Somethin’ to talk about – RELIGION

As I’ve said before (and is the subtitle of this blog), there’s this strange understanding in our culture that we avoid talking about politics, religion, and sex. However (also as I’ve said before), as I get older, I’m realizing these are practically the only things worth talking about. They are certainly 3 of the most important things in our existence: meaning and purpose (religion), freedom (politics), and intimacy and enjoyment (sex) (and yes, I could have used a lot of other words there). Not that you JUST talk about these subjects ALL the time, but we certainly should NOT avoid talking about them. If you think about it, it’s kind of messed up that more trivial subjects like sports, entertainment, fashion, etc. are all open game (and I’m the first to admit I love talking about those also … okay, not so much fashion), but 3 of the more important things in life are off limits. It’s no wonder there seems to be so many people illiterate in politics, ignorant of religion, and in shallow relationships.

Now I understand that one of the main reasons is to try and avoid disagreement and/or conflict. I ran into this recently when I commented on the blog of an acquaintance of mine whom I have a tremendous amount of respect for and often agree with. I asked for some clarification on a few statements she had made, pointed out (I thought respectfully) a couple areas where I thought she might be mistaken, and asked her what she thought. Long story short, my disagreements were censored and she said she would rather not engage. I was kind of taken back. I hadn’t been censored since I was prohibited from using the word “masturbate” in a high school campaign speech for student body president (don’t ask). Fortunately, we are still friends, but I’m guessing it will now stay more superficial, which I think is unfortunate.

Anyway, while I understand this desire to avoid disagreement, I don’t believe it is a good reason to avoid engaging in dialogue. Avoiding arrogant, unhealthy diatribes is one thing (though I think there’s a way to even considerately deal with that without getting caught up in it), but discussion and dialogue, even WITH disagreement, is not a bad thing. In fact, I think respectful dialogue between people who disagree is exactly what we need to see and hear, especially in the “cable news, sound-bite, talk show, screaming heads, 24 hour news” environment most are accustomed to (that’s one thing I haven’t missed the last 3 years). We need to see that it is possible to disagree and still be respectful. I also think it helps us to learn to understand each other. It’s so easy to wrongfully demonize some ambiguous, faceless group of people who “strangely” believe or support some “outrageous” thing. But once we realize they’re not really “demons”, but our friends, family, and neighbors, the beliefs often don’t seem so “strange” and “outrageous”. We certainly may still disagree with them, but instead of tritely discounting a point of view without any personal encounter or effort toward reconciliation, we could engage in healthy dialogue and learn to respect and understand those with whom we may disagree. THAT is tolerance.

And finally, thoughtful discussions are a great way to encourage people to reason through what they believe – which they often have not done, again, on account of never having discussed it, at least with anyone they disagree with.

Anyway, about a year ago, a few weeks before the Presidential election, I opened up a political dialogue by laying out who I would likely vote for and why. It generated some significant, but healthy dialogue with my acquaintances, friends, and family via comments, Inbox, and e-mail. Some were swayed, most were not, but I think everyone walked away at least having thought a little more about where they stood. I also simply found it interesting to hear where people were at. Since then I have felt more free to express my political opinions and have had numerous discussions on a number of topics and all (except that one I mentioned earlier, which wasn’t unhealthy, it just didn’t happen) have been healthy and enlightening.

So I now think it’s time to approach the next subject: RELIGION.

Now before you leave (though I’m sure most have already … after all, I am talking about religion), I am not going to try and lay out all my beliefs in one long post. That would be ridiculous and impossible. I simply hope to open up the topic, share a little of my story, and make it a more regular part of my musings. So here it goes …

First of all, what do I mean by “religion”? This question is fraught with difficulty and I think many definitions are too narrow. One of the best definitions I’ve seen is from the organization “religioustolerance.org”. They reach what I think is a good compromise on the innumerable definitions out there with this:

"Religion is any specific system of belief about deity, often involving rituals, a code of ethics, a philosophy of life, and a worldview."

