A Missing Church, a Damned Person? Day 541.

Jay-Z’s song “No Church in the Wild,” states if there is no knowledge of church and a higher power, they shouldn’t be damned as non-believers. You don’t have to like Jay-Z and his music to contemplate his message, to soak it into your inflated, judgmental noggin. This post is not about the song, but about general naiveté and ignorance of religion, the lack of awareness and acceptance of the original and non-evolving intention. If one is not taught right from wrong, how can they be held responsible? If one doesn’t know about God or whomever they feel most comfortable with, are they doomed to a hot place with pitch forks and painted red faces?

I’m not talking about affluenza either, a defense used when a defendant doesn’t know what’s going on due to their upbringing. I’m talking about simple ignorance, specifically in the case of religion. (I could talk further about other ignorance, but that’s for another time.)

Some people believe a person’s soul will go to Hell if they are not baptized, or even if they don’t believe or know about the idea of God and religion. Currently, people I know believe that if one is not a believer or saved, they will go to the bottom. Do we really believe God is like that? Does he smirk sideways and say, “Oops, welp. You missed out. Should have had more responsible parents.”

When the boys were little, I spoke with Roger’s chaplain about it. He was Lutheran, and Nana was baptized under that religion so I felt somewhat safe.

“I want the boys to choose their own religion when they become adults,” I said to him on the phone. I was standing in the living room of our house on Tarawa Terrace. I remember feeling nervous, and the lights were dim.

“In the Lutheran religion, we don’t believe a person goes to Hell if they are not baptized,” he said. I felt relieved. He gave me an example of a child in a swimming pool that I won’t share, but I’m sure you get the gist.

Our beliefs should evolve. To me, it’s obvious that these original beliefs, or warnings, were created to instill fear in people so they would go along with the lessons of the bible. I’m not saying their intentions were malicious, but today, they are old-fashioned, and they’re alienating.

Baylee has shown interest in going to church, but we’re having no luck finding one that fits us. We won’t go to one with any political affiliation, one that judges and looks down their white noses, or one that offers threats on their gold collection plates. We want a church that preaches kindness, acceptance, and support.

If beliefs do not evolve, people will shy away from religion in general. Whether or not one has faith, they may find peace or comfort in religion. Although I won’t talk about my own faith, I will say that sitting in a chapel and listening to the familiar music of my childhood feels nice. It makes me sense Nana’s presence, whether it comes from that little closet in the corner of my round head, or something else.

That’s my rant today. There is so much sadness in this world. A little peace and fellowship from a good church, like a really good one, should be something we can choose to accept. I only have two days left to offer my daily shares. This one rests heavily on me in waves. What do you think?