Beautiful, once again. The best writing offers us a mirror into ourselves, into a shared empathic experience. Your journey, in many ways paralleled my own: the confusion, the uncertainty, the fear, and finally, the anger at the deception in which I wallowed. It was reading the Bible and its off-handed defense of slavery, it's positively oppressive treatment of women, and it's damnation for anyone who didn't move in daily lockstep with its dogma - and certainly, also for the so-called Christians who preached love in the pews and practiced hate out on the pavement - that drove me irrevocably and forevermore from the church, from any church.
Thank you for the comfort of shared experience, for the knowledge, even at our most isolated, we are never truly alone. Keep writing and I will keep reading.
Wonderful article Felicia. Thanks for sharing. I had a winding experience of coming to faith and the moving away from it again. I firmly believe that, left to their own devices and not pressured or brainwashed, that most rational people will always choose humanism and science over faith and dogma. That's my hope anyway.
Your kicker is everything. I saw your IG story on this “have a blessed day” and it ran through my head the whole time I was mowing my lawn yesterday; back and forth, madder and madder at the arrogance and presumption these folks have at their right to foist their religion onto the rest of us. I live in Dayton, Ohio and not a day goes by when someone doesn’t force me to have a “blessed day.” Is it because I’m wyte? Male? Middle-aged? Do they think I’m one of them, or better, one who they will save to secure their place in heaven?
I think about the crap show the Ohio Statehouse voted on yesterday (too many details to run through but basically, using the power of the state legislature to kneecap an overwhelmingly popular amendment to a right to an abortion) ... my State Rep, my Senator both middle-aged wyte men, both “men of faith” and folks here wrongly think they are acting to stay in power... but that’s not it; they are saving their place in heaven, saving their eternal souls. I know this because this was my dad, through and through. I’ve seen this up close. I know those eyes. Earthly power is nothing compared to an eternity in the presence of God and God has called these men to get elected to save babies. If they do not use that power, they will be damned forever in Hell.
Sounds crazy -- because it is -- but they *believe* it to their core. Their faith is unshakeable and no amount of appealing to their oath, duty or whatever to the State will jar it loose. God supersedes the State. I don’t know how to warn “non-believers” or even your run-of-the-mill Christian that is how they see the world. They dismiss me as reading too much into it, that people don’t think that way.
But they do. And that is the “blessed” they are offering. Little by little, one harmless utterance at a time.
I'm still attending church regularly even though what I believe about God is that God is a story and that's OK. Stories are the realest and most powerful things we have. Money is a story. Science is a story. Is someone going to tell me money and science do not exist? Same for shit like history and my own continuing physical existence. I mean our bodies are replaced cell by cell every seven years or something. Ship of Theseus anyone? Yet I'm pretty sure I was 5 years old once because I can remember my kindergarten teacher Miss Rothpletz.
So. When I go to church and take the Eucharist I participate in that story.
So well written, really appreciate your perspective. It's funny, this morning on my run I listened to a podcast on the Biblical meaning of blessing and curse. We throw around the word blessing a lot but I never really considered the original meaning. But now I find the meaning beautiful and powerful versus trite. Here is the written summary of the podcast: https://bibleproject.com/articles/how-does-the-bible-explain-suffering/
I think what you're describing is the curse, b/c we're all responsible for it. Hope you find it interesting. Best, Greg
Beautiful article. I think it’s interesting that anyone wishing someone a blessed day assume thy believe in God. When someone wishes that for me it never occurs to me they are trying to push their religion on me. Wow. In this world it’s a benign thing.. like being wished Merry Christmas .. how dare they not know I am Jewish or they think I am following some pagan ritual. We have so many things to be mad about I’m not adding that to it..I see this being debated and it makes me well frankly laugh .. the last thing I am hon g to be kissed off at ia this.. but I digress..
