Well, not exactly...
Most all of us have had the experience of “door to door” evangelicals, employing the same "scripted" sales strategy formerly used by Hoover and Encyclopedia Britannica. When the doorbell rings, I usually "get the Led out," turn-off the lights, and run for cover.
Add the bellowing of our big, beautiful pit bull mix, it’s no surprise those looking to redeem wayward souls decide to save it for another day, if ever. Just in case, an informative pamphlet complete with cool illustrations is usually strategically placed at our doorstep.
Rather than feign absence or illness to avoid an uncomfortable conversation, this time I didn't Shut The Front...Door. Like angels disguised as humans walking this Earth, two of the sweetest Jehovah's Witnesses descended upon our entryway. They even had a few kind words for our barking pup.
Equally undeterred by my cosmic ramblings, the ladies focused on similarities rather than differences. Still I declined their offer of yet another Watchtower publication although I’ve read others Left Behind in the past. How else would I know about the pics?
At this point in life, I'm just not a good candidate for conversion. My core beliefs aren't going to change. I've always had questions and doubts. Fundamentally, I have never subscribed to any prescriptive religious dogma.
I don't necessarily reject religion either. In our darkest moments, all of us seek understanding and hope related to yet at the same time separate from the religious culture and dynamic. We want guidance and solace, not judgment from fellow sinners no better than ourselves.
Generally speaking, Unitarian Universalists are informed by religious writings as well as humanist and atheist philosophies in addition to Nature, art, literature, music, science, history--life in general. Considering the wealth of resources, Universalists would seem to have substantive answers to existential complexities and difficulties. Sadly, we just appear to be more confused.
I don’t presume to know whether or not an atheist will be “saved,” for example. It’s not my call. It seems reasonable, however, that an atheist can’t be punished or rewarded by something in which he/she doesn’t believe. Enlightenment is not about what God has or hasn't done for us lately. Come to think of it, I don’t presume to know if believers will be saved either.
In other words, one person’s Hell is another person’s Heaven. A Christian's ultimate Hell would be detachment from God. For an atheist rejecting belief in a higher power is liberating, if not Heavenly. In our quest for egotistical absolutism, existing in shades of grey appears to be beyond man's grasp.
Add the bellowing of our big, beautiful pit bull mix, it’s no surprise those looking to redeem wayward souls decide to save it for another day, if ever. Just in case, an informative pamphlet complete with cool illustrations is usually strategically placed at our doorstep.
Rather than feign absence or illness to avoid an uncomfortable conversation, this time I didn't Shut The Front...Door. Like angels disguised as humans walking this Earth, two of the sweetest Jehovah's Witnesses descended upon our entryway. They even had a few kind words for our barking pup.
Equally undeterred by my cosmic ramblings, the ladies focused on similarities rather than differences. Still I declined their offer of yet another Watchtower publication although I’ve read others Left Behind in the past. How else would I know about the pics?
At this point in life, I'm just not a good candidate for conversion. My core beliefs aren't going to change. I've always had questions and doubts. Fundamentally, I have never subscribed to any prescriptive religious dogma.
I don't necessarily reject religion either. In our darkest moments, all of us seek understanding and hope related to yet at the same time separate from the religious culture and dynamic. We want guidance and solace, not judgment from fellow sinners no better than ourselves.
Generally speaking, Unitarian Universalists are informed by religious writings as well as humanist and atheist philosophies in addition to Nature, art, literature, music, science, history--life in general. Considering the wealth of resources, Universalists would seem to have substantive answers to existential complexities and difficulties. Sadly, we just appear to be more confused.
I don’t presume to know whether or not an atheist will be “saved,” for example. It’s not my call. It seems reasonable, however, that an atheist can’t be punished or rewarded by something in which he/she doesn’t believe. Enlightenment is not about what God has or hasn't done for us lately. Come to think of it, I don’t presume to know if believers will be saved either.
In other words, one person’s Hell is another person’s Heaven. A Christian's ultimate Hell would be detachment from God. For an atheist rejecting belief in a higher power is liberating, if not Heavenly. In our quest for egotistical absolutism, existing in shades of grey appears to be beyond man's grasp.
Appearances can be deceiving, after all. Goodness isn't necessarily related to the image we project for the entire world to see. Each one of us has an alternate reality, remaining hidden for the most part.
Perhaps when our respective journeys come to an end, a truth eternal will be our salvation. In the meantime, “We do not see the world as it is. We see the world as we are.”
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