A Struggle for Meaning and Purpose in Religion
It's been about a week since my last post on meaning and purpose. The more serious the topic, the harder it is to write something I'm willing to release into the wild. I've been pondering this aspect and editing off and on, but I am still by no means convinced this is good to go. I also always feel a bit self-conscious when I write about religion, because I most emphatically do not claim any special holiness or sacred wisdom. But these ideas need to be explored and discussed. If I don't publish it now, it may never get published at all. My apologies for any lack of cohesion.
This song was first recorded before I was born. I'm sharing this video and the lyrics here because the problem it describes has arguably grown in the intervening 40-odd years.
Written by Bob Hartman
Outside a dying world in desperation calls.
But no one hears the cries, or knows what they're about.
The doors are locked within, or is it from without?
Looking through rose colored stained glass windows,
Never allowing the world to come in.
Seeing no evil and feeling no pain,
Making the light as it comes from within, so dim.
Ignore them long enough, maybe they'll go away.
When you have so much, you think you have so much to lose,
You think you have no lack, when you're really destitute.
Religion offers meaning, but speaking from experience, the Christian church has lost its way and resorted to condemnation for sinners instead of offering a refuge where people can heal and grow. Too many have forgotten that "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," and have become modern Pharisees proclaiming self-righteously that they are above their fellows, or Puritans demanding political power to bring about the Kingdom of Heaven by legislation. I see many anti-religionists creating stereotypes of Christians in order to make strawman arguments, but there are juuuust enough Puritans and Pharisees to make it look legit, too.
I grew up in the 90s when W.W.J.D bracelets, "See You at the Pole," and an explosion of Christian alternative music hit the scene. There was at least a spoken ethos of meeting people where they were and bringing Christ to the lost. Looking back, I see a lot of parallels to the Parable of the Sower. Many of the church were led astray by false prophets of the end times shortly before the turn of the century and concerns about Y2K. Lots of those kids were swept up in war fever following September 11th. Social justice causes pulled people out of the Church and into a militant religious form of Statism. Some of those Christian artists of the 90s have even renounced their faith. Something failed to fill the void. Is that the fault of Christ, or Christianity as it evolved into megachurch mediocrity?
I see people today seeking the comfort of ritual and tradition, whether Latin rite Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox pageantry, or even basic Lutheran traditionalism. I also know people who have turned to Islam or more traditional Judaism in their search for the cultural trappings of religion. I sometimes wonder whether this ritualism is another attempt to find comfort. I can't see their souls, but their behavior and comments strike me as seeking an aesthetic instead of salvation.
Is religion just like interchangeable corporate brands vying for our loyalty? I still believe there is a true faith, and while the church has failed Christians, Christ has not. Government has betrayed us, but the State is not society, and we are not the State. There is value in charity, cooperation, being a good steward of the sphere of property and relationships.
The global doom-and-gloom crowd demand you spend your energy where it affects nothing but their interests. We cannot seek meaning in anything handed to us by others. It must come from within, and with the aid of the Creator. If your meaning comes from others, you are under their control. Meaning you discover is meaning you own, and no one can take it from you. Rituals, relics, and apparel are not a substitute.
And we've such numb souls,
But shirts and bumper stickers,
Man we got 'em by the truckload.
Is true religion what you have around your wrist?
What does the scripture say of this?
"They honor me with words,
But their hearts are far away."
I call 'em like I see 'em,
And that's what I see today.
So where do we go from here? How do we find the solid foundation and build something better than the hollow rituals and empty platitudes left in the wake of the latest rounds of "revivals"? People are so wrapped up in hating sin they forget the sinner, or even shun them from the start. We can't offer meaning if we push people away. The church is supposed to be a haven, not hostile territory.
Good, very good reflection on the religious theme. I understand that human beings need to believe in a superior being, to hope that problems and illnesses can be solved. I am rather atheist, although I would like to believe that god exists. I am very good at history and that doesn't help me with my religion problem. I remember that some of the darkest times of mankind were caused in the name of god; it is true that it was man and not god, but there were so many atrosities, that I can't get them out of my mind. I understand that we all need forgiveness or hope, but doubt exists and will always exist. What I can appreciate, at least in my country, is that the church today is a residue of what it once was and is linked to politics, or at least here it has a close link. Making the doubt about, if religion is the way, grow even more.
There must always be a line drawn between God and the people who claim to act in His name.And if you look just one layer deeper behind the veneer of religion used to justify wars and genocides, you find basic secular political ambitions or greed for wealth and power hidden just beneath.
Yes, sometimes I would like to believe that God exists. When you study the great cultures without regard to the stages, they all have something in common. Religion'', even if they worship different deities.
