The Question That Will Never be Answered: How to Find "Community?"



Among people I know personally and those I read about, a common theme in favor of Christianity and joining a church is, "It's good to be among people who care about you." Sociologists and pollsters follow this up with studies that conclude church members are happier and healthier. An article in the Salt Lake City paper is about an interview with someone who left the Mormon faith, and all faith, twenty years ago. 

The Salt Lake City paper often has stories like this. The theme is there are Mormons who are critical of some aspects of the Mormon church. That's OK. What is not OK is to leave the denomination, it is not good for you. The link is a story like that. 

The person in the link who left religion today laments not being part of a local church. He recalls running into someone from back in church life who reminded him of several stories from his youth. That he was so important to someone decades back that memories remain is something that probably does not exist in his post-church life. The article highlights that he laments this.

Yet, the ex Christian says he cannot and will not return to the faith. There is no law preventing him from rejoining that church or some other one. He could start next Sunday. Why doesn't he?

The link does not go into that problem, even though it is the issue more important than any other. The person does not go back to church because listening to sermons and conforming to standards that seem ridiculous, plus having chats with people who bring the topics up, is a bridge too far. 

It may well be that sharing beliefs in a myth builds community.  I remember the simple observation from my first course in rural sociology; a group must have a purpose. Sharing a myth works well. Outside of myths, it may be more difficult. 

The one thing that is most common among those who have left the faith is that whatever sense of "community" they experienced was offset by requirements to live among people who embraced the myths. The price of going back is too high.    

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ancient God, Bel (Baal), the Main Character in an Ancient Play

Image
In a British museum is a preserved stone tablet from Babylon. It dates to about 2,000 BCE. Someone labored patiently to inscribe an entire passion play featuring the god Bel. I reiterate this is a stone tablet, not a recopied papyrus. The play begins with the god Bel arrested by soldiers and taken off the stage. He reappears at a trial in the Hall of Judgement. Bel is innocent but is sentenced to death. In the next scene Bel is accosted by a mob. He is despised and rejected. The actor playing Bel is then taken by guard to a hilltop in a sacred grove. Two criminals are taken with him. One of these is released. The the audience then leaves the theater and follows the actor Bel and his guards to the top of a hill where the death scene is enacted by hanging from a tree. The audience returns to the theater for the dramatic final scenes. The dead Bel is stripped and prepared for burial. On a theatrical hill to the side of the stage is a tomb where the body is placed. A stone is rolle...
Read more

What Was the "Argument" in the Election

Image
I hate to add my blog to the piles of blogs and pundits analyzing and pondering the meaning of the just passed election. But that's what I feel like doing today. I've always like Senator Ted Cruz's summary of politics. He once said, "First, win the argument. Then, win the election." I think there is a way of applying that to anti abortion Catholics and Protestants. The link talks of Catholics who now feel they have no political home because Republicans let them down with Trump but they remain against abortion rights. Taking Cruz's win-the-argument thesis, I'd call the past election about an argument between two groups. One group's argument was, "Trump's a jerk." The other's argument was, "Abortion is wrong." The group, "Trump's a jerk," won the argument and then the election.  While one can argue the election, or any election, it about more complex issues, I believe in the end elections hinge on very simple ar...
Read more

Time to Forget the Christian Nation Thing

Image
While women are forbidden from being priests/preachers in some branches of Christianity thank goodness they are not forbidden from writing and lecturing about Christianity. A great article about the "Christian nation" notion shows us the U.S. is not a Christian nation and hopefully never will be. It is written by a woman with nerve and was published on a very Christian site, Christian Post.  Among the pilgrims were a few that wanted to establish a utopian Christian society. Some of their brethren stayed behind in Europe hoping the push aside worldly forces there and bring sinners to God. Today, whether it is the anti abortion, anti gay/trans, anti immigration or the put prayer back in schools branch there are those who want a version of what some pilgrims wanted, a utopian Christian society. The pilgrims were disappointed. Today's Christian utopians will be also. Here is why. The children of pilgrims did not believe the same things as their parents. Parents were roundly d...
Read more