Something a little different.
I have always been a fan about trying to understand our culture. How did America get to be “America” kinda stuff. One of the beliefs that I zeroed in on throughout my life is that our country is a country of individuals going through life on many paths that all somehow lead us to a similar experiences. We may not walk on the same path in the woods but we all walk through the woods if I can be allowed a weak metaphor.
So one of the things I feel strongly about is personal religious views. You can have whatever views you want, they can have theirs, I can have mine as long as we all agree to infringe or impact anyone else. To use another metaphor, you right to swing your fist ends when you touch me. And my views have shifted throughout my life. Catholic, methodist, baptist, buddhist, agnostic, atheist. Those have been the major religious dogmas I have at one point followed. I realize this so I do kinda take a less than serious approach to religion and strict devotion. So much of faith is built upon not knowing and having to take things on faith… (That is one of the least elegant ways to make that point and I should do better.) How dare I assume that something I believe be the one true answer.
So as with other times in my life I have felt the religious pendulum swing again in my life. I don’t think it is a denominational swing but more of a participation swing. Trying to walk the walk. Being a better person based on my deeds and not just my thoughts. Feels good but also feels very awkward. At some point I’ll either drift again or the newness will wear off and it’ll be a habit. Part of this shift comes from the Emerging Church movement. That church life is more than slapping on some slacks and writing a check for the collection. That “Thou shall” is just as important as “Thou shall not” to follow.
I’ll let this rattle around a bit more in my life and maybe this will be an interesting ride. Or maybe in six months from now I’ll be contemplating a conversion to Judaism or Wicca.