Since somebody asked, let me provide a brief update on my exploration of religion. This began last fall with my attending the Alpha Course. Three weeks into the course, I wrote an update. My attendance got a little spotty near the end, with work obligations and hockey games.
Ultimately, I didn’t write any more about Alpha because I didn’t have much more to say. The rest of the course was more of the same: dinner, insightful video followed by awkward discussion.
I found I was taking a pretty intellectual approach, which didn’t necessarily jibe with everybody else in the group. I did learn some more about Christianity, and in particular got a much better insight into the differences between the words faith, church and religion.
To quote a fellow non-believer in the course, I did gain an appreciation of the richness of Christian life, both in their relationship to their God and fellowship with other people.
What’s the Next Faith?
I’d wanted to check out Buddhism next, but I’m faced with a very busy couple of months, what with a busy work schedule, Northern Voice, selling the apartment and moving to Malta.
Malta is 98% Catholic, and the most religious country in Europe. So, I guess the next six months may be spent on Catholicism, and maybe some reading. Of course, there isn’t much difference between Catholicism and Protestantism, so that probably won’t take very long.
If I can safely and inoffensively check out Islam while visiting Middle Eastern or north African countries, I’ll definitely do that too. I’ve also had a critically acclaimed biography of Buddha in my bookshelf for, like, four years, so I might read that too.
DarrenBarefoot.com 
One could read about the differences in Catholic and Protestant doctrines for a very long time.
I feel that true stand-by-your Pope Catholicism is something you need to be born into, steeped and marinated in all your life to actively take part in and enjoy with all your soul (presuming existence of soul). And I say this as a wannabe athiest.
You’d be better off checking out Islam. The differences won’t be as confusing, I think. Of course you may wish to determine whether to start out with Shia or Sunni …
Good luck. As one who is trying to purge the last shreds of the faith of my fathers from my soul (PEOS), I read these entries with interest.
As a budding Buddhist, I’d have to say +1 to Buddhism.
I recommended a few books in my last post. Since then I’ve found a few good podcasts, available free from the iTunes music store. I’ve only listend to one or two episodes from each, but they seem pretty good so far. The ones I subscribe to are Zencast, Audio Dharma, and 21st Century Buddhsim.
Approaching Buddhism from an intellectual angle is encouraged. The Buddha himself encouraged his students not to blindly swallow what he said, but instead chew it over, think about it, perhaps try some of the principles to see if they help. Part of what drew me to Buddhism is that one can approach Buddhism from a practical standpoint (a way to think about things, plan, and react to goings on), as opposed to a strict faith-based approach.
Although there are dogmatic “belief” elements of Buddhism (karma, reincarnation, etc.), acceptance of these tenets is by no means a pre-requisite for studying the teachings of Buddhism. This parallels the idea of interpreting the gospels as the chronicles of the works of a good man as opposed to the biography of a god.
One question I have is did Buddha actually espouse the ideas of karma and reincarnation? I’ve read claims that Buddhism isn’t really a religion at all, but a philosophy of trying to see clearly. But not having investigated it, I don’t know if that’s the case.
Oh, and “Of course, there isn’t much difference between Catholicism and Protestantism, so that probably won’t take very long.” That gave me the biggest laugh of my day. Thanks!
Not to threadjack, but I’ll answer Derek’s question 😉
Buddha did believe in reincarnation and karma – though he wasn’t raised as a devout Hindu, that was the prevalent culture and mindset at the time. Buddhism inherits many concepts, including reincarnation and karma, from Hinduism.
As to whether or not Buddhism is a religion, that of course depends on your definition of a religion. A quick google search of “define religion” gives me this:
With this definition, one could argue either way for Buddhism’s inclusion as a religion. There is a Buddhist belief that karma “controls” human destiny, but at the same time it is understood that one controls one’s own karma – it’s a simple cause and effect, albeit on a broad scale.
You are right about Buddhism being about seeing clearly – it encourages one to see the world as it is, free of ego, self-delusion, bias, preference, or expectation.
