I'm not sure what that direction will be, still feeling my way through.
I'm bored with the whole anti-religion thing. I've gone through some very destructive experiences in the name of religion and it was good for me to let myself be angry about that for a while, but I feel like I'm done with that now. And I'm no longer convinced that religious moderates are aiding and abetting fundamentalists. The new atheists say that moderates are complicit in extremism because their belief lends credibility to fundamentalists, but the culture of fundamentalism that I'm familiar with doesn't give any credence to anything other than fundamentalism.
For example, I know Mormons who think that other Mormons who dare to drink Coke or use birth control or vote democrat are losing their grasp on the Iron Rod and are in danger of being swallowed by the Mists of Darkness (1 Nephi 8). Among other Christians, fundamentalists disavow those who cohabitate before marriage or who support same sex marriage, or who don't take the Genesis creation story literally, and on and on.
I have a confession to make: I've been going to church.
I've found a congregation that I like, friendly but not overbearing. I don't believe in any of it literally and have no intentions of ever officially joining, but I like the rituals and the symbolism. There are bits of the service that make me grimace and think, Okay, now I really don't believe that, but I no longer feel obligated to believe everything an authority doles out, and there's enough that resonates with me to justify my attendance. I feel a peaceful and loving spirit there, and it is good for my soul to take part in that.
So I go.
