It's interesting to read that many move to atheism as they age. I think I'm moving to the other direction. I think I'd like to start taking Noah and Grace to church. There are many things I am willing to relax about and my intense anti-religion, atheist stance is one of those.

I think my biggest issues is that like most of the medieval catholics, I just don't think there is an allmighty power that gives a damn about ME personally. My vision of a god, when I really try to envision god, is not of something that cares about my prayers etc.

So, in some ways, I'm the opposite Steph. I think salvation might only be based on good works, or at least the goodness with which we live our daily lives.

Also, Steph, I don't think that the Catholic Church really believes in Purgatory either. Purgatory, historically, comes from Dante more than anything else.

I did find out that the daughter of Mom's best friend is following in the foot steps of the Duggar family. She's got 2 kids, her youngest is about 1 and is expecting. Mom asked "was it planned?" And her friend had to explain that, no it wasn't, that her daughter and SIL are using God as birth control and believe he'll only give them as many children as they can handle.

Mom's friend is having a hard time with this she is a liberal Episcopalian and her daughter went off to a small college and met her husband, who is some form of strict Baptist, and some sort of pastor - youth or music or something - and now she's a good pastor's wife and obeys her husband and all of that. Mom's friend was seriously against this marriage and nearly stopped talking to her daughter until Mom sat her down and had her "which would rather - have a relationship with (insert loved one) or not have a relationship and be 'right' " talk. So now Mom's friend has learned to deal.

Things I don't understand: planking [link]

I have issues with the authenticity of the Bible - how can we know what we read today is what was really written and what was meant to be? There has been so much time and so many people between then and now.

Too bad we don't read ancient Aramaic!

This year is the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. I think over the summer, I'm going to try to read as much of it as I can. The Folger Library is having an amazing celebration. One of the things I didn't realize is how many people worked on KJ Translation and how difficult this task must have been. Manifold Greatness is a really cool site that celebrates the KJV. What I love is the beauty of the language, how amazingly poetic this bible is even though it was done by anonymous committee!

So if you are an atheist and then come to Jesus, you aren't really saved.

Awesome! That means I'm doomed no matter what, so no need to worry abou it.

I think I'd like to start taking Noah and Grace to church.

I was raised Presbyterian, and my parents have always been very active in church, singing in the choir, deacons, all that. Despite that, I just don't have faith -- religion takes me to a very cerebral place of creation myths and how cool it is that all different cultures have one, etc.

I guess I sort of believe that religion is man-made, that we create a god (or gods) to answer questions and give comfort, and that the communities built around churches and/or religions can be really powerful and supportive, in the best case scenario. That's why I'm taking the kids (sporadically) to church here, because it's a great encouraging community for them to be a part of, especially in a new place.

My mom knows I feel that way, and I know it makes her a little sad, but she doesn't question it, and she doesn't push.

I forgot that I was going to mention how that creation of community/church can be awful, too, but given some of the scary types out there, I figure that's a given.

Things I don't understand: planking [link]

I just heard about that from a Penny Arcade comic, and it came up today as well. So bizarre. Apparently some people have died doing it?

Religion. I don't think it means what it was originally supposed to mean. Rather than worship and an expression of gratitude and an umbrella of charity to the less fortunate, it's become another means of divisiveness and an excuse for treating people we don't like, or who don't agree with us, badly.

This is why I'm agnostic. There may be some truth in some faiths, but I'm pretty sure "religion" is a human construct and therefore flawed.

I have no drive to believe in a higher power, grand plan, whatever. I was raised in a very faith-loose Quaker religious community. By the time I got around to thinking seriously about faith (maybe 10 or so?) I was like "Nope, don't really need this." And it wasn't earthshattering or anything, I just didn't care. I cannot wrap my mind around what it must be like to have a belief like that.

I don't believe in gods, UFOs, ghosts, gremlins or "meant to be." I think coincidences are freaky, but nothing more than that. I believe in the scientific method, and that someone might come up with more nuanced theories than are currently understood (theories and even the laws aren't definitions, but descriptions. As is all science, an attempt to describe our world and predict outcomes.) There's more I don't know than I do know.

I believe that my ability to shape my world extends only as far as the choices I make to respond to what the millions of other choices and chaos of nature force upon me. I'm just a mote in a giant sandstorm.

I try to be kind and helpful, only because I want to live in a kind and helpful humanity, but I am not under the illusion that me being so makes any difference. I'll just try to make prettier the walls of my particular neighborhood.

I don't even know what I believe or what I want to believe.

There are times when I do really want to believe in something. When I was young I did believe and I had a fairly strong faith and did find some comfort in it -- until things got really bad and hard to handle. And I've never been able to replicate that.

Although there have been two times when I felt a strong belief in something as an adult I was manic. I didn't know it then but I realized it later.

Sometimes I just wished I believed in something but I don't.