Writing about Me / Religion

Image provided by Mystic Politics
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mysticpolitics/

Some followers of this blog have been with me from the beginning in February of 2013. They probably feel they know me, at least a fair amount about my personality. Yet, there are so many things even some of my family members don’t know about me. My about page is purposely written in general terms, not to throw anyone off track, but to dodge the necessity to upgrade the page and the obligation of explaining any reasons in detail. My page about my disability quirks is the same way. There’s enough told so visitors to my blog can have a diffused understanding of shortcomings I have no control over.

In a nutshell, people who do not know me in person and for an adequate length of time don’t know much about me at all. Even some of the those people don’t know me all that well. I’m sure there are many others like me in the vast universe of cyber space. We’re commonly known as introverts and most of us are pleased with the notion.

Even though I love me solitude, sometimes I like voicing my opinion. Sometimes I like sharing a little more of myself than I normally would. Today and at various times in the future, I’ll be doling out posts that, I hope, will give you a more unhindered perception of me.

I thought I’d start out with one of the biggies that are known to shape a person’s character. Read on…

§

My Views on Religion

There was a time when I embraced religion. I was involved in my church and I was trying my best to be virtuous 100% of the time, even when no one was looking.

The more I studied within my faith, the more questions I discovered within the text and the teachings. I finally had to admit to myself that what was not being addressed was destroying any belief I had. I didn’t give up–not at first. I went search for other denominations in hopes of rediscovering that certainty about life and spirit that’s prevalent within religion.

At first I thought maybe the dogma of a congregation and how it varied from church to church was the culprit in my predicament. Therefore, finding the right church for me was all that had to be done. Or so I thought.

Turned out that wasn’t what was going to answer the questions whirling around in my head. Sure, many of the questions revolved around why what was done in one church versus another one was so important to the basic faith. However, I was questioning the unornamented beliefs themselves.

I can probably bet money there’s a reader out there whispering, “Atheist.” No, I’m not an atheist. I can’t, for one second, think that I, a human being, is the highest level of intelligence hovering around this planet and/or throughout the universe. As a species, I believe we let our emotions rule our lives, which is probably worse than the instincts other animals rely on. We, as a species, does some asinine things in the course of a 24-hour day.

I suggest it’s been centuries, or even millenniums since human beings have considered the wonder and the mystery of everything–of anything– in our world. Sure, you might go to the text books of science for answers, but those same answers have questions within themselves that aren’t being answered.

There’s an actual religion called “Nature Religion”. I’m not advocating this. Although I find the concept fascinating, there’s still questions in their answers I want addressed. Still, the thought of truly accepting death as part of the mix, along with birth and all that is in between seems more in tune with what I can fathom.

Could it be that I’m questioning the confines of religion? Oh yes, most probably. My existence is limited enough without others putting their barriers in my way.

There are still questions galore, but I believe letting the answers come within their own time, as nature does, is probably the only thing I can do.

§

Discussion is open!

“The very problem of mind and body suggests division; I do not know of anything so disastrously affected by the habit of division as this particular theme. In its discussion are reflected the splitting off from each other of religion, morals and science; the divorce of philosophy from science and of both from the arts of conduct. The evils which we suffer in education, in religion, in the materialism of business and the aloofness of “intellectuals” from life, in the whole separation of knowledge and practice — all testify to the necessity of seeing mind-body as an integral whole.” — John Dewey