Since I was a small child raised in the Christian faith I've recited The Apostles' Creed in church. For those of you who may be unfamiliar, the Creed is essentially a synopsis of the essential doctrinal tenets of the Christian faith, intended to be professed in corporate worship as a shared declaration of belief. It's world-altering
Such honesty! These are some of the very thoughts I've pondered for the past 79 years. Yet for me, my religion/spirituality boils down to 2 things, love God ( however we express Him, Her, It) to the best of my understanding and love my neighbor the best I can. I try to show acts of kindness everyday. What good is my profession if I don't act on it? I've tried to become adaptable emotionally and spiritually to reconcile to disparate thoughts and feelings I have. Thanks again, John for your brutal honesty and truth-telling. It's very refreshing in a time of when it is desperately needed.
I too was raised in the Christian faith. Attended parochial schools with classes in Christian theology 5 days a week for 11 years. I studied to be a priest for 3 yrs. We recited the Apostle's Creed 2 to 3 times a week by rote. It wasn't until my late 20's that I sat down and actually paid attention to the dogmas contained in the Creed that are required in order to be considered a Christian. It was then that I concluded that I couldn't really consider myself a Christian even if I practiced Christian values.
At present I consider myself a theist. I believe in a prime mover or first cause based largely on my own experience and intuition. All else is speculation. If there isn't a God then it doesn't matter. If there is then why are we born with the knowledge that the worst thing we think can happen to us, death and suffering, is inevitable while what comes afterwards is unknowable? I believe the unknown is what keeps many of us from checking out earlier than we should for better pastures. For me it means that I shouldn't be concerned with what comes afterwards but instead I should be living in the present. Such living and loving makes every moment precious for which I'm eternally grateful.
Well said and read John. I have always been grateful for your honesty and good word. I was ordained 34 years ago and my own experience (journey) resonates with yours in many familiar ways. Some days I’ve been caught in a fog feeling my way blinded by this world’s insults and temptations, but then blessed by the bright dawn of a new day - at the least God is faithful and surprising. Doubt, anger, tears, pain and despair have never failed to shape and to strengthen my belief - thanks be to God. It continues to be quite a ride on the sea of life.
I found that adding "you" every place one of the trinity is named, has changed a statement about belief in someone out of reach at times into a prayer to someone much closer. I believe in you, God the Father Almighty, and in you, Jesus Christ....conceived by you, Holy Spirit.... This has changed the Apostle's Creed for me in wonderful ways. Your mileage may vary, of course.
I've just recently returned to God. I find great comfort in Him. I've always believed God knows what's in our hearts. I also have doubts at times. But, I have faith that He knows what he's doing, even though I have no clue.
There are many problems with this creed and others, written or translated/interpreted by white males who were in power or complying with the powers that be at the time. These are imperial church ideas with distorted or misinterpreted translations words from Greek/Hebrew/Latin.
Thank you, John, for your doubts and confusion. Your simple statement that you will strive to please God describes a clear path for me to follow. In recent years, I have begun to claim that I am a follower of Jesus but no longer a Christian for that moniker has been co-opted and sullied beyond redemption.
•If different religions recognize the spirit sovereignty of God the Father, then will all such religions remain at peace. Only when one religion assumes that it is in some way superior to all others, and that it possesses exclusive authority over other religions, will such a religion presume to be intolerant of other religions or dare to persecute other religious believers.
134:4.4 Religious peace—brotherhood—can never exist unless all religions are willing to completely divest themselves of all ecclesiastical authority and fully surrender all concept of spiritual sovereignty. God alone is spirit sovereign.
John, Your words resonate with me. My early beliefs were formed by the Catholic Church - and very nearly destroyed by it. It has taken me years to come to the realization that each of us has our own unique belief system. Our Creator gave us life. What we choose to believe depends on us.
I feel exactly the same. Thanks for putting it into words. Despite my doubts & sometimes anger at the Church, I hold to Jesus’s words to love & care for one another & I turn away from any one preaching anything less than that. Peace🙏
Such honesty! These are some of the very thoughts I've pondered for the past 79 years. Yet for me, my religion/spirituality boils down to 2 things, love God ( however we express Him, Her, It) to the best of my understanding and love my neighbor the best I can. I try to show acts of kindness everyday. What good is my profession if I don't act on it? I've tried to become adaptable emotionally and spiritually to reconcile to disparate thoughts and feelings I have. Thanks again, John for your brutal honesty and truth-telling. It's very refreshing in a time of when it is desperately needed.
