I feel like I’ve hit hard on the “Is there a God” type questions recently, so that’s not where I’m going with this. However, I got to thinking about different denominations and churches after reading a post by Tipsy on the swanky digs of the Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. Tipsy is Eastern Orthodox, previously – if memory serves – evangelical of some sort and before that – if memory still serves – something other than evangelical. So there has obviously been some deliberation in that particular journey.
My sense is that, for most people, they end up as whatever their parents were, maybe shifting a bit (or sometimes a lot) to match a spouse. For myself, on my way to not believing in anything much, I was able to see a few denominations/religions up close and personal. Over at Tipsy’s blog, I had some less than kind things to say about Presbyterianism. Because I’m lazy, I’ll just cut & paste at this point:
You know my position on religion generally; but I have personal experience with Presbyterianism. That’s how I was raised. Maybe Richmond Presbyterianism isn’t a representative sample of the denomination as a whole, but my sense of it was as a bland, dry, flavorless thing. Soft Calvinism really captures it, I think.
My memory was of a bunch of old, white people in nice clothes, gathering in the sanctuary, mostly sitting, either listening politely or reciting things in rote, mechanical voices before gathering for coffee after the service.
I was much more taken by the Jewish services I went to – some, but less formality, very much a warm feeling that the group was a family; the Pentecostal services – lots of energy and deep feeling; or the Catholic services – you could feel the deep tradition.
So, for those of you who have made a conscious decision about a denomination or religion, I’m wondering what it was that made the sale.
My wife and I were raised in a very strict Pentecostal sect. We left it because of its legalism and lack of grace for a Lutheran church that offered more freedom and a sense of connection with a larger tradition. Recently we left that Lutheran church for an Episcopal one. Partly the decision was pragmatic (we moved into Bedford and the church is two blocks from our house), but a major part of it was for more freedom of conscience, e.g., our minds have changed on the issue of homosexuality and the Lutheran church we were attending is still very traditional on that issue.
When I do go, I attend a non-denominational service at an Episcopal Church in Indy. It’s geared toward a younger crowd and the sermon is conversational, where the pastor asks the congregation about their interpretations of a passage. Since I’m more of a believer in the “other side/going back home” than in a “heaven where Christ is the only way to get there,” I find it interesting. Generally when preachers start talking about absolutes and such, I tend to tune out as I lean toward a more open-minded approach. But I definitely think JC was a special cat and we should try to learn about and emulate him. For example, according to Fox News, he was an ardent capitalist and foreign policy hawk, so those are good things to know :)
The Gospel of Supply-Side Jesus.
You know, it’s a strange story how I ended up being Catholic.. and the Church’s position on homosexuality obviously rankles me. But in the end what keeps me Catholic are the people in my parish — and the Eucharist. There have been several dark periods in my life, in which my faith in God and the specialness of life.. kept me from doing myself in. I’m sure there are many paths to happiness, but I guess for me it includes the “smells and bells” of Catholic tradition.
Most of us “cradle Catholics” can’t turn our backs on such an integral part of our beings, no matter the egregious failings of the institution, no matter how many jokes we make about growing up in Catholic school. For me, being of Irish heritage makes it even more impossible to ever think of being not Catholic. Yes, a testament to family tradition, and yes, I have evolved into a so-called “cafeteria” Catholic, but Catholic nonetheless.
You threw down this gauntlet at a very hectic time for me. I hope to pick it up anyway – but not this morning.
Jaroslav Pelikan, the fabulous Church historian at Yale, left the Lutherans near the end of his life and became Orthodox. A friend who had studied at Yale predicted that this would create quite a stir in the hallowed halls.
“Why?,” I asked. “I didn’t realize Yale was so committed to Protestantism.”
“It’s not that,” he replied. “They’ll have trouble imagining anyone taking religion seriously enough to change religions late in life.”
I could be “nothing” easier than I could switch to another religion.
Trying to paste a link seemingly doesn’t work. Here’s my longer reply. http://intellectualoid.wordpress.com/2010/10/21/how-i-became-orthodox/
As Todd Ianuzzi, I would pick the church (or synagogue, although Todd would not know what a synagouge is) that has the hottest chicks that are easy to score with.
Tipsy,
I read your blog. Very interesting, thanks for taking the time. I appreciate your 2 epiphanies. As for Rome’s over-analyzing, I ignore it for the most part, although I don’t agree with you that many of the questions you refer to are unasked.