LisaE Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 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 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeW Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 Lisa, Welcome. I look forward to your participation in the discussions. (FWIW, I thought the UCC was rather progressive). George Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaE Posted November 16, 2012 Author Share Posted November 16, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulS Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephM Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 Welcome Lisa, Feel free to start any threads of interest to you after familiarizing yourself with the site. Enjoy your journey. joseph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieG Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soma Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 Welcome Lisa and your comments. Annie's avatar and your comments remind me of Daniel in the Lion's Den. Daniel 6:4-27 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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