Love the honesty. Right there with you. My favorite prayer is Thomas Merton's, because it's so raw and it speaks to my condition:
My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though
I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
I too was raised in the Christian faith. Attended parochial schools with classes in Christian theology 5 days a week for 11 years. I studied to be a priest for 3 yrs. We recited the Apostle's Creed 2 to 3 times a week by rote. It wasn't until my late 20's that I sat down and actually paid attention to the dogmas contained in the Creed that are required in order to be considered a Christian. It was then that I concluded that I couldn't really consider myself a Christian even if I practiced Christian values.
At present I consider myself a theist. I believe in a prime mover or first cause based largely on my own experience and intuition. All else is speculation. If there isn't a God then it doesn't matter. If there is then why are we born with the knowledge that the worst thing we think can happen to us, death and suffering, is inevitable while what comes afterwards is unknowable? I believe the unknown is what keeps many of us from checking out earlier than we should for better pastures. For me it means that I shouldn't be concerned with what comes afterwards but instead I should be living in the present. Such living and loving makes every moment precious for which I'm eternally grateful.
Well said and read John. I have always been grateful for your honesty and good word. I was ordained 34 years ago and my own experience (journey) resonates with yours in many familiar ways. Some days I’ve been caught in a fog feeling my way blinded by this world’s insults and temptations, but then blessed by the bright dawn of a new day - at the least God is faithful and surprising. Doubt, anger, tears, pain and despair have never failed to shape and to strengthen my belief - thanks be to God. It continues to be quite a ride on the sea of life.
This is how I feel! So confused about God! Thank you for writing!
I found that adding "you" every place one of the trinity is named, has changed a statement about belief in someone out of reach at times into a prayer to someone much closer. I believe in you, God the Father Almighty, and in you, Jesus Christ....conceived by you, Holy Spirit.... This has changed the Apostle's Creed for me in wonderful ways. Your mileage may vary, of course.
I've just recently returned to God. I find great comfort in Him. I've always believed God knows what's in our hearts. I also have doubts at times. But, I have faith that He knows what he's doing, even though I have no clue.
These are the reasons I find meaning in the Unitarian Church. Thank you ❣️
I love this….. and I’m right there with you so many of these thoughts. ❤️
There are many problems with this creed and others, written or translated/interpreted by white males who were in power or complying with the powers that be at the time. These are imperial church ideas with distorted or misinterpreted translations words from Greek/Hebrew/Latin.
Thank you, John, for your doubts and confusion. Your simple statement that you will strive to please God describes a clear path for me to follow. In recent years, I have begun to claim that I am a follower of Jesus but no longer a Christian for that moniker has been co-opted and sullied beyond redemption.
I believe God embodies and embraces paradox. A safe space holding our faith, hope and curiosity to temper our fear.
God's revolutionary, evolutionary philosophical challenge is to seek the beauty of existence.
•If different religions recognize the spirit sovereignty of God the Father, then will all such religions remain at peace. Only when one religion assumes that it is in some way superior to all others, and that it possesses exclusive authority over other religions, will such a religion presume to be intolerant of other religions or dare to persecute other religious believers.
134:4.4 Religious peace—brotherhood—can never exist unless all religions are willing to completely divest themselves of all ecclesiastical authority and fully surrender all concept of spiritual sovereignty. God alone is spirit sovereign.
I, too, say the creed every Sunday but do struggle with most of it as you have so wonderfully stated! Thank you!!
John, Your words resonate with me. My early beliefs were formed by the Catholic Church - and very nearly destroyed by it. It has taken me years to come to the realization that each of us has our own unique belief system. Our Creator gave us life. What we choose to believe depends on us.
I feel exactly the same. Thanks for putting it into words. Despite my doubts & sometimes anger at the Church, I hold to Jesus’s words to love & care for one another & I turn away from any one preaching anything less than that. Peace🙏