Gratitude

[LisaE]

Hello! I'm currently reading Why Christianity Must Change Or Die and ultimately found myself on this site. I sometimes find myself drowning in a sea of fundamentalism, and I must say discovering Bishop Spong has lifted my spirits considerably!

 

I was raised Southern Baptist and my last vain attempt at any organized church was United Church of Christ. After deciding to bypass the Unitarians altogether I have taken the final leap and now fully recognize myself as a "believer in exile"

 

Most of my family and friends right wingish in just about everything....so I am the acknowledged "black sheep"

 

I am always searching for ways to balance authenticity in my relationships and not compromise my beliefs....but it is an exhasting endeavor sometimes. I enjoy the undying support of a delightful spouse and four extrordinary daughters...(thank God:)

 

I am thankful to have found this forum and look forward to learning some new insights.

 

In Peace,

Lisa

[GeorgeW]

Lisa, Welcome. I look forward to your participation in the discussions. (FWIW, I thought the UCC was rather progressive).

 

George

[LisaE]

Thanks George. I think many UCC churches are more progressive. It probably has lots to do with demographics. The one I attended was in a pretty conservative community. However, I met some like-minded folks there.

[PaulS]

Welcome Lisa,

 

Like so many here, fundamentalism was the norm for me growing up, until I entered the real word so to speak as an employee. I could no longer reconcile what I had been taught with what I observed on a day to day basis. So at 19 I left my church and effectively haven't returned for 25 years. My parents and sister are still committed to the cause, so I am regarded as the 'misguided' one.

 

I must say, had I learnt about PC, Spong, and sites like this I may have held on to some semblance of belief. Alas, I didn't and spent the next 20 years or so simply 'rejecting'. A few years ago I came across the likes of Spong & Borg, which at the very least gave me a new understanding of how I could understand a different view of Christianity and biblical scholarship.

 

I hope you enjoy it here. Feel very free to participate.

 

Cheers

Paul

[JosephM]

Welcome Lisa,

 

Feel free to start any threads of interest to you after familiarizing yourself with the site. Enjoy your journey.

 

joseph

[AnnieG]

Hello Lisa

 

I saw your comment on MinstrelMansWife's intro page. I can relate to the feeling of emptiness when talking to fundamentalist friends or family; in my case I seem to rarely forget our division by belief. Of course, though, we do have a common humanity, and a common history (esp. in the case of family) , while my friends have that something special that drew me to them as people.

 

Hope to hear more from you

 

Annie

[soma]

Welcome Lisa and your comments. Annie's avatar and your comments remind me of Daniel in the Lion's Den. Daniel 6:4-27