The Importance of Character - City Church - Sandy, UT - August 31st, 2014

    My experience at City Church was mixed. There were things that were great about it (a bit of the sermon and the music) and things that weren't (tithing, tithing, tithing and argument from Authority). I'll get into it more later in the post.

    City Church is pretty close to Saint Thomas More Catholic Church, which made the drive there pretty easy. Once there I found that the area was pretty spacious and that the main area where the sermons take place looked like a performance venue. 

   The service kicked off with an add, and the add wasn't too bad. They said they were a lot about Jesus, weren't perfect (all churches need this disclaimer) but that they're willing to grow (maybe true?). After this there were three Christian Rocks songs that were pretty good and after an announcement video by the pastor. Way too much talking about the Church and donating to it, that was the the entire middle portion before the Lead Pastor's sermon. At least some of that money is going to service work in Guatemala though and service work in the area, so that was a plus in a mostly bad introduction to it. The church is also moving locations so that was talked about too. 

   Finally the sermon. What I liked about it was the emphasis on character, that people notice if you are good at what you do since that was why Joseph got promoted by Potiphar, the Warden and the Pharaoh. He was good at working and noticed attention to detail. In the story the pastor said this was true until Joseph advocated for himself and pointed out the how unjust it was that he was in prison for a crime he didn't commit and that he was sold into slavery. The pastor said God punished him for depending on the Butler whose dream he interpreted to rescue him rather than counting on God. In the story this makes sense, since God is a horrible person in the Old Testament who only values loyalty, when in reality a person has to advocate for themselves to reach their goals. Life generally doesn't hand you rewards, opportunities pop up, but they can only really happen with action...which is what Joseph did with the Butler. 

      The idea about character being noticed, being positive, not lying, working hard...these things can be rewarded depending on circumstances so I'd say this was a pretty good universal lesson. The idea of God providing everything (a deity with personality taking action in the world) doesn't quite hold up. Which is why the story works well as a metaphor and lesson on patience and forgiveness (Joseph forgiving his brothers at the end) but when it comes to a God or Gods, the fact that it is unknown doesn't really give a basis for me to take action for it. Also the Old Testament God is not a being worthy of worship given the things that orders the Israelites to do for their enemies and it's lack of love for it's own creations.

      The sermon ended with the pastor calling to take Jesus into one's heart. I really don't like when pastors do this. It's like a way of pressuring someone to believe something that there isn't concrete evidence for either way and effectively allowing the pastor power over the individual. Besides the money, and God should be followed because God (argument from authority and circular reasoning problem), it was mixed. The theme of character was a good and important lesson though. 

Christ and the Ego - St. Thomas More Catholic Parish - Salt Lake City, UT - August 31st, 2014

     Today was a day that captured a lot of the good that can happen in religion, and Christianity specifically. Both came from expected and unexpected sources. I started out the day with a visit to Saint More Catholic Church, it is one of the easiest for me to visit, since they have a lot of service times and are really close to my house. This was good since I'd be spending time with family later. 

     The church is beautiful, it is surrounded by trees and has an interesting design, it's like a pyramid almost and has a school right next to it. The building was packed and I was lucky to find a seat in the back. When I arrived the Hallelujahs began, confession and the readings...which were the same as Saturday based around carrying the cross for Jesus and giving ones own desires up. What I noticed this time though in the Matthew reading were the similarities to Eastern thought. 

   Depending on the interpretation, and I'll be taking that Eastern philosophy interpretation in this post. Jesus wanted the apostles to put their own desires aside and to be as he was. It was similar to the Buddha and the giving up of possessions. He also calls Peter Satan when Peter says he wants him to stay around. Whether Jesus saw the Crucifixion coming or not this line is good at establishing that his teachings were bigger than him as well as his actions. Which makes sense why his followers would see him as God later. How Satan was used here too was as the ego, don't remind me of the things that make me want to live for me...let me live for others, which you should do too. Here God is like Enlightenment, complete understanding and perfect action. 

     Of course this was taken literal, and though I don't agree with that interpretation if it brings you to good action in the world than do it. If you take inspiration from an undefined outside source, than I am happy for you...if it leads you to do good. Which it clearly has done for quite a few people throughout time and up to current day. 

    Late I would head to City Church in Sandy which would have a different theme that is universal while also emphasizing the second interpretation of Jesus as a deity. 

Why I Don't Believe in Original Sin - Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church - Sandy, UT - August 30th, 2014

     

  Now that the blog is back, time to explore some of the issues that the visits bring up. Issues usually being the theme of the Mass or service and analyzing the thesis statement of the sermon. Before I get into that though. Blessed Sacrament really is a beautiful church, I arrived early today for the church visit so explored the grounds again and found more Mary statues, one of which was in a garden. The day was beautiful as well and not too hot. 

    When I arrived at the Mass I found the parking lot pretty crowded. Inside the church it was as well. It was largely made up of older folks with one or two families present before the music began. The Mass also started ten minutes later because two of the ministers didn't show, which annoyed the priest who was doing the sermon understandably. 

