Hello Friends

[Anonymous]

I’m not very good at introductions. Usually people go about describing themselves but I find that difficult because I don’t feel like there’s one description that could describe me well enough, or that anyone could describe themselves fully for that matter. But I’ll do my best to make it as quick and representative as possible.

I grew up Roman Catholic, went to church every week with my parents and was confirmed, they still go to this day, but I wouldn’t consider myself a Catholic per se, although I really like the new pope. Anyways, I went off to school, realized that I didn’t really know much about my faith and as a result decided I didn’t really need it. I went through a period of depression, probably starting around high school and through most of college. Eventually I was invited to an Evangelical (well technically it is non-denominational) church and I turned my life around, everything was great for a while. I started attending small groups, and asking serious questions, I dug into theological studies, philosophy and pretty much anything you could imagine someone might have a question about. I started leading youth small groups and serving at church on a regular basis as the technical director of the student ministry. I’ve helped with everything from summer camps to large church events in stadiums with thousands of people to the weekly prayer gathering. I’ve helped with organizing small group curriculum and providing questions to ask (one of my specialties). Basically, what I’m trying to say is that I’ve been pretty involved with serving at my church and I’m/ways quite passionate about it.

I’m an avid reader, a computer geek (I work as a software engineer), and an aspiring writer/blogger. I am passionate about finding ways to bridge gaps between different types of people and digging beneath the facade to really get to know people. I don’t like authoritarian systems and dogma because I’ve seen how it prevents people from growing and connecting and living out their “calling” (I don’t really like that word) in life – basically whatever they are passionate about and want to pursue.

I’ve gone through quite a spiritual roller coaster these past few years, I went from a good/fairly ignorant Catholic, to somewhat of an agnostic, to a passionate pseudo-Calvinist evangelical legalistic young earth creationist, to an arminian, to an evolutionary creationist, to an open theist, to process theology, anabaptist, quaker, trinitarian, I’ve had forays into Charismatic pentacostal “voodoo doo doo” (as John Crowder likes to call it), I’ve had ecstatic experience and seen people healed when I prayed for them, and then I’ve dug into some “death of God” theology, or whatever you want to call it.

…So I guess what I’m saying is that I’ve dug into a lot of different theological, philosophical, and denominational perspectives and I don’t really think you could call me much of anything this point, I’m kind of just a big mix of all of it, put it in a blender and call it what you want.

I guess now I’m in what you might call a “dark night of the soul”. I’ve kind of had all of the ground ripped out from under me….I’m burnt out on church, I’m tired of pat answers to complex questions, and what would have horrified me before actually brings me comfort.

I guess that’s all I’ve got for now. I suppose you could also call me long winded if you want. But my name is Brian, aka metamusal and I like to think about the way we think about things and interact with others.

[HughParticipant]

Hi Brian,

Welcome to the group. I have been here for about 11 months already but haven’t posted much. I too am going through the so called dark night of the soul or something. I am totally out of the the church scene now. Trying to figure things out and deal with my anger. Church has really pissed me off and the God I thought I knew, well we are not on speaking terms anymore. So I just carry on and pursue skepticism of the bible and related topics. I do find the universe to be a wonderous place and contemplate the possibility of some kind of deism. I have found a new interest in science and think there is more truth there than in the old myths. But hey, gotta keep an open mind.

Hugh

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the introduction Brian. Wow – you have definitely run the entire religious gamut. So now that you know what doesn’t work, maybe you can find what does. And i don’t mean finding one more different kind of church to go to, or a different theology to subscribe to. I think you and most of us here have been there, done that and found it pretty meaningless. I left the Evangelical church about 2 years ago. It’s funny cuz all my life I was always ready to jump into the next Bible study, or the next small group, or read the latest trendy Christian book, gone to seminars, etc. I am glad to be FREE of all that! Even though its hard to be in a place of not really knowing what I believe about God anymore. So far I have resisted the urge to immerse myself in other spiritual disciplines mainly because I know how I am and how easy it is for me to do that. But at the end of the day, I’d rather settle for the questions, the mystery, the not-knowing and not having the answers. It is a much more honest and genuine place to be. That’s pretty much all i have to say.

I do miss how these forums worked before we had the secret FB site. People could mention a topic and  everyone (from athiest to Christians still attending church) would give their input. That really helped me sort things out, and gave me lots to think about. Don’t know what the new TLS site will be like, but I hope we still get to kick around different viewpoints on various subjects.

 

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