tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3109627201567905090.post6339774248562062261..comments2020-05-05T23:31:26.927-06:00Comments on All things reasonable...except the ones I forgot: Guest post by B's Stings on Growing up UnitarianMichael L. Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404336794967277940noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3109627201567905090.post-33824373808186480802012-06-13T09:06:22.193-06:002012-06-13T09:06:22.193-06:00Thanks, Beth. I think your inner voice is stronge...Thanks, Beth. I think your inner voice is stronger than mine because I don't always know for sure what's the right thing to do. For the most part, though, I think you're right, that one only has to stop and listen.<br /><br />UU churches vary a lot in character but most consist of good people who are trying to live a righteous life without clinging to dogma or an authority figure. On the whole, I'm grateful for having been granted the freedom to develop my own spiritual path. Hating and persecuting people in the name of God is, I think, one of the most despicable human tendencies.bronwyngordonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02048506676204085935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3109627201567905090.post-11078920673574412162012-06-10T12:21:55.569-06:002012-06-10T12:21:55.569-06:00Thanks Megan! :-)
B and Tara are both incredible w...Thanks Megan! :-)<br />B and Tara are both incredible writers (far better than I). My skill lies in public speaking (and solving technical problems). When you throw in my Mom (very talented), My sister (brilliant) and my Step-Dad (phd in Physics), not to mention my three kids and my nephew (the three older kids are in Tae Kwon Do and my eldest and my nephew are black belts). All considered, I have a pretty great family. I agree--thanks!@NativeMikeAdamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08446931065863021549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3109627201567905090.post-8715659855499327552012-06-09T22:02:00.666-06:002012-06-09T22:02:00.666-06:00Jeez, Mike. Just I was dealing with my jealousy of...Jeez, Mike. Just I was dealing with my jealousy of your having Tara for a wife, I read about another fabulous person in your life. Lucky, lucky, tsk, tsk. <br /><br />And B, excellent post. As a lapsed catholic who still goes to church for major holidays/celebrations and is contemplating confirmation for my own daughter next year, I relate with anyone's religious ambivalence. I might be pro-religion, but maybe not so much organized religion, if that makes sense.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05477053024120321776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3109627201567905090.post-84129837338551585292012-06-08T22:54:57.701-06:002012-06-08T22:54:57.701-06:00I like your thinking on these topics and I am curi...I like your thinking on these topics and I am curious if you'd perhaps like to write a guest post?@NativeMikeAdamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08446931065863021549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3109627201567905090.post-78464320616301953272012-06-08T22:53:37.965-06:002012-06-08T22:53:37.965-06:00Thoughtful and insightful as always! Thanks for co...Thoughtful and insightful as always! Thanks for commenting Ms. Word Nerd!@NativeMikeAdamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08446931065863021549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3109627201567905090.post-46392646917862524442012-06-08T08:13:26.697-06:002012-06-08T08:13:26.697-06:00^^^ Sorry for the giant, blog-sized comment! ^^^^^^ Sorry for the giant, blog-sized comment! ^^^Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3109627201567905090.post-85254290208962482002012-06-08T08:12:53.267-06:002012-06-08T08:12:53.267-06:00B, thank you for sharing your journey! I've al...B, thank you for sharing your journey! I've always been kind of anti-church, mostly because it seems ridiculous to me to look to another human being for answers rather than trusting what you know in your heart is right. My "church," my center of spiritual guidance, is within me, always has been. <br /><br />That being said, there's something wonderful about gathering with a group of people open to exploring and respectfully discussing spirituality, and dedicated to putting their beliefs into action. One person can (and always does) make a difference, but there's no doubt that people en masse can spark powerful change. <br /><br />My father was Catholic, my mother an open-minded Christian who encouraged her children to follow their hearts. He was a bit of a hardass and she was as kind and just a human as I've ever known. I was allowed (thanks to my mom) to explore whatever interested me and to attend churches of my choosing as frequently or infrequently as I wanted. What I found was (in my view) assorted collections of folks who were content to blindly follow the teachings of another and to beat themselves (and each other) up when they fell short of whatever had been expected of them. I came home one day and said to my mom, "I don't understand why anyone would let someone else tell them what is right and wrong. It seems crazy to me that people override the wisdom of their own hearts in favor of what someone else tells them is the way to live."<br /><br />She smiled and hugged me. Hard.<br /><br />When I had my own children, I chose not to raise them in any church. I know enough people who battle still with fear because what they believe as adults is in contrast to what they were taught as children. Logically, they're fine with living according to what they believe, but they can't seem to shake an uneasiness that stems from being told repeatedly that veering even a little off of their assigned religious path would send them straight to hell. I wanted my kids to be able to listen to their hearts--to listen to and honor the Voice Within--to not to have that voice drowned out by another's, and to understand that they and they alone could/should decide how they should live. Since I believe that the stuff we say to children (especially very young ones) stays with them on some level forever, I felt that indoctrinating them into religion would ultimately hamper their spiritual growth. <br /><br />As an adult, I've never felt any desire to belong to a church. I recently learned a little about UU, though, and am intrigued. An organized religion that accepts everyone and encourages members to follow their own paths? A place where one person doesn't have authority over the spiritual paths of the others? In a church?!?! I had no idea this existed. <br /><br />Thus far, I've merely read a bit about UU and have located a few congregations in my area. I'm not surprised that unlike the more prevalent religions, there aren't UU churches in pretty much every suburb, but there are a few not unreasonably far away. I plan to visit and get a feel for the places. Though I'm not thirsty for "church," I would love to find a group of people dedicated to making the world a kinder, better place, and from what I've read, that place might be, for me, in a UU congregation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com