A New Direction
Or What's Going Down in My Life, Part 2
I think my biggest reason for suspecting that Christianity is true is the experiences of other Christians. Of course a lot of us lead very average lives and experience nothing that cannot easily be explained naturalistically. However, I've heard several stories that are much more difficult to explain - fantastic coincidences, mysterious healings, answered prayers, etc. Taken together, they make me suspect that something supernatural occasionally interacts with the lives of Christians. I don't know why this might happen, why it happens in some cases and not others, or why it doesn't happen more, but it does seem to happen.
The fact that Christian faith tends to be based in no small part on first- or secondhand experiences brings to my mind the obvious question of why people of other religions believe what they do. Do they have similar experiences? If not, what reasons do they have for believing? If so, what does this say about the truth of their religious beliefs? Or ours? And why aren't more people asking these questions? (See WGDIML Part 1.)
I suppose the biggest reason most Christians are uninterested in the experiences of others is that most of us have firsthand experiences which we believe to be of divine origin, and they satisfy most of our curiosities about God. I, on the other hand, don't believe I've ever experienced anything overtly supernatural, despite earnestly seeking such experiences. Christianity has done nothing to satisfy my longings for relationship with the divine. Naturally, this causes me to be skeptical about many claims of Christianity that most others take for granted, and to wonder whether other religions can deliver what Christians have taught me to long for. It also makes me wonder if those who speak loudly about the faults and flaws of other religions are blinded by their positive experiences with their own, and whether we're not all more or less seeking the same things and experiencing the same things and condemning the same things in others. I wonder if I was cut out to be a Christian, whether my fear and laziness have kept me from something better, or whether I've simply had too high expectations of Christianity and God, or whether I would have found what I was looking for if I hadn't given up so soon.
There aren't many things I know, but I'm confidant of this: I need to take an honest look at other religions and their adherents. I need to interact with them and worship with them. Especially, I need to hear their stories. I must do this because I need to know what's out there. I need to know whether I can find what I seek outside of Christianity before I seek further inside it. There is an aspect of Christianity that rings true to me, but other aspects do not. I cannot progress as a seeker or as a Christian without looking seriously at my other options.
This whole thing is very exciting to me. I have a bit of a plan, but I'm really not sure what all I'm going to do or where it might lead me. (I have no predetermined destination.) I'm pretty sure that God wants me to do this (as sure as I've ever been about God's will) but I'm very aware that this whole exercise could be fruitless or even detrimental without his support and guidance. If you're the praying sort, please ask that He would direct my paths on this new journey. I'll keep you updated.
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6 comments:
First, I hope you noted that I did not say anything like "Christianity is true" or "The experiences of Christians prove the truth of Christianity." What I said was that I personally find these experiences (taken together) persuasive. Whether I could in fact substitute any other religion into that sentence is precisely what I intend to find out.
I am aware of many of the problems with basing belief on experience, particularly the experiences of others. As a natural skeptic and a person with (unless I flatter myself) above average critical thinking skills, I am very mindful of these common errors, and instinctively suspicious of ostensibly supernatural experiences. In spite of this, there are enough stories that I find difficult to explain or dismiss that I suspect something is up. As I said, I cannot explain why such things do not occur more often, nevertheless, I presently believe they do occur.
You're quite right about "the spiritual twilight zone" being an unpleasent place to linger. I hope not to be here much longer. Thanks for the input.
Hey, I have my own name now, instead of being the "annonymous" guy with the dazzling intellect.
Anyway, you're trying new religions, cool, let me know how that works out for you.. I am curious, though, what your end goal is through all this. If you have a "religious experience" in, say, a Hindu temple, to you plan to become a Hindu? If you find that other religions have similar experiences to Christianity, does that mean they are all true? Or that the experiences cancel each other out and that the religons are therefore false?
Finally, a work of advice, take it or leave it... but there are spiritual forces in this world (I believe) besides those of God. I dunno what you believe about the Devil and all that, and while I've never had a "demonic" experience myself, people whom I know and trust have done so. Trying various religions to find God is good, I think, but keep your focus on God and be careful whom- or what- you worship and what you get into.
Oh crap, I just re-read your post and found out that you "have no pre-determined" destination. My bad... I would still be interested in your thoughts on my questions though.
PS why is is necessarily bad to live in the twilight zone?
Ah, Jens. Splendid. Jens is so much better a name than Anonymous. I don't know if having a "religious experience" in a Hindu temple would cause me to become a Hindu. (I have no plan for such a scenario.) I suppose it would depend somewhat on the power of the experience. But of course a great many people have become Hindus, Christians, and whatever else on the basis of such experiences.
I can't say what sort of findings, if any, might cause me to conclude that all religions are true (whatever that means) or false. I plan to gather my information first, then draw conclusions.
I think your advice is good. However it seems to me that leaving one's comfort zone to seek truth would be unlikely to make one more suceptible to the influence of some malevolent spirit. That being said, I'll try to be on my guard. (However one does that.)
It isn't necessarily bad to live in the twilight zone. I've lived there for two or three years now, and I think for the most part it's where I needed to be. But as I said, it is not an especially pleasent place to be for long periods of time, and I don't think anyone is meant to live there permanently.
i hate twighlight zones.
sucky.
and of course by "twighlight" I meant "twilight".
I think it must have had something to do with the way I pronounce the word... yeah, probably
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