NightPhoenix
Member
Hello all!
I'm not sure where to start or what to say or how to introduce myself really. But I'll give it a try.
I'm presently an Eastern Orthodox Christian, though I didn't grow up in that tradition. I grew up in a basically non religious household. Though I was baptized as an infant in the Catholic Church, we never attended Church. However we weren't particularly anti-religious either. We celebrated Christmas, Easter and all that...but I can't say I ever read the Bible until I was in my late teens. My interest in Christianity came to fruition from different reasons but mainly because a friend of mine and his fiance were born again Christians but weren't particularly nutty and lived what they preached. I never really saw that before. To make a long story short, I had a born again experience, went through various Protestant traditions, until I began to study history and Church history in my 20's, and this study eventually lead me to the Eastern Orthodox Church which is where I am at today.
However over the last 2 or 3 years I've begun to doubt at first my own Church's tradition, and now am doubting Christianity all together. (in part because of my study of history) This doubt leads me to also doubt religion all together as well. Granted some of this rejection is "emotional"...but then so is my acceptance of my faith as well. (I feel good during Church thus I have faith...but should faith or of faith be based on merely a feeling?)
I still consider myself a Christian but find myself questioning the major dogmas of even my tradition. I'm pretty well read in Church history, religious history, Christian origins, Judaism, in particular 2nd Temple Judaism, and NT studies and Christian origins has been an interest of mine for a number of years. I'm not a professional historian, but I'm probably more well read in these topics that the average laymen is in the pew is.
I guess I'm not sure why I'm here other than I do feel I'm a seeker of truth, whatever truth there may be in the universe. I'm pretty agnostic about many things, as I said, even theology of my own Church these days, so this has kind of opened my mind to other faiths. Even if they aren't a "fit" for me, I still love learning about various religions. I guess in part I'm here too because of my own doubt, not just about my Church, or Christianity but God's existence in general, or the "big questions" most people ask. I recently read Dawkin's the God Delusion and remained unconvinced by the positive atheism he puts forward. I feel like I don't know what the answers are, but do believe there are answers even if I'm too small to figure them out. And in the end i just want to live life and do the right thing, and I am a seeker of "truth" whatever than may be. I cannot imagine not being a theist in some sense, and often cannot imagine not being a Christian, even an Orthodox Christian at times, but have taken a much more agnostic approach to even Christian theology....it COULD be right...atheism COULD be right, but in the end I don't know for sure. i doubt this site will give me the answers, but at least it's a place full of others who want to learn and "compare" faiths and that's what I hope to do here.
Thanks...
I'm not sure where to start or what to say or how to introduce myself really. But I'll give it a try.
I'm presently an Eastern Orthodox Christian, though I didn't grow up in that tradition. I grew up in a basically non religious household. Though I was baptized as an infant in the Catholic Church, we never attended Church. However we weren't particularly anti-religious either. We celebrated Christmas, Easter and all that...but I can't say I ever read the Bible until I was in my late teens. My interest in Christianity came to fruition from different reasons but mainly because a friend of mine and his fiance were born again Christians but weren't particularly nutty and lived what they preached. I never really saw that before. To make a long story short, I had a born again experience, went through various Protestant traditions, until I began to study history and Church history in my 20's, and this study eventually lead me to the Eastern Orthodox Church which is where I am at today.
However over the last 2 or 3 years I've begun to doubt at first my own Church's tradition, and now am doubting Christianity all together. (in part because of my study of history) This doubt leads me to also doubt religion all together as well. Granted some of this rejection is "emotional"...but then so is my acceptance of my faith as well. (I feel good during Church thus I have faith...but should faith or of faith be based on merely a feeling?)
I still consider myself a Christian but find myself questioning the major dogmas of even my tradition. I'm pretty well read in Church history, religious history, Christian origins, Judaism, in particular 2nd Temple Judaism, and NT studies and Christian origins has been an interest of mine for a number of years. I'm not a professional historian, but I'm probably more well read in these topics that the average laymen is in the pew is.
I guess I'm not sure why I'm here other than I do feel I'm a seeker of truth, whatever truth there may be in the universe. I'm pretty agnostic about many things, as I said, even theology of my own Church these days, so this has kind of opened my mind to other faiths. Even if they aren't a "fit" for me, I still love learning about various religions. I guess in part I'm here too because of my own doubt, not just about my Church, or Christianity but God's existence in general, or the "big questions" most people ask. I recently read Dawkin's the God Delusion and remained unconvinced by the positive atheism he puts forward. I feel like I don't know what the answers are, but do believe there are answers even if I'm too small to figure them out. And in the end i just want to live life and do the right thing, and I am a seeker of "truth" whatever than may be. I cannot imagine not being a theist in some sense, and often cannot imagine not being a Christian, even an Orthodox Christian at times, but have taken a much more agnostic approach to even Christian theology....it COULD be right...atheism COULD be right, but in the end I don't know for sure. i doubt this site will give me the answers, but at least it's a place full of others who want to learn and "compare" faiths and that's what I hope to do here.
Thanks...