I've been thinking lately about what it is I base my life on, what my foundation is?
When I was a kid, I based my decisions on what my parents and other adults in my life taught me. I didn't question these things because as a kid you think your parents have it all figured out. Once I became an adult I was heavily involved in religion. I used that to form the basis of what I considered to be right and wrong and really the cornerstone of my life.
My faith has unravelled along with everything else. There are many things about Christianity that I no longer believe and many of them are fundamental enough that I would be a hypocrite to call myself Christian any longer. So, now what? I have never really taken the time to figure out what I base my decisions on, how I live my life, how I want to be in the world. It is rather unsettling to be at this point.
I guess, the place to start is to look at what I have learned from my experiences and take what I want from that and get rid of the rest. This will certainly be a challenging process, but one worth the effort I truly believe.
i think one should base their decisions on what THEY think is right for them. not what a religion or others, be they family or friends think is right. you are the one who has to live with what comes with said decisions so make sure you do what is good for you or what you think is right. i never have nor ever will become involved in religion. personal choice. i understand people feeling they need guidance or faith to believe in something but you only have to look at yourself and what you want/need out of life to point you in the right direction. and of course the courage to do so. which also comes within. people know what is right and what is wrong. sometimes people to need make a wrong decision to learn things. i may have taken a few wrong turns in my life but it lead me to where i am now. right or wrong it made me who i am today. thats just part of the journey of life.
ReplyDeleteyou just need to be yourself and dont be concerned about what others will think or feel about your actions or decisions. people that mind dont matter and the people who matter dont mind. you are who you are. Have faith in YOU. YOU are your foundation. YOU are your religion.
Jen Clement
Coincidentally, and suddenly appropriately, I just re-watched the pilot episode of Star Trek: DS9, where the station commander was forced to explain the nature of "linear existence" to a race of beings that had no concept of time. He argued that what we experience in our past helps prepare us for our present. However, there are times when we are overcome (in his case, because of the death of his wife) because we have no past experiences that have taught us to cope.
ReplyDeleteI rather liked that explanation, as it certainly helps describe my demons. When we lose out on some experiences (i.e.: a normal family), we lose a pillar and the foundation is weakened.
With that in mind, I agree with Anon. You are your own foundation, and your experiences today are preparing you for the future. As unsettling as it is today, I think you are on the right path to build that solid foundation tomorrow.
As far as religion goes, I think it serves as an alternate foundation for people who prefer to rely on a template designed by other men. And for people who find stability and happiness in religion, I wish them well. However, by it's nature, religion relies on conformity to endure. If one cannot comfortably fit within religion's template, then I do not believe they will find peace and happiness in that arena.