quote:The farthest I can go is knowing that Humanity is sacred because of what it/we are... we are the Universe made manifest. We are pieces of the Universe that has become self aware, and as we explore our lives and the world around us we are actually exploring ourselves. When we love others we actually love parts of ourselves. When we hate others we hate ourselves.
We are all little gods that way I guess. I guess it's enough.
Not to sound all prosilytising and all, but that sounds like something a Mormon would say. The only addition would be that what we do to others and ourselves, we are doing to God.
It's also not unlike what a UCCer (at least from the congregationalist branch I grew up in) might say.
And it's pretty much the sentiment that pervades most of Kurt Vonnegut's work, particularly in Cat's Cradle.
posted
I'm not sure exactly what UCC is, but isn't there a church that covers various levels of belief, from those that believe that Christ is Divine to those that believe the New Testament is fiction that has some wonderful insights to live by? And that other religious ideals are welcome as well?
I see so many here longing for the peace that religion believes, but they just can't make that leap. Might there be a church for such? Might it bring that comfort and sense of belonging--at least in part since true faith isn't complete?
Posts: 7050 | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Telp, I totally understand the feelings in your original post (happy Landmark, by the way).
I used to feel a little like I wished I could believe. Now, I don't wish I could believe, but I do wish I could feel part of a good, strong, vibrant community like I used to feel part of the Mormon community. Unfortunately it seems to me at this point in my life the price of that feeling would be to voluntarily enter a shared delusion. I'd have to take part in an eternal game of "let's pretend", and that's not something I find appealing in the least, whatever fringe benefits come with it.
For now I'm happy to be myself and share that with those who cross my path. There are a few people I've met this way who appreciate me for myself and don't require me to accept their worldview in order to be worthy of their fellowship. These are the people I consider my friends. It may not be a community, per se, but it's working ok for me.
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http://www.stillspeaking.com/ is the UCC's recent effort to bring in "spiritual speakers". It is based on a quote [paraphrased from my faulty memory]:
"Never place a period where God has put a comma."
We are made up of Congregationalists (the Puritans) and some evangelical German churches. We are "orthodox" in that we are Trinitarian, and confess the Nicean Creed. However, with the strong congregationalist influences, each church is fairly autonomous, and the theology can range from fundamentalist (a small minority) to nigh-Unitarian (a larger, more vocal minority, including the "national church office"). While there is some administrative hierarchy, the national church itself is seen as it's own congregation, and as such has the authority only to speak "to", but not "for", the local churches.
bev, you are probably thinking of Unitarians, which while largely NOT christian in any real sense these days, there are some sub-sects that while unitarian, adhere closer to the older, more congregationalist (unitarians and trinitarians split from congregationalism in the 18th and 19th centuries) form of worship.
I myself am more leaning closer to agnostic these days for similar reasons as mentioned by all the above. That said, I had a wonderful church upbringing, and the feeling of family amongst the congregation is the one that resonates strongest even today.
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