What I Believe
Years ago (back in the days of Experience Project) several of my friends posted their personal "statements of belief." I have never forgotten how powerful it was to read those. I never wrote one for myself, I wasn't ready.
Ten years later, I feel like I have finally found a new statement of personal faith. It is short. It reflects my very long journey. I suspect most of my friends will depart with me on at least one of the three points. And that's okay. This is for me in my journey. Each of these statements carries deep personal meaning. So in the spirit of what my friends were posting a decade ago, I offer it to you now.
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[b]1. There are many identities encompassed in the Divine, and the Divine resonates most deeply with me when I approach Her as Goddess.
2. I do not have any good reasons for believing the Divine actually exists.
3. Yet when I act as if She does, She consistently blows my expectations.
[/b]
[sep]
That's all, three simple points. Without any one of them, my faith breaks down. Approaching God as male stirs up feelings of resentment over patriarchy. A genderless God makes sense, but I just don't connect like I do with Goddess.
I used to believe I had good reasons for believing that a god exists, but after having those assumptions tested, I can no longer hold that view without feeling intellectually dishonest. In some real sense, I can accurately call myself an agnostic or even an atheist.
But that doesn't sum up my faith. There is still too much mystery. Perhaps it's just how our brains are wired. Something happens when we pray. Maybe it just makes us more primed to notice coincidences when they happen. Maybe it simply motivates us to actually be the change we wish to see in the world. Or maybe there is actually something more that happens when we pray. Perhaps the Author of our life stories sometimes responds by altering our narratives to be more in line with our requests? I don't know how prayer works. All I know is that my life is richer when I do it.
So there it is. Let's not debate in the comments. I don't have time for that, and these points are very personal to me.
But I'm curious for you, what is YOUR personal statement of faith?
Ten years later, I feel like I have finally found a new statement of personal faith. It is short. It reflects my very long journey. I suspect most of my friends will depart with me on at least one of the three points. And that's okay. This is for me in my journey. Each of these statements carries deep personal meaning. So in the spirit of what my friends were posting a decade ago, I offer it to you now.
[b]1. There are many identities encompassed in the Divine, and the Divine resonates most deeply with me when I approach Her as Goddess.
2. I do not have any good reasons for believing the Divine actually exists.
3. Yet when I act as if She does, She consistently blows my expectations.
[/b]
[sep]
That's all, three simple points. Without any one of them, my faith breaks down. Approaching God as male stirs up feelings of resentment over patriarchy. A genderless God makes sense, but I just don't connect like I do with Goddess.
I used to believe I had good reasons for believing that a god exists, but after having those assumptions tested, I can no longer hold that view without feeling intellectually dishonest. In some real sense, I can accurately call myself an agnostic or even an atheist.
But that doesn't sum up my faith. There is still too much mystery. Perhaps it's just how our brains are wired. Something happens when we pray. Maybe it just makes us more primed to notice coincidences when they happen. Maybe it simply motivates us to actually be the change we wish to see in the world. Or maybe there is actually something more that happens when we pray. Perhaps the Author of our life stories sometimes responds by altering our narratives to be more in line with our requests? I don't know how prayer works. All I know is that my life is richer when I do it.
So there it is. Let's not debate in the comments. I don't have time for that, and these points are very personal to me.
But I'm curious for you, what is YOUR personal statement of faith?
46-50, F
