I hold a very un-PC and unpopular belief: I think it's best if at all possible to stay within the religion that one has been raised. After exploring Goddess religions in my late teens and early twenties, I tried for several years to be a Unitarian, but having already had the experience of becoming clean and sober after years of serious drug and alcohol dependancy, I was hopelessly convinced of my need for God's grace. My experience of having gotten sober was that it was not as a result of me having pulled myself up by my bootstraps, but as a result of God's grace. Unitarians (good, smart, fun people in my book) are just not known for talking much about our need for God's grace. They tend to have a really high opinion of human beings, which makes my wonder "what the hell planet are you from?" Having said that let me say that I've had more fun in my life hanging out with Unitarians than I should admit to in a public forum.
I have good reasons (as do loads of other folks) for leaving the church and never coming back. I won't go into the blood and guts narrative of my fundamentalist upbringing, but let's just say that it was theologically disturbing on many levels and being me in that kind of church is a problem.
I'll not go into how I came back to the church here, but I will say that coming to the Lutheran church, with the theology of grace...grace that is freely given and which is never earned...was so much more liberating than leaving the church in the first place. Why? Because I'm Christian. I refuse to stay out of the church. The Biblical narrative formed me. Worship formed me. Prayer, the triune God, hymnody, communion....I can try and pretend that it's not who I am, but I'd be lying.
Perhaps this is why I tend to react so negatively toward the vast array of white buddhists, white rastafarians, white Sikhs etc... here in Boulder county Colorado.
I guess the question for me is this: in what ways does religion form who we are? In what ways does cultural ethos (ultimately informed by the dominant religion) form who we are and can these things be changed? Hinduism is so bound to India, can I as someone who was born a privileged white protestant American ever become a Hindu? This is an admittedly flawed line of reasoning when extended to global Christianity...for it is certainly not culturally American (thanks be to God), and what is meant by "American" changes every day too, as Diana Eck asks "Who is the 'we' of 'we the people'?"
This whole line of thinking is not coming from a place of derision toward other faiths. Actually, my years of studying Islam under Fred Denny at CU Boulder guided me toward a deeper living out of my own faith...after studying about Muslim daily prayer and the Hajj and the Ramadan fast, I couldn't help but be moved to consider : "In what ways am I living out my faith?, why do I not pray several times a day?", but it did not move me to becoming Muslim, because I'm Christian.
Here's something I read this week from Theologian John Hick of Claremont Graduate University in California:
For our religion creates us in its own image, so that it fits us and we fit it as no other can. It is thus for us the best, the truest, most naturally acceptable faith, within which we rightly remain....There are, of course, and will always be individual conversions in all directions, for individual reasons. But broadly speaking we do best to live within the religion that has formed us, though with an awareness that the same holds true for those who have been formed by a different tradition from our own.
I obviously need to think less about what other people should be doing and simply say - hey, I'm Christian because I'm Christian...also because I think the Gospel of Jesus Christ is mind blowing and true....but the whole "truth doesn't necessarily mean fact" post will have to wait until later.
Call me a relativist if you must, just doen't assume I'm not a deeply faithful Christian 'cause them's fightin' words.
Dear God,
Thank you for the Bible and for the church...but mostly for the Gospel of Jesus Christ which tells us who we are. I am marked with the cross of Christ, help me remember what this means and to faithfully, daily live out the Gospel. Thank you for creating a world with its multiplicity of cultures and peoples and ways of accessing the transcendent truth of you. Forgive me when I think that I have this figured out. Help me see you in my fellow human beings who name you differently. And if there's an extra measure of humility available, I could use that too, thanks.
In Jesus' name,
AMEN
Glad I found your blog. I am looking for more blogs in this genre as I am starting seminary soon. I enjoyed reading many of your posts tonight.
Posted by: stayathomemotherdom | February 07, 2007 at 10:49 PM
A resounding "amen" to your words regarding studying other religions and not being turned to them, but enriched in our own faith by them.
Posted by: Pamela Creager | February 08, 2007 at 09:26 AM
"I'm Christian. I refuse to stay out of the church. The Biblical narrative formed me. Worship formed me. Prayer, the triune God, hymnody, communion....I can try and pretend that it's not who I am, but I'd be lying."
I REALLY REALLY like this.
Posted by: towanda | February 08, 2007 at 09:28 AM
1. I'm glad to see you back. My lurking self has been jonesin' for days now.
2. I wonder how common this experience is - the expirimentation with other faiths, only to return to the mould in which we were formed. It may not be everyday, but I'll guess it's more common than we think.
3. Great prayer!
Posted by: Rob M. | February 08, 2007 at 11:45 AM
I'm one of those white Buddhists, and I agree with you. I can understand why you'd have a negative reaction to the white Buddhists et al. Some of us violently rejected the religion of our culture and childhood. I used to harbor my own negativity. I had to become a Buddhist, an atheist, and much to my chagrin, become the student of a really ecumenical lama to lose all of that negativity and truly see the beauty in Christianity, Buddhism and every other religion out there. And I'm still learning this, every day, and I know I've got a long way to go.
That was the hard way. (Not that religion is ever easy for Buddhists or Christians or anyone else.)
I'm sorry for the personal tale -- this isn't my blog. I just wanted a chance to, as one of those white Buddhists, agree wholeheartedly with your post.
