Every belief you hold—whether religious, political, philosophical—is one you’ve chosen because, at some level, you believe it works for you. Or at least, you think it does.
Yes. I am in the process of reconstructing my personal theology. I attend a Southern Baptist Church. I grew up in a Catholic family, then twenty + years as a drunken atheist, then physically and actually saved by a God I wasn’t looking for. There is an official and unofficial list of things you have to believe. Doubt is called a sin. All you need to be saved is a decision to accept Jesus’ sacrifice is what they say, but then there are ominous warnings about all the things you can’t do, the things you can’t be, the things you must accept, and the political party you must vote for. Or else you will have a lot of “splainin’” to do when you face the angry God. A lot of it makes no sense without convenient ahistorical invention. But you believe it because you have to. (I don’t). If they all knew what I really believed they’d probably run me out.
Thanks for sharing that, Robert. I understand the tension for sure. I'm curious, do you subscribe to my other Substack - deconstructedpastor.substack.com? We talk about all this stuff there.
So good Joe. Such wisdom. I feel it!
❤️
Love this, brother, spot on! Thank you
Thank you!
But they do hold a gun to your head. It’s called eternal torment.
Do you mean in a religious context? Like the threat of hell?
Yes. I am in the process of reconstructing my personal theology. I attend a Southern Baptist Church. I grew up in a Catholic family, then twenty + years as a drunken atheist, then physically and actually saved by a God I wasn’t looking for. There is an official and unofficial list of things you have to believe. Doubt is called a sin. All you need to be saved is a decision to accept Jesus’ sacrifice is what they say, but then there are ominous warnings about all the things you can’t do, the things you can’t be, the things you must accept, and the political party you must vote for. Or else you will have a lot of “splainin’” to do when you face the angry God. A lot of it makes no sense without convenient ahistorical invention. But you believe it because you have to. (I don’t). If they all knew what I really believed they’d probably run me out.
Thanks for sharing that, Robert. I understand the tension for sure. I'm curious, do you subscribe to my other Substack - deconstructedpastor.substack.com? We talk about all this stuff there.