Religion has been an important part of my whole life. My parents met in Israel as they attempted to make sense of the Baptist teachings they had been following in their pre-adult lives. My mother graduated from Philadelphia Biblical University, where her father was the headmaster, with a degree in Bible studies. My father was adopted by missionaries who raised their child in the only religious practice they had ever known. Both of my parents stopped going to church after the divorce until I dragged my mom back because I thought I would go to hell for sleeping in on Sunday.
My parents and I are the only people in my entire extended family who don't regularly attend church, and the split from the church life was a difficult one. It wasn't hard because of the theology - both of them had struggled to reconcile the differences between scripture and what they considered to be right. And it wasn't because of any actual pressure from family. It was so hard to leave because of the community that they were losing. After the divorce my mom and I lived for a whole month off of green-bean casserole brought to us by concerned members of the congregation. I still celebrate Easter with my cousins every year. And every December I listen intently as my grandfather reads his favorite sections of Luke, Matthew, Mark, and John. I no longer believe in the divinity of Christ or in the Virgin Birth, but there's something to be gained in the shared experience that religion gives. The power of community that religion holds is one of the reasons for the rise of the far right.
My grandparents visited last weekend. A few years ago they moved from their house in the picturesque mountains of Tennessee to the cul-de-sacs of a Christian retirement home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They've always been heavily involved in the Evangelical Christian community and it turns out that a good number of their friends have moved into the same retirement home. Lately the dinner talk has been all about catching up with old friends. Matthew Hooper is a pastor now in Florida and Saul McGuire has gone to Indonesia for a missionary trip and on, and on, and on. Everyone in their universe believes the same thing they do.
And everyone my cousins know goes to their megachurch, and my grandpa on my dad's side has stuck with his church because its his support group. For the believers I know religion is more than the beliefs outlined in their favorite book of the Bible. Its everyone they know and everywhere they go and almost everything they think about. This phenomenon is not limited to Christianity either. I have friends who are "culturally Jewish". I've attended the mitzvahs of people who don't believe in the Burning Bush or Noah's Ark.
So naturally as the internet and cable give us the choice to listen to our own opinion dressed in a suit the religious right has become just as polarized as the rest of the nation. Some of my relatives in Indiana think the idea of evolution is just as preposterous as most Friends students consider creationism. Religion is even more potent because along with it comes the baggage of the afterlife, morality, and the meaning of life.
A belief in a strict set of rules and the relative ignorance of any opposing viewpoint ends up stirring a great deal of people up. Just ask Australia.
I relate to your post very well. My family used to attend church everyday sunday as a whole family, but after my parents divorced we didnt because it reminded my mother of my father to much. Then I moved in with my father and he wanted to go to church more often but he didnt want to go alone, so my father and I went together.
ReplyDeleteWhen you talked about other cultures that made me think of all the cultures within my faimly. My family is kind of a mixture of cutltures and were supposed to not get along because they all had different beliefs and so very much disagreement. We all seem to get along well for right now but we mustn't see eachother alot because then we dont get along.
Sounds like to me that your family reall gets involved and knows quite a few people that good they sound like good people, like the type of people that want to go out and get experiences in other countries so make it different.
Marissa,
DeleteThanks for your comment. Culture clashes must be difficult for a family to deal with. I know it's hard for me to sit through Thanksgiving because most of the talk is centered around a religion I no longer believe in.
Ezra
Hi Ezra,
ReplyDeleteI defiantly agree with you that religion is changing, and always will be. However, religion has been changing even before cable. For example, that is why there are so many sects of Christianity. There are the Roman Catholics, the Episcopalians, the Presbyterians, and many more. People are all trying to follow the rules of their religions, but it can be very difficult because people have different opinions of what they are supposed to be doing. Some people also have taken to “modifying” their own religion. I have a friend who is a very devoted Christian but doesn’t believe in the Holy Ghost from the Holy Trinity. She is picking and choosing what she wants to believe in and what she doesn’t want to believe in. As a Christian, I want to follow God the way he wants me to follow him. However, sometimes it is hard to know what to do and this is the reason people start to “modify” their religion. As a Christian, how do you know what to follow? Or do you think that you are “modifying” your religion too?
