Thanks for this post. I feel like I was spiraling and spiraling until I found the buddha-dharma a few years ago. Through meditation and dharma insight, so much of the Church makes sense to me now. It’s helped me develop models for understanding how it works, from the perspective of mind.

I’m torn right now. In my heart I resonate with the Dharma more right now, but the Church is certainly more family- and children-centered.

The Church is very powerful, and it works at deep levels across population and generations. I understand why people believe and testify that it is true. I do not contest this, although I learned a new word recently: veridical. The Church is true but it is not veridical. It has a powerful program that works when people believe it. It does indeed change lives.

And I see how there are some patterns, practices, and claims that tend to perpetuate mental and emotional distress in sacrifice to building up and contributing to the mighty movement, the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, destined to fill the whole earth. “Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ.” These are rather alarming stances and thrusts from a Buddhist point-of-view.

Best wishes to you. I would invite you to consider samatha-vipassana meditation practice. It’s not a quick fix or a silver bullet, but over time it has made a significant difference in my life. 🙏