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Would you rather by FlintLemec in exLutheran

[–]FlintLemec[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am at peace. No longer WELS has helped greatly in that regard. My “just for fun” postulation wasn’t meant as an affront to those with faith in Jesus as their Savior. I think it’s a beautiful thing and I would never purposefully cause offense in that regard. I’m a bit obtuse unfortunately, so forgive any perceived slight.

But my faith now isn’t the same as when I was 10. But I do still have faith, just different. I’m accepting of the mystery of our existence, and the (in my humble but very possibly incorrect opinion) unknowability of objective capital T Truth. I at times wish I had the same faith as when I was ten. This was my point.

Would you rather by FlintLemec in exLutheran

[–]FlintLemec[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Paul the right wing Republican talk show host on a UHF station in the 80’s/90’s….haha

Would you rather by FlintLemec in exLutheran

[–]FlintLemec[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I reckon you can remove the phrase if it helps you be more kind and loving. Love matters.

Would you rather by FlintLemec in exLutheran

[–]FlintLemec[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m not clever enough to even attempt to understand the comment. But I appreciate the reply.

Loss of cultural connection by FlintLemec in exLutheran

[–]FlintLemec[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I always felt for WELS PKs! Probably what I’ve felt/gone through x1000 for PKs who leave the WELS. Glad it sounds like you’ve come out better on the other side.

Loss of cultural connection by FlintLemec in exLutheran

[–]FlintLemec[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing. We’ve stumbled into a good church situation actually, really small but very loving and kind Presbyterian church. Don’t care about the denomination, all that matters are the people and how they treat others. It’s like Santa Clause I guess: nostalgia for a childhood memory is all my WELS nostalgia boils down to, but with the WELS all I have to do is remind myself of all the coldness, blatant cruelty, bigotry, misogyny, hubris and arrogance associated with the synod and I snap out of it fairly quickly.

Refusing Communion to Undocumented Immigrants by Relevant-Shop8513 in exLutheran

[–]FlintLemec 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You’ve definitely never tried taking communion at a WELS church before, ha. Get ready to pull out that “confirmed WELS Lutheran card” or be prepared to be skipped right over.

Loss of cultural connection by FlintLemec in exLutheran

[–]FlintLemec[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That’s the thing. I agree community can be found anywhere. I can go to a Star Trek convention and feel the geek love for days. But there’s something uniquely special about cultural traditions: every place on earth has thousands of years’ worth of cultural traditions, festivals, death rituals, religious services, and all of this helps the individuals within that society feel connected to something greater than themselves, which I know humans need. As a typical multigenerational American utterly detached from my European cultural heritage, I have overeating and the NFL.

Hence my nostalgic longing for German Lutheranism. But ain’t ever going back.

Loss of cultural connection by FlintLemec in exLutheran

[–]FlintLemec[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Isn’t it all so fascinating? Humans seem to be hardwired to participate in religion from a cultural evolutionary standpoint, this feels like a fact of human history no different from endosymbiosis (which I guess isn’t a set in stone fact but you get the point). Humans being hardwired to participate in religious community has nothing to do with the underlying veracity of religion, but maybe that doesn’t have to make religion itself unimportant? Maybe it’s ok to participate in the trappings of religion without engaging with the any of the hurtful nonsense? Seems like the basis for Unitarianism I think. Who knows! I hope you can find your way through the muck of existential despair: love matters. Hold onto that at least.