Alceste
Vagabond
1. What do you think of the church?
Depends what church you're talking about. Assuming you're talking about Christian churches, there's still quite a lot of wiggle room between a UU church and a Hutterite colony. My friend who is a UU minister officiated at my wedding, and I've played at a midwinter solstice service for her. I thought that was a beautiful service. The worst Christian church experience of my life was accompanying a childhood friend to Pentecostal camp, where I was isolated from the rest of the kids during dinner because I was a vegetarian, which set a bad example (can't have people thinking for themselves about ethics, apparently).
2. What do you think about Jesus or how would you describe Jesus?
A philosopher, a contemplative, a good teacher, a generally good person, and the subject of a very colorfully embellished personal history.
3. What do you think about salvation or what do you think saves you?
I am not a fearful person, so I don't believe I need to be "saved" from anything. When I need help, which is not very often, I turn to my husband, my friends or my family. I believe we all save one another.
4. What do you think will happen after death?
I think death is almost certainly going to be the end of my experience of anything. If I turn out to be wrong, I will be pleasantly surprised and happy to admit my mistake.
5. What do you think about Christianity?
See response #1. I also think it is a shame that Christianity is having such trouble adapting to new paradigms. In particular, I mean attitudes about birth control as the status and economic power of women evolves, and attitudes about incontrovertible scientific facts that happen to conflict with a biblical world view. I think that this inability to adapt will cause many splinters of the Christian church to completely die out.
6. What do you think about individual Christians you know?
I feel sorry for them, generally speaking. I think the world is more incredible, exciting, enjoyable and miraculous than they can ever know, given the limitations of their ideology.
7. What do you say prevents or is a hindrance to people from converting to Christianity?
Some churches pit themselves against reason and empiricism, and add pointless, archaic prohibitions against this or that kind of love into the bargain. The whole point of empiricism and reason is that it cannot be defeated by dogma, and love is the most powerful motivator humanity has ever known. Those churches tend to blight the reputation of more reasonable Christian churches.
8. What is your opinion on how we were created?
As a reasoning empiricist, the question makes no sense to me. 1) Evolution is a fact, not an opinion. It would be true whether I believed in it or not. 2) Since we evolved, there is no need to superimpose the concept of having been "created" onto the situation.
9. Why do you think people are drawn to Christianity?
I don't think I know anyone who was "drawn" to Christianity. I think everybody I personally know who currently identifies as a Christian was raised as a Christian, although they may have changed denominations, or left the church and returned later. My friend who talked me into Pentecostal camp once told me she went to church because there were lots of hot guys there, and the incredible drama they felt about dating and sex was a turn-on, but she was already a Christian.
10. What do you think is our purpose in life?
Because I believe death is the end of life, I also believe our lives are incredibly precious. We should spend them very wisely, cultivate our own fulfillment relentlessly, and take great care not to detract from the fulfillment of others.