Posted by: Buddha Baby | February 08, 2007 at 04:50 PM
Buddha Baby,
I'm kinda proud to have a Buddhist reader. Thanks for sharing your experience rather than telling me off, which would have been totally justified, but not as interesting. I'm glad you're hanging around.
Nadia
Posted by: sarcasticlutheran | February 08, 2007 at 06:30 PM
heh Nadia thanks for this. You've put into words something I've been wondering about. I feel nurtured, shaped and energised for good by Christ and - despite all our shortcomings - by Christianity. Is that a possibility for everyone? Or just for me and people like me? Thanks for the prayer at the end of your post. Peace to you Ian
Posted by: Ian | February 11, 2007 at 02:51 AM
Thanks - love the prayer at the end.
I think we all struggle with not mistaking negative things done in Christ's name with the Christ.
I like your perspective as one who has studied other faith walks.
Posted by: Trekant | February 13, 2007 at 06:23 PM
Right on. Thanks for your words. Particularity is everything! Who would Jesus have been without the context of his religion, his geography, and the politics of Rome? From the greatest to the least, we emerge out of our particularities. Now I'm not trying to sound like an essentialist regarding the importance of context and particularity, but what we experience indelibly marks us in our present and sends us into our future. Good on ya for staying in the conversation.
Posted by: [email protected] | February 13, 2007 at 09:22 PM
Right on. Thanks for your words. Particularity is everything! Who would Jesus have been without the context of his religion, his geography, and the politics of Rome? From the greatest to the least, we emerge out of our particularities. Now I'm not trying to sound like an essentialist regarding the importance of context and particularity, but what we experience indelibly marks us in our present and sends us into our future. Good on ya for staying in the conversation.
Posted by: [email protected] | February 13, 2007 at 09:22 PM
Very interesting! Is Truth a person?
Posted by: Lisa DeLay | February 14, 2007 at 05:04 PM
I have tried to leave but it is like my tribe and I always come back - being an Episcopalian - I am fed by the liturgy.
Posted by: Ann Fontaine | February 14, 2007 at 08:31 PM
I hear that a lot of people go to seminary and lose their faith. Someone mentioned this to me as a caution before I started at Iliff in the fall and I said, "It's ok, I'm a Unitarian, I don't have any faith to lose." But the thing is, I am sort of questioning what the eff I'm doing, and your post about not being a UU made me feel a lot stronger about my decision to stay in the church. Yer comments about white buddhists/muslims/hindus/etc really resonate with me, which is even funnier when you consider that lots of those folks co-identify as UU's . . .but
THANKS for telling me why yer a Lutheran, because it makes me wanna be a UU so much more, and be a UU who hangs out with and talks theology with rad Lutherans.
Posted by: Andie | February 19, 2007 at 01:07 PM
Andi,
Glad you're sticking around...what would losing your faith look like? Becoming Lutheran?
n
Posted by: Sarcastic Lutheran | February 19, 2007 at 01:15 PM
"I'm Christian. I refuse to stay out of the church." I love this statement so much, both as a temporary Christianity expat (to neopaganism also, by the way) and as someone who often feels as if many of my coreligionists would like to push me out of the church. Keep testifyin', sister!
Posted by: LutheranChik | February 20, 2007 at 06:03 AM
What a post, what a conversation. My denomination may have changed but Christianity is home.
Posted by: hipastorzwife | February 20, 2007 at 05:23 PM
Thank you! I tried staying away, because my sense of being betrayed by the church as well as by my friends was so visceral and overwhelming, but even though I hadn't grown up in the church, the rhythms of the liturgical year - the colors, texts, textures and music marking the events in the liturgical calendar were more real to me than any of my own individual history ever had been, and they had shaped my life into deep, indelible patterns and designs that of late still seem irretrievable. The church was my literal life; the ministry I did was the fruit of my labor and the fruit of my heart. Right now I'm sort of on the edge, doing some playing, teaching and preaching, while finally giving myself permission to stay away when I need to. Thanks again; I hope to come back to your blog soon.
Posted by: Leah | February 20, 2007 at 09:12 PM
Just wanted to say thank you- great post- challenging stuff!
Posted by: sally | February 21, 2007 at 01:23 AM
Cultural context, I think, is especially important in Eastern religions. Sometimes people in the Western world find the superficial aspects of religions like Hinduism and Buddhism fascinating, but they tend to miss out on the deeper spiritual meaning.
Still, I was born and raised Catholic in a predominantly Hindu country, and I guess that turned out okay :)
Posted by: Kievas Fargo | February 21, 2007 at 07:17 AM
Great stuff. I, too, took a detour through Goddess religion and Native American spirituality combined with 12-stepping as a young person. I'm back in the Episcopal church where I was raised...'cause nothing else feels like worship to me any more.
Posted by: Mary Beth | February 21, 2007 at 09:09 AM
Thanks so much for this. I never strayed far as a Lutheran, but I know (and you said it well) that I was formed by the Lutheran church and I need to stay here.
Posted by: Patty | February 21, 2007 at 02:57 PM
Oh, are you ever not alone. I'm a left-of-liberal Episcopalian, and I've been there too. My tale is here:
http://barefootandlaughing.blogspot.com/2006/11/sustainability-scheduling-and-future_3927.html
Posted by: Kirstin | February 22, 2007 at 08:28 PM