(re)discovering Jesus

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The-Good-Samaritan

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Greeting everyone -

Apologies if this topic would be better suited in another category, however; “spirituality” appeared to be the best choice for what I wish to discuss.

Cutting a long story short, I have somehow, after years of essentially being an atheist; managed to find myself being called back to the teachings of Jesus. There are various reasons as to why I turned my back on religion (which I will include later) - but what is more of interest, is how I found myself back here.

I was brought up in a strict Protestant ideology during the troubles in Northern Ireland and any of the things I learned back then were always taught with a dogmatic twist. Now as an adult, (after almost 20 years of no contact with anything biblical) I have recently been on somewhat of a spiritual journey. I had been reading on philosophies mostly centered around Eastern traditions ((Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism) and whilst a lot of it makes sense and I do agree with what a lot of it has to teach - I didn’t find a lot of “answers” to questions which I had.

Recently, something compelled me to start reading the gospels, which I did, and boy - how different the teachings of Jesus are when read without any preconceived ideology or agenda being forced upon the reader!

I think the time spent without anything has actually been beneficial. I have been able to digest the words with what feels like a new set of eyes. The only thing I can seem to grasp from the gospels is love, respect, decency and goodwill. It reads like a how-to for those seeking truth in the nature of spirituality and NOWHERE resembles the hate-filled dogma I was taught back in the church years ago. How can these books be taken so far out of context!? It totally baffles me!

Anyhow, I’m still an infant to all of this. I guess I’ve joined here for some guidance and advice as I’ll probably have a whole bunch of questions along the way.

Oh and yes, I was brought up Protestant years ago in my youth, however I find Catholicism to be the on the truer route to the path I am currently being lead.

I will also be documenting my journey with things that I discover along the way. I am currently reading Philip Yancey’s “The Jesus I Never Knew” and watching a stack of documentaries. Any advice on additional reading/viewing would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
  • The Good Samaritan
 
Good to read mate, tjink is a great book, i read it as well. Being an ‘infant’ in this isnt actually bad at all. Learn from Jesus’ real teachings and get rid of all the bs
 
What an exciting time for you! The book that really made the most difference for me spiritually is “The Ignatian Adventure” by Fr. Kevin O’Brien. It’s pretty cheap on Amazon.
 
This is exactly how I came back to the faith, having been raised Catholic and departing early on. I began to seek truth on my own, in eastern religions or wherever I might find it. I also gave the bible a chance but didn’t expect much. Boy, was I surprised. Like you I found truth in other religions or disciplines but in the end the answers were shallow and based on human wisdom. They pretty much fell away of their own accord as the bible spoke with calm authority on questions no one else could honestly answer. After a stint in Protestantism, and many, many experiences granted to me by God, all of which served to increasingly bolster my faith as I followed Him the best I could, I found myself back in the Catholic Church much to my own surprise. After 25 years. Keep seeking, never stop, in fact. He answers sincere seekers.

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Heb 11:6
 
Thanks for all the encouragement.

I’ve decided to document this new journey I’ve undertaken. I’ll try to update as much as I can. Feel free to read, comment or just ignore. Anyway, hope it is of some interest or at least may be able to help someone going through a similar process.

God bless -

PART 1

“Is the faith meeting on tonight?” I asked, quite sheepishly. The woman who had come to open the church gates glared at me as if I had somehow offended her or possibly said something quite disgusting. Judging by the nice dress she was wearing with matching Sunday hat (even though it was a Wednesday evening) I assumed her to be the minister’s wife. “Yes it is” she answered, “but you aren’t allowed to come!”. A thousand emotions seemed to race to the surface of my stomach just then and erupt into my heart, signaling a multitude of confused thoughts to my brain. What did she mean? Why wasn’t I allowed?

I knew that the faith meeting was advertised as being open to anyone and several of the kids from my school went every week. They met to socialize, play table tennis, pool or indoor football. They also had religious education in which they read bible passages and had group prayer. It seemed strange then that I was being forbidden. Even as an 12 year old though, it didn’t take too long for me to understand what the problem was. Standing there in my faded jeans, dirty trainers and Aerosmith t shirt - she obviously just didn’t like the look of me. The kids who went to this church always dressed well. I had often seen them coming and going - the other boys wearing long sleeved shirts, pressed trousers and dazzlingly polished, black leather shoes. A lot of their parents I knew, were quite prosperous. I clearly didn’t fit the mold. Thinking back, I wish I would have said something, possibly challenged her abrupt dismissal of me. But I didn’t - instead I just hung my head in shame, and uttered “I understand” before walking away. I did not know it at the time, but this encounter was pivotal in leading me down the path to a deep-seated hatred to all things religious. In my late teens and as a young adult, I was an outspoken atheist , dismissing anything religious as being intolerant or dogmatic. I filmy believed that anyone who proclaimed to be religious (especially Christian) were either stupid or weak willed. I often wonder if this woman truly understood how deep of an impact her actions would have on my young, impressionable mind at the time. This may seen like an extreme reaction - but perhaps if I gave you some background knowledge, it might better put things into perspective as to why this encounter left such a deep impression on me.
 
PART 2

You see, I was born and raised in Northern Ireland, a country not too shy with religious segregation, sectarian violence and generally rife with bigotry. Don’t get me wrong, I do love my country. We are blessed with some of the most beautiful scenic locations imaginable to the human eye. From the stunning shorelines which boast ancient, majestic cliff-faces - to the rolling, country hills that go on for miles. You can still find little cottages with thatched roofs and all manner of castles, cathedrals and ruins which are hundreds, if not thousands of years old. We have one of the most unique and almost lyrical dialects of the English language and a rich heritage of art, music and literature. On the whole, people tend to be friendly and easygoing. We all love to have a bit of “banter” and If you catch me in the pub when Northern Ireland are playing an international football game (that’s “soccer” for all my American chums) - I’ll be the loopy fan screaming the loudest. All this aside; our country is not without its problems. Still to this day, the tentacles of religious segregation touch every aspect of daily life. Political decisions are made based off of religious ideology. People, when voting - do so with the intent of electing either a protestant or catholic representative to Parliament. 90% of all public housing is religiously segregated, whilst 95% of all schools are non-integrated. The system it would seem, is set up to keep a religious divide as the status quo. What’s even more upsetting though, is the trend that some sides of the community segregate themselves even more, by diving into an almost cult-like / hard-line denomination of Protestantism or Catholicism. It’s not enough to just be a member of one side, no - you have to be a “special” kind of either. Often times, it’s what “kind” of a protestant or catholic you are which defines you. I didn’t really understand it at the time, but the Church my 12 year old-self had approached that day so many years ago, just so happened to be a far-right, politically charged and extremely exclusive faction of the Protestant church. In fact, this break off of the church can only be found in Northern Ireland. Its ideology is viciously opposed to anything other than its own doctrine, which spouts hate about almost anything it views as being “different” (and the list is long). You have to look, dress and act a certain way in order to be given admittance and I was shunned.
 
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