On Theology

Since my religion interests me more than almost anything else I guess the best place to start would be for me to describe to you all my theology.

Ever since I was a child I was raised in The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). In fact my whole family has come from this background. My grandparents on my father’s side were both DOC ministers and my other grandparents met at a Disciples’ Church. My Great Grandmother (father’s father’s mother) was also a missionary in India for the Disciples of Christ. So to say the least Christianity is in my blood.

I followed the teachings of my church and Sunday School blindly. To use the old cliche I had “the faith of a child”. It wasn’t until my grandfather died that I began to question my religion. The old teaching that God has a plan just didn’t work for me. Why would God have taken my grandfather without letting me get to know him in the way I wish I had? Anyways those were the first moments of questioning I had. My brother, Johnathan helped me see very soon that he wasn’t really gone. His spirit lived on in us and his soul wasn’t dead. Just this body. We would see my grandfather again. He was convinced and Johnny’s convictions obviously rubbed off on his impressionable little brother.

My doubts only really grew from there. I never questioned that God existed and that he had power the questions came from how he used these powers? why he didn’t use them all the time? what the afterlife was? to list just a few. I questioned and questioned and my grandfather was always there to listen to me. He guided my faith journey and would always listen to me. He would always share his own beliefs but never try to push them on me and that was something that really hit me. My grandfather helped me form my own ideas and thoughts on Christianity. I love him for that as well as for many other reasons and I miss him terribly.

Now on to what these years of questioning has led me. It has been nearly 10 years since my grandfather passed and I first doubted my religion and I still have no idea what is right but thanks to my grandfather and the rest of my family (nuclear, extended and church) I know what I believe and hope to be true.

First off, I do not believe in the traditional sense of heaven and hell. This is the basis of my religious beliefs and was also the basis of grandfather’s as well as my father’s. I believe that souls are eternal entities and that they pass from body to body learning lessons until they eventually become “enlightened” for lack of a better word. I believe that every soul is on a quest for fulfillment and knowledge and through this I have come to better understand the golden rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Secondly, I am not entirely sure on where I stand on what God truly is. I have spent nearly equal time pondering whether God is an entity in and of Himself (or Herself), whether he is an emotion (like love) or whether he is really the community we all share. My current beliefs are that he is all three. I feel like God has to be a separate entity in order for this world to have been created but I also feel like he wouldn’t be all that he is without the love and community created by the souls within each of us. I believe this because the times that I see God the most are when I am working in connection with other people, regardless of numbers. I feel God pulsing through all of us, uniting us, regardless of our difference in race, creed or anything else. God may be a separate entity but his presence on Earth, at least to me, is expressed through each of us.

Lastly, I believe that we are all one in God and God is within all of us. We are all on our way to “nirvana”, “enlightenment”, “inner peace” or however that phrase resonates best with each of you. Because of this, I do not believe that anyone should be hated, that anyone should be persecuted for what they believe, that anyone should be treated without the due respect you feel should be afforded to yourself. We are all fellow travelers passing through this life and many others and we must respect each other’s journeys. Each of us has fallen (once, twice or uncountable times) in our journey and we were assisted by those around us. Maybe in this life it is your turn to return the favor.

In conclusion this isn’t everything I believe, it is simply a basic overview; none of these beliefs are set in stone, I am always open to discussion and questions; and finally I do not believe that I should press these beliefs on anyone. I hope you read this post and better understand me. If these beliefs resonate with you I am glad I could touch your life. I hope you all enjoyed reading this and I love you all. Good luck on your journey.