Good lord, tell me someone strong-armed you into going to Alpha! Yikes. The dinner and small talk are strategically there to bond believers with the n00bz, and the reason why most of those courses are always half-filled with Christians already is that the churches “strongly encourage” them to (read: it’s mandatory, and even seasoned pros aren’t allowed to skip to the next course).
As for Catholicism and Protestanism, there are significantly deep differences between them. They’re only similar in that they basically share the same mythology.
Greetings! Found you via Technrati…
You might be surprised to find (from non-Muslim sources) that Islam, which began about 600 years AD, incorporates much of Judaism and Catholicism. For example:
– One God
– Submission/obediance
– Care for Poor
– Sin
– Paradise/heaven
– Fasting
Apparently, Mohammed had the opportunity to hear and/or study Judaism and Christianity as both faiths had active communities in his town.
The reknowned Hillaire Belloc made the case about 100 years ago that Islam could be considered a Christian heresy, if only Muslims were baptised.
The Great and Enduring Heresy of Mohammed
By Hilaire Belloc
http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2003/0305clas.asp
May God guide you in your search for the true faith…
– Timothy
What the heck is a wannabe atheist?
In my case, it’s a boy who grew up with his soul(PEOS) soaked in Catholicism, was a true believer until about the age of 17, and despite masses of evidence suggesting that gods belong in the human history junk drawer is not quite capable of entirely shaking it off.
I mean, what evidence is there that our gods belong anywhere but on the same scrapheap as the Olympian gods, the Roman emporers, or the various gods of the various “pagans”?
But somewhere inside is an eight-year-old still fighting the fear of the Great Beard In The Sky.
Good luck wrestling with the Invisible Pink Unicorn, Metro.
“Wannabe atheist” could make sense if you go by the idea that atheism requires as much belief as theism – that is, claiming knowledge that is unprovable and unfalsifiable (namely that there is no higher power), which is essentially faith.
Chris, assuming that meaning or understanding is satisfied by only addressing that which is unfalsifiable is also a particular philosophy – metaphysical or ontological naturalism, depending on how you take it. I am not a theist, and I love science. I am a methodological naturalist.
However, I do not ask science to confront all parts of human experience or for every aspect of my experience to be able to undergo rigorous falsification, because some experience is ultimately subjective and we can only agree on normative benchmarks which may not be universal. God or the supernatural may be such a thing. The “soft” sciences often provide not but phenomenological return and statistical analysis from the sloppy subject of human experience. Some things do depend on the outliers when speaking of humans. (EG: A random sampling of the population cannot prove or disprove the existance of Newton because it’s quite possible you had no mathmatical genius of that stripe in your sample. You’ll probably have geniuses, but likely no one who independently invented calculus. And if you DID have someone who independently invented calculus, do you think you could replicate with a different sample?)
It bothers me that ontological or metaphysical naturalists seem to miss the fact that that statement – “unprovable and unfalsifiable” – as having meaning OUTSIDE of the scope of what science admits to cover is *also* an article of faith. In my view, it cheapens science.
Darren: I trackbacked to this article and that trackback is not showing up. More research will need to be done.
That one is, though.
If you want FREE exposure to Buddism, try our meditation. It’s in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk.
We meet on Mondays 6:30 – 8:30 pm for:
– sitting meditation
– walking meditation
– mindful tea
– dharma reading
– community discussion
Location: The Listening Post, 382 Main Street (slightly north of Hastings)
http://www.mindfulnessvancouver.org/
Darren, thanks for the update. Well done.
If you are going to Malta and you want a serious and quick visit to Catholicism try the good people of ICPE (www.icpe.org) which are used to speak with all kind of foreigners. Also they have a world-wide vision. I’ve got a friend there called Noel Chircop which can help you to go faster to the important topics. Tell him Pablo from Barcelona, Spain, recommended it. By the way, he knows a lot about Alpha Courses :-)))
Catholicism is quite more complex than Protestantism and has exact answers for many more questions. When the Church has no answers She uses to tell explicitly. For example: did Mary died before going to Heaven in body and soul? Some say yes, some say no… and the Church says both possibilities can be examined. But the FACT that the body of Mary is in Heaven and did not corrupt in a tomb, that’s a dogma. If you want to try to understand Catholicism, ask questions about Mary.