That’s pretty much it. In my young teenage years (not that long ago), I was into the Covenant Church, one of many evangelical movements out there. It provided me with support during my transition into high school, and provided me with a working knowledge of the New Testament that is as useful in secular life as a History student as it was as a Christian.
The church, if nothing else, was amazing at generating (the cynical might say manipulating) emotion. Monthly, there were concert-like city-wide services that were just amazing. I haven’t felt that sort of emotional energy again. At camp and other events, there were amazing moments of happiness.
I never really accepted a lot of the doctrine; I might have been called a Pelagian. I wasn’t homophobic. But I did believe the core things–the personal relationship with Jesus, the need for worship and prayer, and so on. I got confirmed.
I’m no longer Christian. I’m agnostic–I always was a little, since I don’t trust my intellectual prowess enough to say for certain that there isn’t a God. Maybe I was a bit of a Deist, once, too. But still, I enjoy that feeling of worship, even if I have no belief in what I’m worshipping. It helps me understand why so many dictators are so good at what they do. I can understand something of what the Chinese Red Guards must have felt, for example.
Obviously, I’m not witnessing–I don’t have a faith to witness. I just thought I’d observe how moving large groups of people really can be. It’s an interesting capacity of humans, even though I no longer think it’s religiously-inspired. This is probably the most controversial thing I’ve ever posted on the Dope, but I thought I’d see if I was the only one who liked the trappings of the faith without the substance.
I am pretty much the same. After having spent some time as a Christian I eventually became agnostic. But I do miss aspects of religion, aspects of a religious service and some of the aspects of belief.
I’m an atheist, but I miss praying. When I was religious, I was in the habit of always talking to god in my head. I still do that, sort of. But without the belief that there’s something there, it just makes me feel wistful.
I grew up for all intents and purposes as a PK–Preacher’s Kid–because while my dad had a regular job, he was also head elder in our church and the substitute pastor. (And my brother and I, as his kids, were scrutinized rather agonizingly.)
In my experience, people get a “high” off that kind of ritualized group activity. If 300 people are singing “Amazing Grace” or the national anthem, it can be quite moving…even if you don’t belive in God or America. To me it’s the equivalent of concert-goers holding up lighters to their favorite songs. It’s like hearing a really good speaker. Even if you don’t buy what he’s talking about, you may still be moved by his passion, and the passion of others around you.
It’s a “religious experience” without the religion. It’s quite catching. IME it’s almost inevitable to be moved, unless you have some concrete reason NOT to be moved.
It’s kinda why I think religious experiences are a crock. But that’s my own problem.
I personally am a thiest and profess to being a Christian although by Christian I mean a follower of Christ’s teachings and diciplines, not a follower of the dictates of any particular church (in this manner I suppose I am also a Buddhist and a Taoist, a follower and believer of these teachers but not of the organizations that represent them).
Once I accepted this I started having some difficulty attaining that emotional reaction that I was used to in congregations. I believe in God, I believe in Jesus and the resurrection, I just don’t particularly believe in the church. More specifically I don’t relate to what I see as organized religion’s misdirection of scripture toward it’s own purpose.
I suppose it is this dissonance that prevents me from feeling that high and I do sort of miss it but I feel better about myself emotionally and spiritually, and I feel much better about my relationship with God so it’s kind of a trade off.
I’m not an atheist, because it’s not so much that I don’t believe in God, it’s more that I don’t find a God to be necessary for my worldview. But I still pray. I just address my prayers to the Universe. I realize the Universe can’t necessarily hear my words or thoughts, but the Universe is still there, and I can still address my prayers to it. Another way of thinking about it is that we are part of the Universe - we come from it, and we live in it. So praying to the Universe is like praying to the part of ourselves that is part of everything else.
Fascinating. I can relate to everyone’s responses in this thread. . . even the one that said that she doesn’t feel anything while still relating to the OP who says that he feels moved. Because I can see how both those can happen. When I’m waiting or expecting something to move me, it rarely does. But when I’m just sitting and not expecting it, that’s when I get a feeling that’s all the more moving because I didn’t expect it.
I go to church regularly even though I’m not a Christian. As for the other labels, that’s pretty much as far as I’ve nailed it. And even that’s not an absolute.
It makes perfect sense to me. That’s about where I stand with it, when I pray I release the good energy to the universe and hope it does some good, it certainly can’t hurt. I get the same sense of peace and oneness when I go to mass, or take part in a circle or even when I’m hiking in the mountains or doing yoga. I don’t know what to call it, but I like it. I don’t feel insignificant then, but a part of something so much more than myself and that I’m not alone.
What scares me on the other hand is how easy it is to get caught up in the rush of a major group of people, with someone preaching from the stage (be it religious or political or whatever). I had that happen once, when I was a teen I went with a group to a Christian concert where the intermission was preaching and a call to Jesus. I got so caught up in it… and then afterward felt so drained and weird.
I understand completely. I was raised Catholic, and am now a practicing Baha’i. Catholicism was real big on the “ritual” thing. Baha’i, no ritual. We don’t even have clergy. The Baha’i Faith comes much closer to being what I’ve always believed about the Creator, and I’ve no drive to return to my roots, but sometimes, I do miss the ritual of Mass. There was always something comforting about it, to me.
I have, over the years, waffled between the idea that either the Greeks (a different “god” for each facet of humanity) or Natives/pagans/animists (it’s the environment/circle of life, stupid!) had it right. These days I’m leaning towards any theism (not that I’ve found any, but hey…) that recognizes the power of the sea, but I still have a soft spot for the liturgy in the ELCA’s green hymnal that brainwashed me when I was a young 'un.
George Carlin, rumor has it, once said that the only good thing to come from religion was the music. While I still believe in that about 80% I also recognize that just about every mainstream religion has a strong leaning towards social services. The Big Three, frex - Islam, Christianity, and Judaism - all preach about being kind and giving alms to widows, orphans, and the poor. In my neck of the woods Somali Muslims are sponsored into the area by the Lutherans and are offered housing by the Catholics and get jobs side-by-side with local Protestants and and immigrant Latinos. While the guys up top with the dresses and postnomials argue about who is going to heaven, people on the ground live up to their own version of morality and just do what needs to be done to assist the face in front of them.
There were a lot of catcalls when Shrub announced his administration’s policy of “faith-based charity” but let me tell you - that was nothing more than naming the horses after they had already left the barn. I’ll be among the first in line if there’s ever a call to criticize organized religion; I’ll also be the last in line to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
