Religious Studies

As some of you may know, I have been going through a religious exploration - in an attempt to really figure out which faith, if any, is right for me. In this pursuit, I have looked to learn more about Buddhism (and its various sects) and Christianity (both fundamental, and to an extent, Jehovah's Witnesses).

Overall, I have found the experience to be very interesting, and have learned quite a bit. I have my own opinions about a lot of it, but I don't really want to blog about that because ... I just feel that could lead to a very long religious discussion that I'm not prepared to have with the blogging world, at large. However, I am still "investigating" or "exploring", as the Christians seem to like to call it, as I have not firmly settled on a religion - for various reasons.

I also take a class at the Christian church that I attend. The classes are ok. Most of them do not really teach me things I don't already know, or instinctively glean from the material already covered, but every now and again, I go to a class that just frames a concept really well, and I like it. I also really like the small group discussions after. Mostly because the people in my group are really fun and laid back.

Well some of the members of my small group, seem pretty darn annoyed that I haven't settled on Christianity yet. This culminated in an hour long discussion last weekend as they tried to assail me and convince me that Christianity was the way to go. However, our limited discussion revealed to me that there was an awful lot about their own religion - and others' - that they just really did not seem to have a clue about. (I think one person was convinced that I was a former Buddhist because I seemed to know things about that religion.) They may be able to quote scripture much better than I, but I seem to know more about the religions origins and other doctrines surrounding it. (I think I may have caused at least one person in my group to have a small crisis of faith, but that was not my intention. I didn't even bring up the subject.)

Well, it was a spirited small group discussion, let me tell you, and I left very frustrated. So I went and read another book on religion - The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. Then I read a couple of response pieces to that - The Case Against 'The Case For Christ', Review of Lee Strobel THE CASE FOR CHRIST, and a third that I can't recall now. After doing all of this, I had a very familiar feeling creep over me - "I can't get out of the religion spin zone. Everyone writing seems convinced that I should believe their respective point of view."

I needed more independent sources and no one seemed to be able to offer me any. Everyone I spoke to wanted me to read another evangelist's book. This was getting me no where. I needed something more fair and balanced. Something that had the potential of being more based in fact, and more of an attempt of telling me - "This is what we know. This is what we don't know. Now make your decision." So I prayed (or meditated or somethinged) about it. (I would just say "prayed" but that's a whole other can of worms I don't want to get into here.) This is what I do.

I was struck by inspiration the next day as I stepped out of the shower. (This is actually fairly common - some of my most ingenious thoughts occur around my shower. I don't know why. They just do.) I had taken a class with one of the top two ancient history professors in the world when I was in college. He was absolutely fantastic, and he had a significant religious studies background, as he had written many things about it, including a Bible Dictionary. I could go to him with my questions and he could help guide me to some further texts. As such, I contacted him and two other professors that seemed to have similar backgrounds, and they responded with both information and some great recommendations. I'm very happy.