church

My dad asked me today if I had been looking for a church. My dad is an überchurchgoer. He teaches Sunday School, teaches Awanas, ends up in church plays, counsels at a church camp, and socializes primarily with his churchgoing brethren. He's 100% † - just into church stuff.

He asked me if I didn't miss being involved in church. Of course I shrugged it off, sort of agreed with him, and dodged the subject as much as possible.

I don't miss being involved in church. Church is too time consuming, and if you don't participate in every event asked of you, you get accused of being a bad Christian. I do enjoy playing music at churches. But even after you've played regularly for awhile, people start expecting other things of you. And I just want to play music and maybe worship and sometimes hear some theological ideas, which I find intellectually interesting if nothing else.

I have a general belief that I would describe as Christian, with some Taoist life philosophy. It involves a lot of forgiveness and love and tolerance, and doesn't involve supporting war and death penalties; it just doesn't jive with traditional churches.

I understand my dad's concern is genuine - he wants to make sure my soul isn't damned - and we all want that for our loved ones, regardless of your views of damnation or salvation or just nothingness. I have a hard time communicating my situation and beliefs and disgust with the face of Christian religion and the average churchperson in general, because I don't want my dad to feel like I'm judging him, or that I've given up on God. I'm proud of all he does and the fact he lives such a positive life, but I just can't align myself with the average Christian organization.

Awhile ago I was going to write a bit about Studio 60 - the drama about the SNL-like sketch comedy show. There's a main character who is a Christian, but she's not crazy, and is her own person. Her character spends a good chunk of time explaining or defending (or disagreeing with extreme) Christian ideas and acts. But then I came across this article about Christians in Hollywood. I think it's one of the reasons I like the show. That and the banter between Chandler Matthew Perry & Bradley Whitford's characters. This paragraph doesn't really have much to do with the rest of the post, other than to show an example of the Christians that are tolerable, and in today's polarized world, too rare. And also to say that I'll be really happy if they don't cancel that show.

(Day 1 of 1).