Most of what I would say has been already said, but I do have some stuff to add.
Growing up, my parents half-heartedly took us to an Episcopalian (or Episcopicalalian, as you would say) church in an attempt to keep religion in our lives, but I have to admit that most of what I took away from that experience was the pettiness and small-mindedness of the congregation (Cliques, elitism, abhorrence of the homeless, sex scandals - the works). I never felt any spiritual connection to the Church or the service, and I took on my role as an Altar Boy as if it were a dramatic assignment, rather than a religious one.
At the same time, I was fortunate enough to grow up amongst a group of people with very diverse religious backgrounds (yourself included, of course), who were all perfectly nice and more 'good' than the Church folk seemed to be.
So I decided a long time ago that I couldn't belong to a church that felt that their adherents were the only ones that would be allowed into the afterlife. How is that fair? Just because some of my friends were born into Jewish or Catholic or Buddhist or Atheist families (and let's face it, the vast majority of us don't find our religion - we're born into it), that means that they're going to Hell? And if there religions are saying the same thing, what if they're right and we're wrong? It's like some kind of existential lotto or something. And when the last number is drawn from the great ping pong ball spinning machine in the sky, those with losing tickets are damned to an eternity of fiery torture? No way. I just can't buy into it.
Well, I've kind of drifted from the original topic, but there you have it. Come to think of it, I've never actually voiced this philosophy of mine before. Thanks for the opportunity.
no subject
Growing up, my parents half-heartedly took us to an Episcopalian (or Episcopicalalian, as you would say) church in an attempt to keep religion in our lives, but I have to admit that most of what I took away from that experience was the pettiness and small-mindedness of the congregation (Cliques, elitism, abhorrence of the homeless, sex scandals - the works). I never felt any spiritual connection to the Church or the service, and I took on my role as an Altar Boy as if it were a dramatic assignment, rather than a religious one.
At the same time, I was fortunate enough to grow up amongst a group of people with very diverse religious backgrounds (yourself included, of course), who were all perfectly nice and more 'good' than the Church folk seemed to be.
So I decided a long time ago that I couldn't belong to a church that felt that their adherents were the only ones that would be allowed into the afterlife. How is that fair? Just because some of my friends were born into Jewish or Catholic or Buddhist or Atheist families (and let's face it, the vast majority of us don't find our religion - we're born into it), that means that they're going to Hell? And if there religions are saying the same thing, what if they're right and we're wrong? It's like some kind of existential lotto or something. And when the last number is drawn from the great ping pong ball spinning machine in the sky, those with losing tickets are damned to an eternity of fiery torture? No way. I just can't buy into it.
Well, I've kind of drifted from the original topic, but there you have it. Come to think of it, I've never actually voiced this philosophy of mine before. Thanks for the opportunity.