   

     We all stood, there was a song about being the City of God, the "Peace be with you," "and with your spirit." Call and response...the readings which were based around Jesus asking his followers to deny themselves in order to be like him and to follow him. I'll get into this more in the analyzing of the sermon. 

        The sermon was  based around why Jesus is needed. That humanity's sin at the beginning was infinite so needed an infinite sacrifice to atone. The priest followed it up on why there was the Sacrament of Atonement and the Sacraments in order so that we can be saved through God. 

  

      How can any finite action go on infinite? This seems to be the basis of original sin, and part of why I don't believe it. Is it right to punish a child because one of his parents was a murder? This is basically the actions we see take place in the Bible and the psychology behind the atonement. 

  

     The idea of the atonement that I also have is how it allows a get out of jail free card. You could be a psychopath or serial killer, but if you accept Jesus in the end, you are okay. The saving through grace and belief really doesn't involve much work if it is taken just at it's word. 

     I am at the point now, where humans overall and throughout history have done a lot of terrible things to each other. They have also done good too. I don't see how paradise or Hell is really just either way and that the legitimate problems of murder and rape aren't really dealt with... 

    The final thing is on the denying oneself for God. What is being denied? For many Christian, Muslim, Jewish and other communities...this means if you are Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, Queer or otherwise, denying your love for your partner. This isn't healthy and is in no way good. It has real effects on people and is being done for reasons that can only be justified by claiming the supernatural (of which there is always the possibility of - The Supernatural - but no concrete evidence). This can also happen in regards to women in leadership roles as if she is a good leader and would be able to lead, is kept from it by men quoting scripture and asking her to deny her pride. How is this just or good? These are a few of my big issues with the denying self issue and how it is tied to sin. 

    Sin I guess is the final thing...again, I don't think humans are good or bad. We're very much a mixture...but sin assumes we were once perfect or that a perfect human has existed. I haven't seen that. Even the character of Jesus as he's written isn't perfect. He gets angry, he's violent and not to the killers and rapists...but to merchants. He also only ever calls a women by their name once. He certainly did a lot of good, and was most likely a mad sage who may or may not have been divine, if in fact the divine exists. For me, where I am inspired the most from Christianity isn't in the mythos of Original Sin, Virgin Birth, the Resurrection or even Jesus's miracles...for me the inspiration is in the actions that we can see as good, in the words that were good. Giving to the poor, turning the other cheek and the times the stories actually inspire the followers to do good. The Desmond Tutu's of the world like my friends who are in the priesthood in the Episcopal and Catholic Church, etc. and my friends and family who I see living that action. 

     I can't believe because of the issues surrounding the unproven Supernatural as well as some of the things that I don't think are ethical (treatment of Gays and women in some sects), but I do still find inspiration in some of the stories, especially when they are taken as stories and not reasons to persecute or as fact...and for the times when it does inspire equality and fighting for the persecuted and the poor.     

Baby Blessing for Step-Niece - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - Butler West 33rd Ward - August 3rd, 2014

     First, it has been a while since I've done the blog. I plan to change this, as there are many places I want to see in Utah before I go, and there are still the big moments that happen in the religious context, even if I myself am agnostic on matters of religion. I definitely plan on doing some more reconnecting with folks and churches I've visited...especially as my work schedule opens up making it easier. So, what is it that brings back the blog? My amazing step-sister having a baby! 

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     There seems to be three things that bring people together in the large community context...a birth or a child, a marriage or a death. This time I'm happy to say it was a sweet baby who I feel lucky is a part of my life. 

     My time in the Church was actually pretty short, I left during communion since I'm not a Mormon and was pretty exhausted from waking up early and the party that was thrown to honor the baby that early afternoon, but I came for my step-sister and her amazing husband their baby. When I arrived a fairly political baby blessing was going on (you will spread the word of God and be an example to the world of the True Gospel), which reminded me of what I don't look forward to in my visits to the more conservative church communities and later was my Step-Brother-in-Law's blessing for his and my Step-Sister's baby.

    

    The blessing was beautiful. It was a tying to the past to the future in the best way possible. Their baby girl was named for both their grandmothers. For the first name it was my step-sister's grandmother, and for my step-brother-in-law it was his grandmothers...and the blessing was focused and I'd say focused on the core good. It was about being a good person and example to family and inspiration to community. This was great to hear as it encapsulated a father's hope as well as recognizing the freedom of the child's choice and the village it would be a part of. 

   Whether the baby is biological or adopted, the importance of raising a child cannot be ignored, which is one reason recognizing all loving couples is so important. When a couple is accepted and loved they have even greater support for themselves and any children they might have or adopt regardless of sexual orientation or the amount of people in the relationship. This is the beauty that can come out of a community...religious or otherwise, helping raise and care for a child and why I think it is so important to recognize and appreciate all caring families. For the couple and whatever child there maybe. For today was proof of that. Divorce, Sexual Orientation, Race...these are are things that have no bearing on how good a person is and the fact is, all children, regardless of parents are the future.