The Outsider

            What does it mean to be an outsider? By default it is to be outside of an organization or group, which can be both a gift and a curse, but gives a very unique perspective.

          For much of my life since I left the Church of Latter Day Saints (I disagreed with a lot about the faith - which I will share with you when I revisit a Mormon Church) in Middle School, the Outsider has been the role I have felt most comfortable in. Even as part of me for the longest time felt I needed to be a part of a religious community. Because of this I tried on many different faiths, for a while I was Pagan, I briefly explored Buddhism (in middle school, and then later in college when I visited China) and then come high school I considered converting to Sikhism, Kabbalah (Mystic) Judaism and Unitarian Universalism. At one point I even considered converting to Catholicism for my girlfriend and her family.

    It was from the outsider's perspective that I would choose not to join the Eastshore Unitarian Church, after experiencing the politics of the faith in regards to the different leaders' interactions with one another. It was also this outsiders perspective that lead me to see the cons and what I disagreed with about all these faiths, even as I experienced the pros and positive aspects of the faiths. It was from this outsider perspective that I was a part of Youth Exploring Spirituality (YES) and  Interfaith Voices of Youth (IVY).As an outsider I have learned so much, but it's been years since I've seriously asked the questions that YES and IVY asked. I want to bring that back with this blog.

   I plan on visiting different faith communities and blogging about my perspective and experience of them here on the day I visit a community and take part in it. I'm hoping that the blog posts will be weekly. Some days may have 2 posts, if I visited 2 different communities. What the blog will be describing is: What was the service like? What the core beliefs are (and how they differ from other denominations)? What was the community like? How was I treated? and hopefully interviewing the leader/minister/priest/iman/rabbi/ect. if there is one, on their beliefs and what they believe they're faith preaches. I will also include my agreements and disagreements with the faith and what I connected to and didn't connect to about the faith and community.

   I don't think I could ever convert to any faith. The outsider is where I have the most solace, fulfillment and peace, and also have experienced the most growth. But I do think there is much to be learned and experienced both from the faith and the community that makes up the faith. I plan on writing about the pros and cons that I found first hand and bringing an honest outsider perspective to the communities that I visit. I'm hoping you'll be able to learn as much as me, and if your interested, maybe visit the places I visited yourself.