Religion is good but I think a lot of people misunderstand the concept and that's why it's being crazy these days
Anyway, the songs are cool
Most times people tend to confuse them practicing religion to them practicing spirituality. In as much as both looks the same, but they are different. Thank you for sharing this as this was an eye opener
I gave this a read last night but could not find the proper wording to express my sentiment in regards to organized religion... but since then I think that I found it:
I understand the desire for fellowship and community behind church congregations. But it seems the rituals, schedules, and buildings take center stage instead sometimes.
I understand the 'fellowship and community' aspects as well and I think they are quite valid.
To be clear here, I steer away from these kinds of conversations with everyone except my closest friends but something in your words 'got to me' and I thought it worthwhile to go out on the proverbial 'limb' and share my simple perspective and experience.
I think a lot of the Gen X and Millennial generations feel adrift. Our elders started the Moral Majority political crusade of the 80s, and as society aggressively secularized, elements of the American Right wanted to push back politically. It created fissures instead of building something better. The post before mine in this community covers some of that in an interesting podcast.
I definitely do not feel 'adrift' but I totally agree with your sentiment and think that it holds true for those generations... and how it came about.
I don't mean to suggest everyone is adrift, just that many are, more than it seems there were in generations past, although that could be just my own experience and bias. Some do find somewhere to anchor themselves. I think I have.
Thanks for the clarification and it is good to hear that you do not feel adrift either.
A lot of times I think that when folks ask: Do you believe in God? It is totally the wrong question and perhaps a more pertinent question is: Does God believe in you?
I like the idea of Churches helping the communities that they are in and a lot of them do exactly that. While not a Christian myself I do volunteer at some of these things that help the less fortunate. I feel that being a member of a parish or whatever they are called can be extremely beneficial to a person because although I am sure there are some interior politics inside the operation of any religion, they do seem to be extremely welcoming to others.
There is one church near the home of the hostess of one of my D&D groups. She is very, very pagan with her own weird blend of ancient polytheism, superstition, and neo-paganism. I really think it's more aesthetic than spiritual for her, but I can't say for sure. In any case, the church down the road from her has at least earned her respect by just being a congregation of decent folks who offer to help. Will they ever convert her? Who knows? But they haven't pushed her away by being obnoxious like so many other churches seem to.
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People approach God in different ways. I was raised a Baptist, and currently attend a Free Will Baptist Church that my mother is a member of (after our move from Hawaii to North Carolina).
The Preacher at this church uses a lot of humor and anecdotal stories, and it seems to comfort much of the Congregation. This particular congregation is clusters of families as far as I can see. I know my grandparents attended way back when.
My wife was raised Catholic, she seems more happy with the personal connections in Evangelical churches but on occasion misses the ritualism and tradition from her childhood. We will probably hit the nearby Catholic Church for Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.
At the Church I attended in Hawaii the pastors all had day jobs, and worship services all included heavy Bible Study. Most of the Pastors in this loose cluster of Churches were at least somewhat fluent in Koine Greek. These churches didn't celebrate Christmas in the traditional sense and discouraged trees or decorations.
I have not and would not attend Churches that skew towards liberal activism or Church-O-tainment.
I think sometimes because of the nature of authority in Churches people may feel like passive participants. If there is an aspect missing in Church life - we can always start sidebar fellowships and strengthen our bonds with the people within our Churches.
From the outside looking in many denominations do not appear like they could meet the needs of young men - and the particular challenges they face. Church Leadership tends to be older and they have often distorted views of contemporary culture and challenges. I'm old enough to remember the Satanic Panic - and Baptist Mothers were more terrified that their sons might have a D&D Rule book than a Playboy tucked under their mattress!
I've probably come at your issue sideways - but you do raise some valid questions. The irreligiosity of younger generations at least in the US are observable proof that Churches are broadly failing.
No, this is just the kind of comment I was hoping to spark. My goal here is to start conversations about different experiences, especially in the context of Christianity. We can't address problems by sweeping them under the rug, and it is painfully obvious that many churches are failing to reach out to and support younger generations.
For example, I think it is perfectly valid to challenge the assumptions and agendas of many mainstream LGBTQ movements, but many are turning to witch hunts akin to the Satanic Panic. Anything strange and new is automatically lumped in as "grooming" or "obscenity" to the point where innocent children's books are condemned as gay/trans propaganda and sex ed books for teens are accused of pornography thrust upon kids.
https://twitter.com/LovingGirlHive/status/1719450228150202612
OK, but did you read it, or are you just using a bot to tweet and comment?
Just like all people should respect each other's religion it can have many benefits and the song you have shared below is very good.