Thus, they would consider Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Native American Spirituality, Wicca, and other Neopagan traditions, as well as Agnosticism, Atheism, Humanism, Ethical Culture, etc. as religions, because they all contain a "belief about deity", even if the belief may be that they do not know whether a deity exists, or they have no knowledge of God, or they sincerely believe that God does not exist.

That being said, many, including myself, dislike the term religion because it seems to imply just cold, hard facts, beliefs, rituals, ethics, etc., when it is often much more than that to people. For example, many Christians are quick to point out that Christianity is more a personal relationship with Jesus Christ than a religion, and I agree. Similarly, many Native Americans believe their spiritual beliefs and practices form an integral and seamless part of their very being, totally integrated into their life experience. So let me make it clear, I think religion is usually (and hopefully) more profound than just our “beliefs, rituals, and ethics”, though those things are definitely an important part of it.

So here it goes … simply put, I am a Christian. I am convinced that Christianity is true. I believe there are sufficient reasons for believing Christianity is true (more than any other religion I have come across), that there are not sufficient reasons for disbelieving Christianity (unlike any other religion I have come across), that it makes the most sense out of our individual life stories and what we see in history, and that it best explains “reality” – the way things are (again, better than any other worldview I have come across).

Now I realize these beg the questions: “What is Christianity?” and “What do I mean by “sufficient?”, along with many others. I hope get to that later. But first, a little about my journey.

I did not grow up in a “Christian” home. My parents did not take my siblings or I to church, did not teach us about Jesus or any Bible stories, and I don’t recall any “religious” topic ever coming up as a child. I knew our alcoholic neighbor and his family dressed up and went to a place called “church” every Easter and Christmas Eve, I remember these friends called Jehovah’s Witnesses not coming to school on any holidays, and I remember my dad and grandpa saying “God damnit” quite a bit. That was about the extent of my “religious” upbringing. It’s important to note, however, (especially since my mom will likely read this) that that doesn’t mean they were NOT Christian (that’s a different topic). It’s just they did not communicate or teach that to us children and there may have been reasons for that. It’s also important to point out that my parents were more or less “moral” people as far as I could tell – that is to say they pretty much held to Judaeo-Christian beliefs about what is right and wrong. Looking back, of course I see ways they were FAR from “perfect”, but they did instill in us what I would now consider a good “moral compass” – a foundation for determining what is right and wrong. They didn’t directly base this on any higher, absolute ethical or moral law, but it was instilled through their actions and how they lived their life. And I am thankful for that (along with many other things about my childhood).

Then came high school. I recall being in an English class where, through some of the literature we were reading, I was forced to confront some of the deeper questions in life, like “Where did I come from?” (the children’s book by the same name, with the cartoon, chubby married couple in the bath and in bed didn’t quite cut it … does anyone else remember that book, or was it just in our household?); “Why am I here?”; and “Where am I going?” Around this same time I remember my older sister (by 6 years), whom I really respected (and still do), came back from college as a “Christian”. I don’t remember her calling herself that (nor would I have had any idea what that meant), but I do remember there being a difference in her. Nothing huge, but something different in her “being” and personality that I noticed. Also at this time I met a few friends who were also “different”. Not just in a strange sort of way (though they were that also), but in a way that seemed so unlike most other people. It was a depth or inner-joy that, at that age, I could not fully understand, but again, it was noticeable. It was through them that I went to a few “youth group” meetings at a Baptist church where my friend’s dad was pastor. I don’t recall much about the church itself, other than a lot of old people who smelled like pastries and coffee, but I do recall the youth meetings. It was quite simple – a group of youth, most who I did not know and who did not seem like what I would have deemed “cool”, in a circle, discussing the Bible. The youth pastor, on the other hand, was “cool”. He had recently left his life as a surfer, model, and beach volleyball player to be a youth pastor in a small, rural, Baptist church (go figure). But it was way more than that. He was humble, funny, kind, and most of all, genuine. I felt loved and appreciated not for what I accomplished, but simply for who I was. And as far as I could tell he didn’t treat the “uncool” kids differently than the “cool” ones. Once again, there was something different about him, and I noticed.