Thanks,
Lisa
Lisa,
DeleteSelective reading of the Bible is so prevalent, I think, because the Bible is so contradictory on almost every topic. It's easy to pick and choose values from the Bible because they're almost all represented somewhere. I'm not a Christian any more but if I was I would spend a lot of time wondering if I was really following the teachings of the Lord.
Thanks for the comment,
Ezra
Hi Ezra,
ReplyDeleteI was very glad to read you post! I can relate to it so well. I went to church (almost) every sunday up until my parents got divorced. I return occasionally for holidays, special occasions, weddings, funerals, and for my summer job. However, I don't return because of my religion - I return because of the incredible community. Do you believe that the majority of church-goers go because of the community, or for the religion specifically?
Abbie
DeleteAbbie,
Fellow divorce victim high-five!
I believe that most church-goers would say they go for the religion but at some point the actual teachings start to mix with the community and the part they value the most has nothing to do with Communion. When my dad left the church he said the hardest part was losing the community that he had depended on for his whole life.
Hi Ezra,
ReplyDeleteYour post is really interesting. I am not what you'd consider a strictly practicing Catholic, going to mass every Sunday, but I do identify myself as a Catholic. The thing is, though, that I go to an Episcopal school and when I do go to church, admittedly rarely, I go to a Methodist church with my grandma who has attended the church for many years. At first, I really didn't understand why she went to that church. She lived in Salem, Oregon and the church was a good 45 minute drive. Since she couldn't drive herself, my mom and aunts would drive her every Sunday morning. It wasn't until I was in middle school that I understood that the reason she stayed with the same church is because of the community that a church or a religious center can create. I think this is what you were saying about the green-bean casserole. I know that if anything happens to my family, my grandmother's fellow church members will be there for us.
I know it can be hard to keep up when technology and religion change, but I think it's most important to be open to change because change can bring great things! What do you think?
~Meredith
Meredith,
DeleteI wish I could come up with some wonderfully articulated little speech about change and why it's so critical, but I know my limits. I'll just say change is cool.
My cousins also drive a fair bit - about an hour - to reach their church of fifteen years. I'm sure if they went through a divorce they'd find the same kind of caring from their community that we did. Thanks for the comment!
Hi Ezra,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your very interesting and thoughtful post. My family never attends church. My first exposure to a service was at my school. I really like the non-judgmental feeling I get in a church, and the way no one claps after hearing powerful hymns we all sing. In church, a musician is not vying for glory or perfection, he is just offering his talents to the community. I don't think religion would be such a potent force in the world if it wasn't for the community it provides, all the fascinating people that are believers, and all the great art created in the name of God. I'm sure there are some people who believe religion is a solitary pursuit, but most people in this age don't have time or discipline for that. Most religious people feel religion through the compassion of members of their church. Perhaps some Puritan communities died out because they valued piety over happiness. However, most religious communities give individuals the feeling of community that is critical for happiness.
Thanks,
Adrian
Adrian,
DeleteThanks for your comment. I think your point about religious musicans is interesting. I never thought about it that way. I think you're right that Puritans lost out on opportunities for growth because they weren't as people-focused, if that makes any sense.
Ezra,
ReplyDeleteI found your post to be very interesting and eye opening. I, myself, come from a very religious family and we go to church every Sunday. I think the reason that we find it easy to attend so regularly is the religious and family-oriented aspects that come with it. Not only am I worshiping God, but also I can visit with the older people in my community and occasionally receive the newspaper clippings they have collected of me throughout the week. I can only imagine how this would change if my parents were to get a divorce. It would be very difficult I'm sure on not only myself, but all of our family and friends who have seen our family grow in faith and love toward one another. I really enjoyed reading your post! Keep up the good work!
Ellen
Ellen,
DeleteThe newspaper clippings anecdote hit home for me. I remember as a kid I liked to go to church because they always had a half-an-hour long party-type thing at the end with cookies. Thanks for your comment!