This is a clickbait title, obviously. If you know much about me at all, you have likely gathered that I am a theist to my core, even when I’ve resisted it. And if I were asked this question on some ridiculous survey—do you believe in God?—of course I would check yes.
Even as an unbelieving heretic, or maybe *especially* as an unbelieving heretic, I really love reading your thoughts here. I really like the idea of belief not being the best way to think about God, but maybe rather experience, if I'm reading you right.
Wow. What a profoundly thoughtful and emotional post. It took me 40 years to let go of the idea of God as a man in a finely pressed suit waiting behind an inaccessible door for my words to properly land on the door to generate the secret knock to be let in. It took me letting go of the idea the God might exist at all to finally connect with the divine. Once I found the courage to let it all go, I began to discover, much to my surprise, that not only did the divine exist, but that it was much less frightening, intimidating, and demanding than I had ever possibly considered! My connection now with the divine is more closely described like that of a friend, a confidant, and a coach. It’s a relationship built on trust and love, not fear. There is no elbow-patched suit. There is no folded arms and disappointed scowl. There is no gender (as far as I can tell). And there is no terror. Only peace. A far cry from the inaccessible God that I had been expecting for so many years.
Even as an unbelieving heretic, or maybe *especially* as an unbelieving heretic, I really love reading your thoughts here. I really like the idea of belief not being the best way to think about God, but maybe rather experience, if I'm reading you right.
Wow. What a profoundly thoughtful and emotional post. It took me 40 years to let go of the idea of God as a man in a finely pressed suit waiting behind an inaccessible door for my words to properly land on the door to generate the secret knock to be let in. It took me letting go of the idea the God might exist at all to finally connect with the divine. Once I found the courage to let it all go, I began to discover, much to my surprise, that not only did the divine exist, but that it was much less frightening, intimidating, and demanding than I had ever possibly considered! My connection now with the divine is more closely described like that of a friend, a confidant, and a coach. It’s a relationship built on trust and love, not fear. There is no elbow-patched suit. There is no folded arms and disappointed scowl. There is no gender (as far as I can tell). And there is no terror. Only peace. A far cry from the inaccessible God that I had been expecting for so many years.