Anyway, I recall being given a Bible by someone and beginning to read these crazy and confusing stories I had never heard before. Through that, and my interaction with a number of different people in my life, this “God” and “Jesus Christ” and “Christianity” began to become clearer. You could say it “rang true in my heart”. It answered those deepest questions in life in a satisfying way. So one afternoon, a couple weeks after a youth weekend in Lake Tahoe where the “gospel” was presented (at which point I didn’t respond), I grabbed some random book of my sister’s that I remember having the (admittedly formulaic) “how to become a Christian” prayer in it, went into my parents closet with a flashlight and nobody home, and read the prayer. And then waited … and waited some more … probably shrugged … and left the closet wondering what had just happened. I don’t recall ever telling anyone about that specific instance until years later. So I didn’t get the often cheesy “congratulations” reception, I just went on living life, continuing to pursue this “relationship” I was feeling and learning about.

After this I remember going to a couple summer camps that were a blast and where I grew tremendously in my understanding of who this Jesus Christ was and what he was about. I also recall clearly “feeling” this presence for the first time. This ineffable sense that God is personal and real.

So that was my early Christian experience. Looking back, I’m quite thankful for how it all played out. Nobody ever tried shoving anything down my throat or thumping me over the head with the Bible. They just lived their lives and I noticed something different and wanted to know about it myself. I’m quite sure had it been any other way, I would have rejected it and been out of there. I was a starter and standout in all the sports I played, student body president, homecoming king, etc. (but looking back, also a total dork), so I didn’t necessarily “need” religion and had plenty of “crutches” to get me through life in high school. So again, I’m thankful it played out the way it did. And for that reason, I strive to be extremely sensitive to others I see in a similar position.

Then came college and my first, and biggest, barrier to belief. It was an intellectual one. Like many who go to college, I was confronted with a host of tough questions about Christianity as well as other religions and began to wonder why I believed Christianity was the truth. Sure it “worked” for me and “felt good” or “true”, but was it really? Did absolute truth even exist? (And if not, was THAT “absolutely true”? … doh!) In light of all the other religions and/or worldviews out there, was Christianity really the best option? Because if it wasn’t, why would I believe it, let alone submit my life to it … that’s stupid. And other religions were far more aesthetically appealing. Being my own God (New Age) or realizing my oneness with the cosmos (Pantheism) sounded good to me (high on freedom, low on accountability), but ONLY if it was true. So I began to read books, study other religions, and investigate the arguments for and against Christianity. This “search for truth” culminated with a journey to Israel and Greece. The first couple weeks of the trip was with a small group of students who I did not know prior to the trip, where we visited the different biblical sites, including taking part in an archaeological dig. The last few weeks I was totally on my own exploring Israel and Greece. It was definitely one of the more powerful experiences of my life. I still can’t believe I was just 19 years old and wandering around Israel and Greece on my own, trying to “find myself”. Needless to say, at the conclusion of this trip, and what had really been a year of questioning, I was totally convinced that the Bible and Christianity IS true. That (as I said earlier) there are sufficient reasons for believing it and that there are not sufficient reasons for disbelieving it. I also had a few acute, sincere moments of “feeling” the presence of God, which just further confirmed my confidence in what I had become convinced was true. This “search for truth” also instilled in me a passion for “apologetics” (Greek for defense), or why we believe what we believe. Again, more on that later.

So here we are, back to those key questions: “What is Christianity?”, “What do I mean by sufficient?”, and now I’ll add, “What are those reasons for and against?” and “Why do I believe those reasons are sufficient?”

That’s where I will go from here, along with other areas … but another time.