Christian Liberals & Progressive People of Faith

…whether pastors or not, who proclaimed themselves to be believers, were as open-minded as it seems you are, religious belief could a way to bring people together rather than a source of judgemental division.

Since 2011, I have been a member of a small Unitarian Universalist congregation. I play the handbells there. Members have a real patchwork quilt of backgrounds and philosophies - Buddhists, agnostics, wiccans, atheists, lots of former Catholics. You name, we’ve got it. The absence of dogma is a good fit for me.

I did not take our kids to any organized religious services when they were growing up, but we talked a lot about what it means to be a decent person and to make an effort to leave the world a better place because you had been in it.

I think the wide variety of spiritual frameworks exist in order to reach people where they are. I liken it to my efforts as a parent to teach important things to our sons. If there is a really crucial lesson I need to get across to them, and I have only one way to explain it, but that way does not resonate with them, am I going to give up? No, I’m going to re-frame that message in as many ways as necessary until the “Aha!” moment happens.

I’m sure your mom was very proud of how you turned out.

Wishing you strength and serenity in adjusting to her passing.