Into the Wardrobe

If you had to be in another religion or denomination...

I thought that I'd ask (and what I have in mind is neither arguments nor lengthy explanations, just more or less simple statements)...

One: State your religion (i.e., broad catagory such as Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, or such) and also your more specific denomination/tradition/communion/faith group within the broader category (i.e., Assembly of God, Armenian Apostolic, Orthodox Jewish, Sunni Muslim, Zen Buddhist-Soto School, or such)

Two: If (for the sake of discussion) you had to be a member of another religion, what would it be? And--if you can answer--what specific group within that other religion? More than one may be mentioned.

Three: If (for the sake of discussion) you remained within your broader religious category, but had to belong to another specific group/denomination, what would it be? Here also, more than one may be mentioned.

Four (optional): With all due respect to those mentioned, list religions or denominations that you have difficulty imagining personally being a part of.

I'll start:

One: Christian, The Episcopal Church.

Two: Jewish, either Conservative or Reform. As a "runner-up" to this, I'll mention that I have a certain attraction to Zen Buddhism and Philosophical Taoism, as well.

Three: This, for me, is very hard to answer--because I'm very at home where I am (which is not to say that home never has its challenges!). I also would have answered this years ago rather differently. Years ago I would have said Roman Catholic. Today I would say, perhaps...ELCA Lutheran or one of the more progressive Reformed denominations.

Four: I find it hard to imagine personally being either Hindu or Muslim in terms of other religions--or, in the case of other denominations/specific traditions within Christianity, I guess Pentecostal--as well as the more conservative fundamentalist Protestant groups in general. Also I have difficulty personally resonating with most churches/faith groups historically originating in America.*** (Which is not to say that I can't find at least some elements to admire, in different ways, in all of these mentioned in this catagory.)

OK. Anybody else?

Blessings and best regards.

Adam Linton


Note: ***"Anglo-America," that is. Indigenous, Native American traditions are another matter for me--with these I can and do often connect.

My Religion & Belief: Protestant Christian, Independent Baptist

Another Broad Religion: No idea.

Another Denomination: Probably Presbyterian. B/c I've been to a Presbyterian church while I was visiting friends for several months, and I don't think I once heard the preacher say anything I disagreed with, except sprinkling at Baptism instead of immersion. I could live with that.

Religions I can't Imagine: Anything other than Protestant Christian.

Interesting question, Adam L!

(And, as an aside, it's 'Reform' Judaism, not 'Reformed.' The Reform is ongoing...common mistake!)

Question One: I'm a Jew--specifically a Conservative Jew.

Question Two: If I had to be another religion? That's not possible--there's no option to stop being Jewish. You can add another religion, but you can't take away Judaism

So I guess you're asking what's the religion that's next-closest to your heart. Hmmm...

Let's see...I could go so many different ways! I could be a really troublesome Catholic (I grok Catholicsm, even if I don't agree with it--I'd be chaining myself to the bishop's porch every week protesting something or other) a half-way decent Hindu (but I'd have issues) or a really decent Buddhist.

Final answer: Buddhist. And I'd belong to one of the interdenominational groups of Buddhists (i.e, not a specific vehicle.)

Question Three: If I had to choose a different branch of Judaism, I'd probably go Reform--but I'd look for a very 'Reformative' shul.

I could also go to BJ's--Congregation B'nai Jeshurun--in Manhattan. They used to be Conservative, but became independent because they were ahead of the curve in allowing gay marriages, rabbis, etc. (I suppose they might come back to the Conservative movement now, but I suspect they'll stay independent.) At any event, it's a wonderful synagogue with great music where people get up and dance down the aisles. And the services are very traditional, all in Hebrew, etc. I love it! But it's so close to Conservative that it probably doesn't count as a different branch

Orthodox would be tough--even without the gay issue, I'm pretty committed to egalitarianism. Reconstructionist would depend on the specific synagogue and community.

Final answer: Reform (with a very 'Reformative' feel.)

Question Four: It'd be hard for me to become an Orthodox Jew. Not impossible--if the only synagogue near me was Orthodox, I'd join and make do. I might have to convert again or I might not, depending on whether the shul would accept the beit din, mikvah, etc. from my Conservative synagogue.

(I once assumed that the gay issue would prevent me from converting in an Orthodox shul, but I've found out since that's not necessarily the case--it depends on the circumstances, rabbi, etc.)

But all that said, I'd find it tough to be Orthodox...again, because of the egalitarian issue. I respect the right of Orthodox communities not to have women rabbis, cantors, etc....but I'd like to be part of an egalitarian community.

I'd also have a hard time being a low-church Protestant. I can appreciate wonderful low-church, music-filled services...but I grok (and require) liturgies.

Jeez...all this has made me realize just how happy I am as a Conservative Jew!

One: Christian - Anglican of the Canadian variety

Two: probably Conservative Judaism

Three: I've wandered all over the Christian spectrum over the past 30 years, but last year I began singing with a choir with roots in the Mennonite community, and I've been very much attracted by their lives and witness. And they've got me seriously baking pies ...

Four: I'd certainly have a problem being a Scientologist, but you probably mean genuine religions, don't you, Adam, and not science fiction? I now feel uncomfortable with fundamentalist Christianity, even though I lived there for several years.

One: Christian, Evangelical, Vinyard

Questions two and three really don't make sense to me. "Had to be" and religion together just don't compute to me. Religion is all about choice or it is plain nonsense. So my answers are those that I can imagine being or those that I have admired for one reason or another.

Two: Bhuddist, atheist, or Hassidic Jew
Three: Roman Catholic or Quaker
Four: Calvinist (Reformed) and Muslim

Born and raised as a Lutheran. Inside the protesant movement sympathies for the Vineyard and the Anskar-Church. Only other thinkible option : roman catholic.
I had many good experiences people from the Brethren movement, but I have no taste for their doctrines( doctrine of most smaller protestant denominations in Germany bases on calvinisme.)
Another religion? I can not imagine.
Zen is for me not necessarily a religion, more a philosophie and Zen- Meditation is practised in Germany also by Christians- especially roman catholics in the tradition of Father Hu7go Makibi Enomiya Lassalle.

Lassalle


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Enomiya-Lassalle



Anskar

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfram_Kopfermann
I´m sorry that for Kopfermann and Anskar I only found german sites

One: I'm a Roman Catholic, ...sorry, drifted off there.

Two: I find Hinduism the most attractive but I would find difficulty reconciling myself with the polytheist aspect of it - that's on a personal level though, having developed my theology around a monotheist viewpoint. I find a lot in Islam attractive, but there are some large stumbling blocks for me. I think I'd go for Judaism, probably Orthodox.

Three: Orthodox Catholic, hands down.

Four: Neo-pagan, although the idea of summoning up Lovecraftian demons has a certain charm.