These are FB posts of mine from various threads. They are, in effect, little mini essays in response to what the thread presented. Though they are also self-contained thoughts.
Trouble is, too many people conflate “faith” with “church.” Churches are institutions run by people, as such, are vulnerable to all the vagaries of the human condition. On the other hand, the best part of church is to guide us into faith, sustain our faith, provide rites and rituals and theological and moral insight gleaned by millennia of priests and rabbis and philosophers who study such matters. But also, as we know, many church leaders and members are all too “human.” Faith on the other hand, does not depend on church. It is a simple recognition of a higher being that is all powerful and benevolent, and to whom we “pray” when we are troubled, and in so doing, become comforted. We of faith believe it is a gift, and I, for one, pray that mine stays strong since it has served me so well in so many ways. Sometimes I wonder if we are god, meaning there is some unknown part of ourselves, our psyches, that contains the cumulative wisdom of all who came before us and is available to dole out guidance and comfort. Or if it’s not ourselves who are god, then it is within us that God resides.