of Mount Sinai or the Organians of Star Trek TOS. I don't need to know what It/He/She actually is, as long as I can get behind what It/He/She stands for. And as long as our denomination still calls for our newest members, be they baby or bornagain, to "seek justice and resist evil," "in whatever forms they present themselves" [writer's embellishment: usually Republican], I'm still ready to show up at least a month, aid my speaking voice and shekels to the cause, and hang out with other good people who feel, more or less, the same way.
So, in a sentence? Jesus is one of my fandoms; I don't take it all too seriously, but there are some damn good lines and I'll even cosplay the whole thing occasonally.
In response to yesterday's quasi-rant about Fear and Loathing at the local Methodist Church, a dear and much-respected friend replied as follows:
Rude question of the day: Why do you go to church? You seem so cynical about it all, I just have to ask. Is it a sense of obligation or does your wife make you or is it just a habit that you can't break. Because honestly you seem like you don't really care one way or another, so why not reclaim your Sundays? Having faith is one thing; it's personal and not even this outspoken atheist will attempt to talk you out of it if it brings you comfort. But having faith - even shaky faith - doesn't necessarily require sacrificing time, energy, and money to a religious institution. Just wondering...
Fair points, all. I've been working up to a post about the "faith" part of it, so let me try to work that, as well as the actual reply, into this entry.
First of all, it ain't the wife. She got such a good taste of our Not So Friendly Neighborhood Methodists in non-church settings (mainly, at work) that she doesn't have any desire anymore to be seen under that sanctuary roof. She finds our leadership to be stodgy, much of our membership to be hypocritical, and doesn't see much hope for her, or anybody elses', faith there.
Me? I'm a little bit more Poly-adamish about the whole thing. I see, and hate, and make fun of the same things, but I also see enough good people doing good things there to keep on keepin' on, at least for now. For every H. who annoyed the shit out of Eleanor under the Our Lady of Danny Wegman slanted roof, there's a C.,and a M., and a B., who go above and beyond expectations and give me hope that someday I will outlive, or at least outlast, the forces of evil, which time and old age will get the H. out of there.
It would be infinitely easier to just quit. Hellz, I've done it twice in my life after changes of various kinds worked their wedgy ways into how I approached religion. Yet, after each of those times, the memories of good people, in good places, doing good things (not always, and maybe not necessarily all to-the-good on balance, but better than serving the Evil Empire) brought me back. As did the sacred music, the lifelong prayers (changed, if at all, to be more inclusive), even the wishy-washy Methodist dumb-downs of the sacraments.
And that's what gets me to the challenge, rather than the crisis, of faith. I know I believe in something good. But it's scientific, logical, and I'm entitled to call bullshit on doctrine if it's inconsistent with any of that. How many professed atheists are fans of Harry Potter magic? Or of "the Force" from Star Wars? Perhaps my longtime fandom interest in the 80s show Quantum Leap captured it best: every week's episode opened with a saga cell saying that Sam found himself "driven by an unknown force to change history for the better." Writers on the show referred to that "unknown force" (see what they did there?) as GFTW. That stood, and for me stands, for "God, Fate, Time or Whatever."
You/we can debate the omniscence/presence/potence of that Thing. You can compare and contrast it to the Yahweh of Mount Sinai or the Organians of Star Trek TOS. I don't need to know what It/He/She actually is, as long as I can get behind what It/He/She stands for. And as long as our denomination still calls for our newest members, be they baby or bornagain, to "seek justice and resist evil," "in whatever forms they present themselves" [writer's embellishment: usually Republican], I'm still ready to show up at least a month, aid my speaking voice and shekels to the cause, and hang out with other good people who feel, more or less, the same way.
So, in a sentence? Jesus is one of my fandoms; I don't take it all too seriously, but there are some damn good lines and I'll even cosplay the whole thing occasonally.
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no subject
Date: 2013-03-05 04:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-03-05 03:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-03-05 04:47 pm (UTC)Not that I'm comparing Doctor Who to religion. Quite. ;)
But, also, if anyone who had some problems with [insert institution here] left, it would be bereft of critical thought and good people and the capacity to improve. I utterly loathe it when people say "don't like it? leave" of things like MY COUNTRY.
no subject
Date: 2013-03-05 10:56 pm (UTC)As an atheist, I think you're projecting your own innate sense of goodness, mercy, and justice onto a deity, and that in turns encourages you to be better and kinder. What the hell, it works for you. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.