First Impression of Religion

[Buddha Dharma]

I was raised agnostic. My first impression of religion was naive. I thought all religion was uncritical and silly, pretty much. I saw religion as a great mess of confusion. I wasn't sure Jesus had existed. Now I think he did.

 

[Nakosis]

okay...somehow I ended up responding to a post I wasn't intending to respond to...

What the hey! I like a good stout. Was kind of wondering we got to this point of agreement though.

 

[Vouthon]

My earliest memory of a religious image?

Not the happy, frivolous kind. Nor the wrathful, judgmental either.

It was in a church my parents frequented, when I was a small child. There were two different sculptures that particularly struck me.

Above the altar, I remember looking up and seeing one of them: a polychrome wooden sculpture of the crucified Jesus, not dissimilar to this:

The same church also had a lady chapel adjoining it, in a sort of alcove where parishioners would go to light votive candles for their dead loved ones before a replica of Michelangelo's Pieta:

As such, I didn't get an impression at all like @Nakosis of Jesus as a friendly, gregarious adult dressed in robes or @Sunstone did with the judgmental deity.

Rather, my experience had to do with awareness of the injustice of an innocent person suffering a painful death for having done the right thing and a mother grieving over the loss of her dearly loved son.

 

[Buddha Dharma]

Rather, my experience had to do with awareness of the injustice of an innocent person suffering a painful death for having done the right thing and a mother grieving over the loss of her dearly loved son.

I know that's an important aspect of it for Catholics, but do you think it can overlook or often miss anything?

 

[David T]

I grew up totally secular so jesus had zero to do with it for me. I can't even relate to the posts. I just grooved on the vibe of the room but it was Quaker after all. Had a big huge experience thought wow this is weird and thought I would sit in and learn about it. Unfortunately over time they spoke and pretty soon it made exactly as much sense as a debate on RF and politics. I eventually figured out the problem.

They lied to me and themselves. They said they were not normal!!! Total lie, it's absolutely over run by normals that's why it's so screwy.

 

[Vouthon]

I know that's an important aspect of it for Catholics, but do you think it overlooks or often misses anything?

Well, I doubt that I understood the real significance of such images when I first gazed up at them as a child. Yet they were very striking images, as I'm sure you'd agree. One doesn't forget them in a hurry.

As I a grew up, I kept coming back to them: in some sense they stayed with me.

I don't know, I feel they do grasp something of the emotive power of the passion of Christ. They don't proclaim anything especially theological in nature (i.e. atonement doctrines, vicarious justice) or the like.

Rather the attention is shifted down to a very human, moving level which I imagine a lot of people can relate to.

The naked, dejected man nailed to the cross: his head bent over in the peace of death after the torture he has had to endure. No loin cloth in this sculpture to hide Christ's genitals, to spare him humiliation and play to religious sensibility about the body. (The nudity of the figure is true to the Gospels.)

The grieving mother trying to stay strong and impassive while her left hand, turned upward in helpless resignation, betrays her true feelings...I think it's beautiful and subtle.

Here the human aspects of Jesus' story were put on display, not the spiritual.

And I like that. I always have.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I don't really remember as I was a little kid and wasn't really raised religious. I guess I thought Jesus was nice.

 

[shunyadragon]

My first image of Jesus was the gilded gold Jesus on the cross. I was in general indifferent as a child to religion, but grew skeptical over time by the time I was a teenager. By that time all the statues and imagery of the Roman Church was a definite turnoff, and I considered them archaic.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

I'd be more impressed if it were a good stout...

At the risk of tangents...just HOW good a stout are we talking?
My inner beer nerd demands answers.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

The earliest impressions of religion I can remember were confusion. However it wasn't around whether God existed...I don't remember thinking much about that, to be honest.

It was confusion about the religion itself. It was Church of England, and even as a wee tacker I was a history buff.

To the best of my recollection, I figured the Catholic Church was the 'real' church, King Henry couldn't get a divorce, so he made up his own religion, which seemed weird, to my little self.

It always felt like it was some old horndogs made up toy.

I have a much better understanding of it's formation now.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

At the risk of tangents...just HOW good a stout are we talking?
My inner beer nerd demands answers.

Unfortunately (or, perhaps, fortunately, at least for me) I don't drink a lot, but when we travel, or if the mood otherwise strikes me, I'll order one kind of beer or other with dinner. (For the past few years, my stepson has been living with us, and if there's beer, he drinks it...and rarely replaces, so I can't have any in the house unless I'm planning on drinking it before he gets home...a six pack generally can last me six weeks...). I like to try local brews. I've enjoyed a number of stouts over the years, but if I'm in the mood and there aren't many (usually, any) choices, I can be quite happy with a Guiness.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Unfortunately (or, perhaps, fortunately, at least for me) I don't drink a lot, but when we travel, or if the mood otherwise strikes me, I'll order one kind of beer or other with dinner. (For the past few years, my stepson has been living with us, and if there's beer, he drinks it...and rarely replaces, so I can't have any in the house unless I'm planning on drinking it before he gets home...a six pack generally can last me six weeks...). I like to try local brews. I've enjoyed a number of stouts over the years, but if I'm in the mood and there aren't many (usually, any) choices, I can be quite happy with a Guiness.

Booo...my inner beer nerd is disappointed. But also willing to helpfully suggest this bad boy...

Noa Pecan Mud | Omnipollo

 

[Hockeycowboy]

I remember as a kid the first image of Jesus I had was a man in clean robes with long, soft brown hair and beard, sitting down on a log, surrounded by children becking another child off by himself to come and join them.

Jesus seemed like a very friendly adult.

View attachment 20787

Yes. He was very approachable, even when upset. Remember when he threw out those selling and dealing in the Temple? One Gospel account said that even then, in an upset frame of mind, if you will, people apparently felt comfortable coming up to him!

He loved people, still does, and wanted / wants people to "come" to him -- Matthew 11:28-30.

No arrogance with him, setting a fine example for us.

Appreciate the thread!

 

[Hockeycowboy]

I saw religion as a great mess of confusion

Man, ain't that the truth!

You know, i believe the Bible is referring to all blood-guilty religion in Revelation 17 and 18, calling it "Babylon the Great" the harlot. (Babylon means confusion.) The description the Bible gives of it (her), every facet taken into consideration, only fits counterfeit religion as a whole.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Booo...my inner beer nerd is disappointed. But also willing to helpfully suggest this bad boy...

Noa Pecan Mud | Omnipollo

thanks...here's an ale that I found delightful...a dessert beer, really...
BeerAdvocate › Beers › Infusion Brewing Co

 

[lewisnotmiller]

thanks...here's an ale that I found delightful...a dessert beer, really...
BeerAdvocate › Beers › Infusion Brewing Co

Hmm...the link only pointed me to the main page.
What's the beer name? I'll find it.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Hmm...the link only pointed me to the main page.
What's the beer name? I'll find it.

let's try this again

Vanilla Bean Blonde Ale | Infusion Brewing Co.

Infusion brewing, Benson Nebraska USA

 

[lewisnotmiller]

let's try this again

Vanilla Bean Blonde Ale | Infusion Brewing Co.

Infusion brewing, Benson Nebraska USA

I'll keep an eye out. We get plenty of good US beers, but there are just so many it's really just scratching the surface.

 

[sayak83]

I remember as a kid the first image of Jesus I had was a man in clean robes with long, soft brown hair and beard, sitting down on a log, surrounded by children becking another child off by himself to come and join them.

Jesus seemed like a very friendly adult.

View attachment 20787

How cute. Here is mine.

My first impression: Women (especially mom in a bad mood) are not to be trifled with.