Short Version

Those two posts on my religious background (1 and 2) were very long and so I just want to write the short version and what I got out of it.

--I’ve had a range of religious experiences. Some may say wide? Well, wider than average.

--In this order :-): Conservative Bible-Literal Bible-Only Christian, to LDS, back to Conservative Bible-Literal Bible-Only Christian, to a more Liberal Christian, to a wide range of Religions, to Atheist, to Agnostic, to Christian-y Agnostic (An agnostic who likes and is most comfortable with Christianity but can’t feel right believing in it or any other religion he’s yet met).

--There’s a little conservative Bible Thumper still in me. Sometime, I know, I am unfair to more liberal religious ideas, both those who are inclusive and those who downplay the fire and brimstone. Not that I like it, but there’s a part of me that respects the stricter folks, even those nearing He Who Shouldn’t Be Named. I know I may focus on such theology to the detriment of those mainly wanting the pleasure of loving a being such as a God, or who just want a lens through which to focus their charity. I'll work on it.

--Similarly, I relate to more traditional Protestantism, even today. If it sometimes seems I’m too casual with the LDS faith or misunderstanding, it’s probably partly because of this. Though my first chosen religion, the LDS faith, is not really the faith of my youth and there’s still a part of me (again, one I need to get rid of) that reflexively sees its more liberal ideas as.. well, you know what the Baptists say. Odd for my position, I know :-), but I’m talking about reflex.

--I left the LDS church at a young age for another form of Christianity. I did not go on a mission, and have never been in a temple (That’s R and near all my family :-)). I’m LDS by culture, but I fear being in a group of LDS bloggers assumptions may be made that give my background more weight than it deserves on LDS topics. Simply, I’d trust Chris’ or L’s take on the LDS faith more than mine :-). The LDS church, for me, ended up being one of many, and I’m really more used to debating Catholics and Baptists (at least those are the source of two of my three favorite online debating buddies ;-)).

Oddly though, I wonder if this also lets me be beneficially detached too, to have not had a long emotional and historical investment? I mean, with regards to the LDS church in our home, I’m always the one trying to temper R’s reaction (not to mention my dad’s) to the actions of LDS leadership, telling them they mean to do what’s best and so on. I don’t know.