I just finished Brian McLaren's newest book. I'm trying to decide if Emergent Christianity is worth it or not. I like the idea of redeeming the religion of my youth. There is so much good and beauty in Jesus. So much good has been done by those inspired by him (Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. for example). Part of me wants to be part of a movement to change Christianity back into a movement that makes people better people and the world a better place. Another part of me wants nothing to do with that word because it's gotten so ugly and even if I become an Emergent Christian I might need to use a different name. Then a tiny part of me thinks that Jesus' message of self-sacrifice and love leads to abuse and depression and it isn't good at all.
I've been reading a lot of stuff about the feminist movement on-line. This is all new to me. It's a lot to process. http://gyzym.tumblr.com/post/39004853136/just-shut-up and http://www.patheos.com/blogs/unreasonablefaith/2013/01/venturing-off-the-theism-track/ for instance. Now I feel like I need to start teaching my kids what is and isn't good about Disney Movies. And I'm reading Rachel Held Evans book A Year of Biblical Womanhood which I think I can safely say is feminist Christian book. Maybe?
Can I make a confession. I LOVE redemption stories. I really love redemption stories. But love doesn't really fix abuse does it? Or can it?
So many mixed messages in my head! I e-mailed a therapist for the first time on Monday. I hope she can help me work through all of this crap.
I enjoyed Rachel Held Evan's book. Of course, she is a feminists, but I don't think she' overtly either. She just wants to see women equal in the church, a reasonable and important goal.
ReplyDeleteI'm SO enjoying your journey. I might recommend that you forget about seeking a label for yourself (unless, of course, you feel the need to). Mostly because labels can be so limiting and self-defining.
ReplyDeleteWherever your journey takes you, you can say that you've gotten there honestly!
Keep writing and I'll keep reading, Karen
Karen, ya the need for a label is interesting. There are so many people right now that have decided to go without a label. Many Christian writers are talking a lot about the "nones" right now. The "nones" are people who choose nothing at all when talking about religious affiliation. They don't want to be anything including atheist or agnostic or spiritual, but not religious. They really want to be nothing. I may end up there. I don't necessarily need a title. I do want to figure out what I believe so I can talk with my Christian friends and answer their questions that they will have when I "come out" as no longer a member of their version of Christianity. I also want a place to belong. I need a sense of belonging. We all do. I had a sense of belonging in my religion for so long that it seems natural to find it again with people that believe like I do I guess. But maybe I can find it else where. In fact, I probably want to find it elsewhere. Hmmm....
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