Your story didn’t come to be because of that greeting . The circumstances surrounding you not believing in a higher power were much more complicated. Yet at the same time experiences we can all identify with and that is what makes the story beautiful. You are a compelling writer:) Peace
Beautiful, once again. The best writing offers us a mirror into ourselves, into a shared empathic experience. Your journey, in many ways paralleled my own: the confusion, the uncertainty, the fear, and finally, the anger at the deception in which I wallowed. It was reading the Bible and its off-handed defense of slavery, it's positively oppressive treatment of women, and it's damnation for anyone who didn't move in daily lockstep with its dogma - and certainly, also for the so-called Christians who preached love in the pews and practiced hate out on the pavement - that drove me irrevocably and forevermore from the church, from any church.
Thank you for the comfort of shared experience, for the knowledge, even at our most isolated, we are never truly alone. Keep writing and I will keep reading.
- Eric
Wonderful article Felicia. Thanks for sharing. I had a winding experience of coming to faith and the moving away from it again. I firmly believe that, left to their own devices and not pressured or brainwashed, that most rational people will always choose humanism and science over faith and dogma. That's my hope anyway.
Your kicker is everything. I saw your IG story on this “have a blessed day” and it ran through my head the whole time I was mowing my lawn yesterday; back and forth, madder and madder at the arrogance and presumption these folks have at their right to foist their religion onto the rest of us. I live in Dayton, Ohio and not a day goes by when someone doesn’t force me to have a “blessed day.” Is it because I’m wyte? Male? Middle-aged? Do they think I’m one of them, or better, one who they will save to secure their place in heaven?
I think about the crap show the Ohio Statehouse voted on yesterday (too many details to run through but basically, using the power of the state legislature to kneecap an overwhelmingly popular amendment to a right to an abortion) ... my State Rep, my Senator both middle-aged wyte men, both “men of faith” and folks here wrongly think they are acting to stay in power... but that’s not it; they are saving their place in heaven, saving their eternal souls. I know this because this was my dad, through and through. I’ve seen this up close. I know those eyes. Earthly power is nothing compared to an eternity in the presence of God and God has called these men to get elected to save babies. If they do not use that power, they will be damned forever in Hell.
Sounds crazy -- because it is -- but they *believe* it to their core. Their faith is unshakeable and no amount of appealing to their oath, duty or whatever to the State will jar it loose. God supersedes the State. I don’t know how to warn “non-believers” or even your run-of-the-mill Christian that is how they see the world. They dismiss me as reading too much into it, that people don’t think that way.
But they do. And that is the “blessed” they are offering. Little by little, one harmless utterance at a time.
I know exactly how you feel, Felicia.
I'm still attending church regularly even though what I believe about God is that God is a story and that's OK. Stories are the realest and most powerful things we have. Money is a story. Science is a story. Is someone going to tell me money and science do not exist? Same for shit like history and my own continuing physical existence. I mean our bodies are replaced cell by cell every seven years or something. Ship of Theseus anyone? Yet I'm pretty sure I was 5 years old once because I can remember my kindergarten teacher Miss Rothpletz.
So. When I go to church and take the Eucharist I participate in that story.
Our stories make us human.
So well written, really appreciate your perspective. It's funny, this morning on my run I listened to a podcast on the Biblical meaning of blessing and curse. We throw around the word blessing a lot but I never really considered the original meaning. But now I find the meaning beautiful and powerful versus trite. Here is the written summary of the podcast: https://bibleproject.com/articles/how-does-the-bible-explain-suffering/
I think what you're describing is the curse, b/c we're all responsible for it. Hope you find it interesting. Best, Greg
Beautiful article. I think it’s interesting that anyone wishing someone a blessed day assume thy believe in God. When someone wishes that for me it never occurs to me they are trying to push their religion on me. Wow. In this world it’s a benign thing.. like being wished Merry Christmas .. how dare they not know I am Jewish or they think I am following some pagan ritual. We have so many things to be mad about I’m not adding that to it..I see this being debated and it makes me well frankly laugh .. the last thing I am hon g to be kissed off at ia this.. but I digress..
Your story didn’t come to be because of that greeting . The circumstances surrounding you not believing in a higher power were much more complicated. Yet at the same time experiences we can all identify with and that is what makes the story beautiful. You are a compelling writer:) Peace