I’m what most religious people would consider a heretic, and I especially enjoy watching all the latest pornographic movies (I mention this in passing). However I do often find myself wondering whether those that follow a particular belief system ever find themselves doubting what they understand about thier religion.
I’m not talking about any specific religion here. It’s applicable to anyone who considers themselves (or is considered by others to be) religious. Do you ever find yourself at odds with what you know about your religion (and consequently object to it), whether on moral, legal, technical, philosophical or even factual grounds?
And how do you deal with this situation? Do you proceed to ignore the discrepancy that you have found between what your faith teaches and your percieved fallacy of it? If not, then how do you reconcile the difference between the two? Or do you just count it off as a “glitch”?
As far as I’m concerned, faith and doubt go hand in hand … you have doubts, you work through them, you come to a better understanding of your own faith. At least, that’s the theory.
I suspect that everyone does. I had a religion instructor once, a wonderful guy, who talked about how he had several issues in the back shelf of his brain. Every so often he would take one out and wrestle with it for awhile, and then put it back. I do the same thing.
Over time, my understanding of things evolves. I don’t know or understand everything, and don’t expect to for some time. What it boils down to is: 98% of this religion stuff works wonderfully for me, and is the bedrock of my life. A few things I don’t get at all–but since I have faith that this is the right way to live my life and God knows what he’s doing better than I do, I have to trust that it will work out. Every so often a little light goes on and another piece falls into place–whereupon, naturally, a few more jump into sight as things I never thought of come up.
Essentially, that’s a longer version of “what Steve said.”
Yes, there are several glaring differences between my beliefs and the teachings of the religion I am affiliated with. There are also a number of areas where I do things I wouldn’t if I were a really good practitioner of my faith. Then there are some areas that my faith makes pronouncements upon that I just don’t care about.
I joined my faith believing that it was not the One True Religion. I found it to be a system and a community where God was present for me. I believe its teachings to be largely the work of God, but transmitted though falliable humanity. This is how I deal with the glaring differences–those are mistakes in the religion put in by people.
The stuff I do that I wouldn’t if I were a better person I attribute to my own failings and I pray (sometimes) to be a better person, less tempted. In these cases I perceive the problem to be with me and not the faith.
The stuff that is just a little odd (say the Immaculate Conception of Mary-which as you know refers to the conception of baby Mary not baby Jesus)I acknowledge may be true but doesn’t affect the way I live my life one way or the other so I just mostly ignore.
I was raised Catholic–Catholic school, mass 6 days a week, confession, communion, the whole she-bang. When I was about 14, we moved out of state and the whole Catholic thing fell away, and for about the next, um, 20 years or so, I kinda floated by without a religion. However, spirituality was always in the back of my mind. During that time, I actually felt guilty because there were too many things about the Catholic religion that I just couldn’t buy, but because I’d been a part of the church for so long, I felt that I should.
It took me many, many years to finally admit that not only can I accept the teachings of the Catholic church, but I personally cannot accept Christianity. (Don’t get me wrong–I can allow others to accept Christianity, but just not for myself.) However, being raised in the Catholic church, I still felt a longing for the some sort of ritual connected with prayer, but couldn’t get past that point of going to a church whose teachings just weren’t me. About a year ago, I found a very nice Unitarian church, which exposes me to a lot of different views. These past few months, my kids and I have attended Christmas pagents (I can still enjoy the story of the birth of Christ, even though I may not “buy” it), a Winter Soltice Celebration (complete with chants and a bonfire) and a lecture about Buddist perspective.
What I’ve found is that the basics of a lot religions run along the same lines–kindness, love, appreciation, etc. I still question ideas and concepts, but I also accept that I will learn from many different sources, and that I may not realize I’ve learned something until much later. I also find it difficult to accept that there is one “right” religion and that all others are “wrong”. To me, that just doesn’t sound right.
i’m not sure if i really have conflicts with my faith. now on what the Church teaches as being on its big do’s-and-don’ts list??? OOOOOHHHH yeaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh.
some kind people have been nice enough to throw the label “cafeteria Catholic” my way due to my inability to swallow what i regard as raw horsesh!t wholesale. :rolleyes: sorry, but i find some of the Church’s big current No-Nos to be pretty incompatible with my vision of a loving and merciful God. in some cases, enough so that i’ve been looking with considered (not a typo) fondness at neo-paganism.
but (so far) i haven’t gotten to the point of setting up my own private altar. i trot off to Mass dutifully and try to keep the eyerolling to a minimum when the sermons get into territory i find insulting or hypocritical. but one of these days, if they don’t stop the pushing to try and tell me how i’m supposed to even VOTE, fergawdssake, i may wind up walking out in protest.