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I'm not religious. There is no combination of words in the English language that you can use to convince me otherwise.
Sometimes, though, I wish there was. To admit anything else would be a lie.
Christianity is on the rise amongst bitcoiners, and I sometimes think of my own experiences with religion because of this.
I grew up in America with the Greek Orthodox church. I was an alter boy, and I went to Greek school after normal school. We were taught Greek culture, religious topics, language, etc.
The church was my social center. More than that, it was an aesthetically pleasing place.
The Byzantine iconography. The smells of incense. The feel of the pews. The beautiful hymns chanted in Greek. The taste of the Eucharist.
As a youth & young adult, the divine liturgy was an experience for the senses. I wanted to believe. The idea of a greater power watching over us is very powerful. It gives a man purpose.
Alas, I could not believe. I do not believe. It's not me.
True believers show up every Sunday, but there are also the ones present for the social aspects. It's what they grew up with. They go through the motions, live their lives as decent humans, but are likely too afraid to confront their beliefs.
I couldn't respect myself if I did this. I can't be inauthentic to myself and to the true believers in attendance.
Being honest with myself meant leaving the church. It was like denouncing the club, removing myself from a social circle that was the foundation for much of my life.
It left a space that I've done my best to fill.
I think the world would be a better place if everyone lived by the general teachings of Jesus. If we were kind to others. Love your neighbor, forgive people, and all that. This is decent human behavior.
I try to live my life this way, but it is not easy.
This post isn't a cry for help. Deep down, I'm not trying to be convinced. Much like my journey with the carnivore diet, and diet in general, only my own experiences will convince me. I remain unconvinced.
I'm glad some of you are true believers, and I wish you peace and happiness on your spiritual journies. 🧡
Replies (4)
Thank you for sharing
@Mandrik - Rumi here resonates with me.
“I belong to no religion. My religion is love. Every heart is my temple.”
What you believe informs how you interpret your experiences, but you believe your experiences inform what you believe, so you limit your beliefs to what you can experience rather than aiming at believing what's most true. The Truth is self evident, and when believed, leads to new experiences. As long as your highest aim is being convinced by experiences, your beliefs will be controlled by your experiences instead of by what's true. If you decide to aim your highest aspiration to believe what is most true, that is, what is most real, it will lead you to new experiences. Because, "The truth will set you free, but not until it's done with you." Whether or not you're convinced about anything is irrelevant if you believe the lie that experience is the highest form of truth.
What you believe informs how you interpret your experiences, but you believe your experiences inform what you believe, so you limit your beliefs to what you can experience rather than aiming at believing what's most true. The Truth is self evident, and when believed, leads to new experiences. As long as your highest aim is being convinced by experiences, your beliefs will be controlled by your experiences instead of by what's true. If you decide to aim your highest aspiration to believe what is most true, that is, what is most real, it will lead you to new experiences. Because, "The truth will set you free, but not until it's done with you." Whether or not you're convinced about anything is irrelevant if you believe the lie that experience is the highest form of truth.
Mandrik
I'm not religious. There is no combination of words in the English language that you can use to convince me otherwise.
Sometimes, though, I wish there was. To admit anything else would be a lie.
Christianity is on the rise amongst bitcoiners, and I sometimes think of my own experiences with religion because of this.
I grew up in America with the Greek Orthodox church. I was an alter boy, and I went to Greek school after normal school. We were taught Greek culture, religious topics, language, etc.
The church was my social center. More than that, it was an aesthetically pleasing place.
The Byzantine iconography. The smells of incense. The feel of the pews. The beautiful hymns chanted in Greek. The taste of the Eucharist.
As a youth & young adult, the divine liturgy was an experience for the senses. I wanted to believe. The idea of a greater power watching over us is very powerful. It gives a man purpose.
Alas, I could not believe. I do not believe. It's not me.
True believers show up every Sunday, but there are also the ones present for the social aspects. It's what they grew up with. They go through the motions, live their lives as decent humans, but are likely too afraid to confront their beliefs.
I couldn't respect myself if I did this. I can't be inauthentic to myself and to the true believers in attendance.
Being honest with myself meant leaving the church. It was like denouncing the club, removing myself from a social circle that was the foundation for much of my life.
It left a space that I've done my best to fill.
I think the world would be a better place if everyone lived by the general teachings of Jesus. If we were kind to others. Love your neighbor, forgive people, and all that. This is decent human behavior.
I try to live my life this way, but it is not easy.
This post isn't a cry for help. Deep down, I'm not trying to be convinced. Much like my journey with the carnivore diet, and diet in general, only my own experiences will convince me. I remain unconvinced.
I'm glad some of you are true believers, and I wish you peace and happiness on your spiritual journies. 🧡
View quoted note →
I understood this:
Every body wants to do "his own thing".
But what we are all doing is following the culture other people prearranged for us.
The music you listen, the movies you watch the genres you like everything is made before you, for you in order for someone to make money and it's now a part of an algorithm.
Since you were raised as a Christian you probably remember when the child Jesus stayed in the temple and his mother was searching for him in their company, among the others children.
But he wasn't there.
When his mother asked him, he essentially answered her: "why you think I am your cultural product?"
Of we can "divide" our selves I could say we are: 1/3 genome, 1/3 cultural product and the outcome of the behavior our parents passed to us, 1/3 our own decisions.
So, about this last 1/3 now 😅 it's very easy for "it" to bow to a culture or to our intimate desires.
I came to understand that we can be truly free when we do not live a life coming from human culture a human ways. So only from the divine.
Of course Christianity, throughout the history got molded with ethnic cultures and regional traditions but this is what it is.
While I am far from saint 😅 I believe that if there is a God, the best way we have to worship him is through Eastern Orthodox Church. It's clean from ideology and virtue signaling.
You can do and go where ever you want, you ll still follow a culture made by others trying to connect with people with the same culture.
The "I made it my own way" statement I think is an illusion.
I m sorry I said so many things 😅
