Religion
Related: About this forumI Was a Good Mormon Wife ...
Via Salon, via AlterNet, this story is so touching, so real, it brought tears to my eyes. Anyone doubts the difficulty facing doubters in a world of believers ought to give this a read.
http://www.alternet.org/belief/155719/i_was_a_good_mormon_wife_..._until_my_husband_stopped_believing_in_god/
“I don’t believe in God,” my husband whispered in the darkness of our bedroom.
My breath caught, and I was afraid to look at him, this boy I met and married eight years ago.
....
When I finally broke down a few weeks later, Sean was the one to hold me as I wept into my pillow and traipsed down the familiar road to despair, wondering what my life even meant if the Church wasn’t true.
“It’s OK, Maren. It’s OK. I’m here,” he said as he stroked my hair, whispering into the darkness. What felt like an end, though, slowly opened up into something else. ....
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Drale
(7,932 posts)I would go as far and say its even worst then the Catholic Church. If you heard this, "Our prophets had made it clear that anything written outside church documents was suspect and anti-Mormon, fabricated for the sole purpose of destroying faith." Any rational person would wonder why, I mean I sure as hell would. That was a fantastic article but we take religion far far far to serious. Your father might not talk to you again because you don't believe exactly what he believes? My entire Dad's side of the family are all Republicans but as long as politics are left out of it we get along fine. Joesph Smith was a snake oil sales man and I truly can not believe that anyone followed him at all. If I could go back in time, I think I would go meet Smith and his followers and really figure out WTF happened. I really feel bad for all the people trapped in this brainwashed world and almost feel like we should start kidnapping them and deprogramming them, although then we would be no better then the brainwasher's in the first place or those fundamentalists who do the same to gay kids.
rug
(82,333 posts)
spin
(17,493 posts)and perhaps to avoid reading or studying the Bible.
However the King James Version of the Bible says:
Test all things; hold fast that which is good.
1 Thessalonians 5:21
If you have the time, studying religion can prove both interesting and challenging. You have to be aware that it can be a long path that may lead to a total loss of your faith just as it can lead to a stronger belief or the adoption of an entirely new set of principles and beliefs.
rug
(82,333 posts)"The unexamined belief is not worth believing".
spin
(17,493 posts)to your most cherished beliefs.
(Note that in the following excerpt, the writer paraphrases Socrates in the same manner that you do.)
Put Your Faith in Doubt
The issues addressed by religious and spiritual teachings are so vast and so complex that anyone who does not have a crisis of faith from time to time is either in a state of grace or a state of denial. The doubt attack might be over God’s existence; fear that you're nothing more than a biochemical accident; misgivings about your tradition or chosen path; suspicion that your beliefs are really hogwash. The possibilities for doubt are endless, and the discomfort can be so intense that many of us do everything we can to avoid it, from stuffing our impertinent thoughts deep into our unconscious to clinging to some dubious doctrine that purports to have all the answers.
The avoidance strategy is encouraged by many religious teachings, which treat doubt like a demon to be exorcised or a sin for which we should atone. That is a shame, for at least two reasons. First, feeling guilty about your doubts, or being afraid you’ll be punished for having them, is as bad for your health as spiritual practice is good for it. Second, doubt can be a magnificent blessing; if you handle it well, a crisis of faith can be a steppingstone to higher truth, stronger conviction and even deeper faith.
Our faith gets challenged when something we hold to be true doesn’t match our experience. When our own observations collide with a religious doctrine or spiritual teaching, we’re no different from a child who's waiting for Santa and sees Daddy put on a red suit and a fake white beard. Something has to give. Such moments are inevitable on the spiritual path, because growth brings with it new insights and experiences that challenge our certainties. If that doesn’t happen from time to time, you are simply not growing enough. The challenge is to face it head-on. If, as Socrates said, the unexamined life is not worth living, then the unexamined belief is not worth believing. If we’re willing to follow the truth wherever it leads, doubt can be a sign of spiritual strength, not weakness; a sign of maturation, not regression.emphasis added
Ironically, however, it takes a certain leap of faith to tackle a crisis of faith honestly and courageously. You must have faith that you can resolve the impasse, and that you have the wherewithal to stake a claim to the truth even in the midst of confusion and uncertainty. You also have to trust that the universe is, deep down, a friendly place, so you can feel safe to follow your inquiry wherever it leads. Above all, you need faith that the rewards of the spiritual pursuit—however you conceive of them—are real and attainable. That’s the faith that wraps us in warmth even when the fabric of belief gets a bit tattered.
http://www.healthy.net/scr/column.aspx?ColumnId=30&Id=671
rug
(82,333 posts)That was a good read. Thanks.
spin
(17,493 posts)AnotherMcIntosh
(11,064 posts)...
When I shed my garments for slippery Victoria Secret panties, my self-esteem skyrocketed, and our late nights shifted to other things. We were finally adults, taking our firsts together, learning about each other without barriers.
