The Catholic Church has several aspects of their Easter service which were conflicting and/or puzzling to me. First of all, their services were chock full of ritual. And not just some here or there, but in an almost overwhelming way, at least to me. For someone who comes from a religious background that teaches independence and individual curiosity of spirituality, the very idea of so many people saying they believe the exact same thing down to a tee is puzzling. I always wonder, how can this be so? Where is any element of personal spirituality or relationship with God or with one's own ideas? How are people able to find that in this religion which is so highly ritualized and focuses on group worship? And not just the group in the church that day, but all over the world! The fact that the Easter service came out of a book which churches all over the country and the world were using that day was almost unfathomable to me.
I think this ties into our discussion on religion and the idea of interpretation. Religion, for the most part, has an inherent dichotomy - the struggle between one's personal relationship with God or spirituality at the same time affirming that all who identify under that label believe the same thing.
Now, having read Zach Garcia's blog post Personal Faith about his relationship with the Catholic church and also having been to their Easter service, I understand his point of view better. And I am still amazed at how many interpretations can come out of a single book, a single text, even a single line. It's truly astonishing.
Continuing off your last comment, I would go as far to say it's both mind-blowing and a little terrifying. Who knows what the newest interpretation might lead to?
ReplyDeleteAs for the rigid rituals of the Catholic service you attended, I speak from a non-Catholic viewpoint when I say I can find beauty in that. Sure it might not be as free-spirited and individualistic, but I can also definitely see a power and precision in the total unification and direction of an "exact" service. It might not fit today's stress on the "individual," but it certainly makes for a whole different respect for a long-standing tradition and religious practice.
I have been to a Catholic service before and it is really intimidating. I feel like a sheep, (ha, religious pun!) trying to follow the members of the congregation in at least part of the worship process by standing, sitting, and kneeling; But they lost me at crossing themselves and doing back flips down the aisle to participate in communion.
ReplyDeleteThere is this quote by Gandhi that I love and I can't remember it exactly, but paraphrased it basically said that there are as many religions as there are people in the world, going back to the personal aspect of religion. It seems that people may be losing their individual relationship with the big man.
Thanks for the shout out in your blog :-) but just as a clarification...I used to be Catholic, but now I'm just non-demoninational Christian, not that big of deal...just thought I'd let you know. But I would agree that the Easter service is a little terrifying and I completely agree with your comment on how so many interpretations can come from the Bible...well done.
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting.. and it's true that religion is a mediation between individual faith and expressions of group solidarity of faith. But perhaps there are no two people that think about the world in exactly the same way? Just as there are no two English speakers who speak the exact same language??
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