I have to examine myself and ask why I buy (or bought) into...
I think that ultimately everyone needs something to belong to. Some feeling of family, community, and ritual. I bought into many things I no longer can believe in because ultimately I found a group of people that I wanted to belong to. The friends and community I found were so great that I would do anything, believe anything, in order to keep them. I now realize how eager to please I was, how foolish, how hasty.
Faith is different than religion. Belonging to a group affiliated with a religion is also much different than faith or religion. It's a problem of interpretation and worldview. I have worked with 4 different groups within the same "religion" and their views, ideals, and values that they glean and stamp as "this is being religious/Catholic" are completely different. Therefore I conclude that there is not an answer to what it means in terms of comprehensive moral/value system and worldview.
I have been associated with 3 "Outreach Ministries" and each had their own views on what "evangelization" really meant and how to go about it. Isn't it as simple as loving people? Doesn't that mean more for doing God's work than anything related to your specific interpretation of dogma or religion? Why can't we simply meet people where they are, and love them unconditionally.... why must we push them into a cookie cutter of behavior? Isn't loving people more important than anything? I am done with "moral authority" and arrogant views of 'saving people' and 'holier than thou' concepts. I'm going back to the only square that matters, loving others for exactly who they are, not who we want them to be.
at this point I have seen the contradictions and am forced to forge my own path as to what being a person of faith means. My faith has given me much, but it has stripped me of much. This is why I must restart, I must trust that my faith will fix me and I will find my answers.
As for the starting point, I only have one core belief to start on, love.
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