Recently, I was standing in the kitchen, 15 minutes deep into a conversation with my wife, Krista, about our individual views on religion and morality when I looked up and said, “For a couple who is no longer religious, we sure do talk about it a lot.” We got a good laugh out of that, but it does introduce a question worth asking: Why do I keep talking about religion, when I claim to have left it behind? After spending a lot of time assessing my reasons for leaving and figuring out how to articulate them, why do I still think about the many things that I was taught throughout my Christian upbringing?

Accompanying blog post can be found here at CuriousHeretic.com.

One of the many images of heaven I was given growing up was of a place where Christians will receive crowns of gold to commemorate their faithfulness to the cause.  Even during my years as a minister, I never understood why that was something to look forward to.  In this episode, I share why a belief in heaven didn't help me live my life, and may have hindered me in a few ways.

July 4th has me wondering... Does the American flag belong only to those who fly it from the back of their pick up truck flapping in the wind next to the "Trump Won" sticker?  In this episode I discuss why it belongs to all of us and must never come to represent only one viewpoint in this diverse land.

Even when presented with clear evidence that should at least result in an honest reassessment, we often double down on our opinion and become even more determined to defend our ideas when there is a perceived threat to the way we view a particular situation or issue.  After years of invested attention to the same ideas and the same kinds of voices that support those ideas, it becomes difficult to consider even the slightest alteration.  How can we converse differently?

Relevant links for reference:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-convince-someone-when-facts-fail/

https://youtu.be/w4RLfVxTGH4

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escalation_of_commitment

One of the most comforting things about Judeo-Christian ethics is that in one sense it’s easier.  There is an authoritative being who tells you what you should and should not do.  There is no urgency to wrestle over the nuanced and difficult ethical issues that every culture faces in this case.  Just do “what the Bible says.”

However, when you consider the fact that within each religion there are differing ways to view sacred teachings and traditions, it gets complicated.

Where does this leave any of us, religious or not?  How do we live our lives when we are all just trying to piece together what is right?

It IS possible to live a moral life without religion, and it can not only make our lives more satisfying, but can also contribute to improving the lives of those in the world around us.

No issue has caused me to question my Christian beliefs more than what is often called the problem of evil.  Ever since the Greek philosopher Epicurus (342-271 BCE) first questioned the existence of God due to the existence of evil in the world, people have faced this problem and often walked away from the faith of their childhood.  The reality of suffering in light of the professed goodness and power of God is the catalyst that is most responsible for the shift in my own theological views.  

Links:

A much more thorough look at this issue, with citations - Worth the read if you have the interest!

Process Theology

Charles Hartshorne

Tim Keller, a Christian author, tried to address this issue in his book Reason for God, but it is entirely unsatisfying and insufficient.  Neil Carter explains why in this article.

A short, introductory episode about why I left religion, specifically Christianity, and why it is hard to do so when you've been entrenched in it your whole life.  This is the first of four episodes on this topic, and the accompanying blog post can be seen at https://leadingquestions.blog/2021/07/09/why-i-left-religion-behind-part-1/

A brief episode introducing the four-part series, Why I Left Religion Behind. I talk about why it is hard to do so when you've been entrenched in it your whole life.  Have you recently walked away from a religious upbringing?  What has been your experience?  Leave a voice message here on Anchor so that I can consider it for use in a future episode!

The accompanying blog post can be seen at https://leadingquestions.blog/2021/07/09/why-i-left-religion-behind-part-1/