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christianity
Having grown up Amish and left the faith entirely as a young person, I can
completely relate with your statement that modern Christianity is encumbered
with the trappings and influence of a modern Western culture and viewpoint.
In growing up I have been through years of constant change and struggle for
survival. I have spent years living on the street as a teenager and these
experiences have givn me the unique ability to view society (and Western
Christianity) from the outside more or less objectively, with not very much
bias in any direction whatsoever.
I have found God in the past year only by realizing that my extensive
knowledge of the Eastern culture and teachings does not conflict with the
Western culture and "Christianity" as I was raised. Instead, if you take the
time to adequately see where each culture is coming from, the two complement
each other and simply represent two very different ways of viewing life as
we know it.
Life exists regardless of how we see or interpret it. Western and Eastern
cultures are simply "opposite" interpretations of the same thing - reality/
existence.
I have been plagued my whole life by the feeling and intuition that there is
something bigger, simpler and far more true and profound than "Western
Christianity". I think buried in Western Christianity is the true
Christianity, it's just hard to figure it out when you start to think about
how "Western Christianity" is simply one culture's interpretation of a set
of basic truths of our existence.
If you present two societies with the same truths and turn them loose for a
few thousand years, they will arrive at two very different and seemingly
opposing viewpoints - yet the same truths would hopefully still exist in
there somewhere.
I realize the the above words contain some horrific generalities. By
"Western Christianity" I am refering to Western Fundamental Christianity. By
"Eastern" I am refering to the Asian culture and view of reality. I realize
that our world is far bigger than this, but this works to communicate what I
feel.
I fully believe in salvation and the deity of Christ, but that's about all I
believe in. I feel that simply working at doing what God wants (harmonizing
with reality, for you Easterners) is such a life-long task that there isn't
too much room for further discussion or pondering.
I am very hapy to see that there are others who feel the same way I do, but
I would caution you to remember that what you can resolve in your mind,
other people can't even comprehend, because they are thinking with different
models, labels and word associations than you are. Thus, explaining a
"far-out" idea to them becomes very difficult because you have to qualify
every word you are saying and define the meanings behind the words.
Anyway, enough rambling, keep up the good work!!