Er... Hi

[emilylauren]

I am a university student, studying a double major of english and psychology, with a minor in international studies. I am Lutheran, although I do have a love of much of the Anabaptist tradition. I love learning about world religions and cultures and philosophy. I oftentimes think I'm smarter than I really am, and need to keep reminding myself that I am just as human as everyone else. I spend far too much time on the internet and have a love of all things geeky-- especially Doctor Who and Star Trek. I'm learning french and hope to be fluent and my roomate is teaching me Chinese... and as much as it pains me, I know I will never be fluent. But I can say "I can cook a meal", "Hurry up, were going to be late", various insults and "I love you, do you love me?" So, should I ever get lost in China, I think I could find a way to survive.

 

It was not until last year that I really began to question much of my faith-- and without getting into too long of a story I will just say that last year was particularly rocky for me. There were times when I really questioned whether I still believed in God, and considered myself something of an agnostic deist for a while. When I did believe in God, it was more of an angry belief. It was a painful process, questioning something as important as your religious beliefs always is (or should be), but it is something I am glad for because I feel like I am closer to God now than I ever was before. There are still many things I question, and I can say that more often than not I am struggling and wresting with God about things... but I think I am now at a point in my life where I can start picking up the pieces and reconstruct my Christian faith-- and I am glad to have found a place where others are on the same journey.

 

Most of my Christian friends are rather conservative, and as terrible as it may seem, I feel more comfortable talking about my journey with my Muslim/Hindu/Athiest/Buddhist friends than I do my Christian friends. If I were to mention that I was questioning the traditional beliefs about hell, for example, to a Christian friend I can guarentee I would start having everyone coming to my door trying to "save me" from these sort of ideas. :/ So having Christians who have walked this path, or are walking this path now, to share my experiences and fears and hopes with is a real blessing.

[JosephM]

Emily,

 

Thanks for the great introduction. I'm sure you will receive a warm reception here. Also, I believe many here can relate to your experience with Christianity and other religions. Looking forward to hearing more of what experience has taught you.

 

Love in Christ,

Joseph

[Mike]

Hello Emilylauren, welcome to the board!

 

I feel I've emerged from a similar situation questioning my faith, and presently I feel quite engaged with the path I've chosen, or perhaps, that has chosen me. But for me this entailed both the abandonment of older paradigms, and the loss of any certainty about most every positive definition of God, in exchange for something closer, more immediate, and less understood. As far as Christianity is concerned, I find value in progressive theology and in the mystical theology of the Church.

 

And I'm finding, as you seemed to be pointing out, that as a progressive Christian I have far more in common with a 'progressive' Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist, Druid, etc., than those theologically conservative-to-fundamentalist within my own faith tradition.

 

I am a university student, studying a double major of english and psychology, with a minor in international studies. I am Lutheran, although I do have a love of much of the Anabaptist tradition.

 

I'm currently a college (not university, yet!) student majoring in English and will probably wind up minoring in Spanish. I too would love to learn Chinese, but I feel that's just not going to happen, as I'm having a hard enough time with Spanish. Currently attending a Presbyterian Church, grew up in the independent Baptist tradition. But like most members here, I think I'm too theologically eclectic too identify with any particular denomination; for instance Buddhism has influenced by thinking at this point as much as Christianity.

 

Anyway, at the risk of sounding self-centered, I just thought I'd tell you a little about myself because I saw we have some things in common. Again welcome to the board and I look forward to your future participation.

 

Peace to you,

Mike

[emilylauren]

Thank you both for the warm welcome.

 

 

I feel I've emerged from a similar situation questioning my faith, and presently I feel quite engaged with the path I've chosen, or perhaps, that has chosen me. But for me this entailed both the abandonment of older paradigms, and the loss of any certainty about most every positive definition of God, in exchange for something closer, more immediate, and less understood. As far as Christianity is concerned, I find value in progressive theology and in the mystical theology of the Church.

 

I've also come to see many aspects of Christianity that I once saw as a black-or-white issue in a more open way. Although I would say that I have a more traditional theology, at least in so far as my understanding of who Jesus was and the purpose of his death and resurrection and things such as the Trinity and so forth-- my understanding of God in general, of the Church and many various other things has been shaped in a new way.

 

I'm currently a college (not university, yet!) student majoring in English and will probably wind up minoring in Spanish. I too would love to learn Chinese, but I feel that's just not going to happen, as I'm having a hard enough time with Spanish. Currently attending a Presbyterian Church, grew up in the independent Baptist tradition. But like most members here, I think I'm too theologically eclectic too identify with any particular denomination; for instance Buddhism has influenced by thinking at this point as much as Christianity.

 

Perhaps I was too confusing, as I tend to use "college" and "university" interchangibly. I am still getting my undergraduate degree, but hope to go to Graduate school for psychology at some point!

 

And Chinese is a very hard language! At least for me. I can't make half the sounds they use, my tongue just doesn't work that way!

 

I tend to identify as Lutheran because I am drawn to their self-concious emphasis on God's grace, and as someone who tends to be myself up over everything I've done wrong (either real or imagined) this can be very freeing. (As the Gospel should be) There are some things (such as infant baptism and the Real Presence in Communion) that I do believe in, but I will admit that it is more out of me choosing to agree with the Church than a real conviction of them being the right answers-- and should I learn that they are not true I wouldn't lose too much sleep over it.

[Mike]

I've also come to see many aspects of Christianity that I once saw as a black-or-white issue in a more open way. Although I would say that I have a more traditional theology, at least in so far as my understanding of who Jesus was and the purpose of his death and resurrection and things such as the Trinity and so forth-- my understanding of God in general, of the Church and many various other things has been shaped in a new way.

 

No matter where you are on your journey, or which path you've chosen, you're welcome here to share and question.

 

I tend to approach Christianity in a two-tiered way. One is the mystical and mythical, in which I find value in more traditional doctrines about Jesus, the Trinity, grace, the resurrection, etc. The other is the historical-critical that looks more critically at the interplay of the pre- and post-Easter images of Jesus, and the role of myth in the New Testament which leads to a historical-metaphorical approach to reading and interpreting the New Testament. Of course that depends on if one accepts the historical-critical method.

 

And Chinese is a very hard language! At least for me. I can't make half the sounds they use, my tongue just doesn't work that way!

 

Well I'm sure the Chinese feel the same way for English.

 

Perhaps I was too confusing, as I tend to use "college" and "university" interchangibly. I am still getting my undergraduate degree, but hope to go to Graduate school for psychology at some point!

 

And Chinese is a very hard language! At least for me. I can't make half the sounds they use, my tongue just doesn't work that way!

 

I tend to identify as Lutheran because I am drawn to their self-concious emphasis on God's grace, and as someone who tends to be myself up over everything I've done wrong (either real or imagined) this can be very freeing. (As the Gospel should be) There are some things (such as infant baptism and the Real Presence in Communion) that I do believe in, but I will admit that it is more out of me choosing to agree with the Church than a real conviction of them being the right answers-- and should I learn that they are not true I wouldn't lose too much sleep over it.

 

This notion of grace I find to be at the heart of the Christian tradition on the whole. It is at once both a soteriological and ontological pronouncement. Reliance upon God, the emptiness of the self, are what I tend to find my Christian practice rooted in.

 

Peace to you,

Mike