The Purpose Driven Life

[frauline]

A never-mo childhood friend of mine who grew up devout evangelical until her rebellious teenage years recommended I read The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.

When we were 25, she got diagnosed with thyroid cancer. It was life shattering for her. She was married for a few years and had a 1 yr old baby at the time. It shook her faith deeply. About a year after her treatments stopped, her grandfather passed away. He admitted that while always a devout christian, he worried about what would happen after he died.

She felt renewed faith and purpose after reading this book and when I told her about losing my faith in Mormonism, she thought it would help me regain some faith.

So, I picked up the book at the library. I can barely stomach it! It is so hyprocritical - one chapter is saying to not let fear drive your life, but then the next chapter is all about hellfire if you don't accept Christ.

I want so badly to believe again in God and Christ but it all just seems so fake!

I am looking for something to help me believe in a god. I feel like as a mormon, I was way up on the spiritual ladder and now I have been knocked down to ground and I can't even see a ladder to get on!

I believe I really had some spiritual experiences during my TBM days, but now I can't trust anything.

[wescape]

Hey Frauline,

A book I have really enjoyed that you might want to check out is called Blue like Jazz by Donald Miller. The book has a more autobiographical feel to it and Miller does not offer any pat answers. I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts if you read it. Take care.

Wes

P.S. There is another one I just thought of that is very similar called Soul Survivor: How My Faith Survived the Church by Philip Yancey.

[helemon]

So, I picked up the book at the library. I can barely stomach it! It is so hyprocritical - one chapter is saying to not let fear drive your life, but then the next chapter is all about hellfire if you don't accept Christ.

Sounds like the old fear of man vs fear of God argument that Christianity likes to use.

[helemon]

I found this online. It might have an interesting critique of Warrens book.
http://atheism.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://charlottecapitalist.blogspot.com/2005/03/purpose%2Ddriven%2Dlife%2Dpart%2D1.html
Creation reveals our Creator’s glory. In nature we learn that God is powerful, that he enjoys variety, loves beauty, is organized, and is wise and creative….

He enjoys variety as long as it doesn't include homosexuality. He must also love pain and suffering because he created disease and the need for his creations to feast on the flesh of each other in order to survive. He is so creative that he enjoys creating birth defects. Also it cannot be said that he IS creative. He WAS creative. All life was created 6000 yrs ago.

[frauline]

I found this online. It might have an interesting critique of Warrens book.
http://atheism.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://charlottecapitalist.blogspot.com/2005/03/purpose%2Ddriven%2Dlife%2Dpart%2D1.html




This guy resonated strongly with me. I am so glad others have come before me and done all of this hard work so I can enjoy other things with my time! :D

His last blog on the subject suggests a few books that my husband and I will check out (including Blue Like Jazz - thanks). It is really hard to turn off almost 30 years of brainwashing. Losing eternal focus is very scary at first. Having an eternal perspective is what was drilled into my head for 28 years! Living for the here and now is very fulfilling but sometimes I don't know how to do it!:)

[Born Free]

This guy resonated strongly with me. I am so glad others have come before me and done all of this hard work so I can enjoy other things with my time! :D

His last blog on the subject suggests a few books that my husband and I will check out (including Blue Like Jazz - thanks). It is really hard to turn off almost 30 years of brainwashing. Losing eternal focus is very scary at first. Having an eternal perspective is what was drilled into my head for 28 years! Living for the here and now is very fulfilling but sometimes I don't know how to do it!:)
frauline,

My own experience of the period you are in, turned out to be shared by many others.

As the idea of God out there (Godot) progressivly became less viable, I went into a liminal space, a transitional space, where all was in flux, so was not a believer, I was not atheist.

That period feels very uncomfortable, or it can, if we continue to focus on what has been lost. The alternatives are to focus on either of two alternatives, or some combination of both.

1. You are in a transitional space; neither here nor there. You can hate it, or see it as a form of pregnancy.

2. You will emerge on the other side in a far more comfortable and integrated space, where if you believe in God at all, It will be very different, and on your inside, and you will see that part in many, many people around you, so paradoxically will be less lonely than ever.

Once you start to find their writings, you will find many, many people have referred to option 2 above, and many also state that option 1, is the entry door into 2.

So, by being prepared to accept the liminal space (1), and look forward with some faith (based on the many that have passed before you), to (2), you may be much more at ease with wherever you are.

I think as you read around many of the postings here, you will find many saying something similar.

Daryl

[helemon]

These lyrics from the song Opiate by Tool seem to fit with Warren's book:
http://www.lyricsondemand.com/t/toollyrics/opiatelyrics.html
Choices always were a problem for you.
What you need is someone strong to guide you.
Deaf and blind and dumb and born to follow,
what you need is someone strong to guide you..
like me, like me, like me, like me

If you want to get your soul to heaven,
trust in me .
Now don't you judge or question.
You are broken now ,
but faith can heal you.
Just do everything I tell you to do.
Deaf and blind and dumb and born to follow.
What you need is someone strong to guide you.
Deaf and blind and dumb and born to follow.
Let me lay my holy hand upon you.

My Gods will
becomes me.
When he speaks out,
he speaks through me.
He has needs
like I do.
We both want
to rape you.

[dogzilla]

That's one of my favorite Tool songs.

:: wanders off, humming ::

[Jeff_Ricks]

...It is really hard to turn off almost 30 years of brainwashing. Losing eternal focus is very scary at first. Having an eternal perspective is what was drilled into my head for 28 years! Living for the here and now is very fulfilling but sometimes I don't know how to do it!:)To a degree we live in the here and now every day. We don't know what will happen tomorrow. We could get run over by a bus. Accepting that reality inclines a person to more fully appreciate every moment and every breath. If there was a god I think that's what he/she/it would want us to feel about life. But, religion and faith in a 'heavenly reward' inclines one to view this life as second rate; as something to endure rather than something to cherish. That to me is a tragedy.

I like Daryl's thoughts on liminal space. I passed through that and remember how disoriented and frightened I felt as I entered that space. Exiting that space and coming out the other side has been a gradual transition for me over the last several years. In a way it has felt like waking slowly from a dream... one where I open my eyes, look around, take in a deep breath and think to myself, "Ah! Life is good!"

Jeff