Religion wasn’t something I was attracted to as a child, despite occasional exposure to it. We would go to church infrequently, and I didn’t authentically understand the Christian faith or what it even meant to “develop a relationship” with God.
This is beautiful. I'm going to need to read it again, piece by piece, because it feels so much like my own path and a mistake I risked making with my kids.
Thank you so much for writing this touching article. Your story, minus the kid part, is somewhat similar to mine. I grew up going to church with my family, but God was a once a week “event.” He was not a part of our everyday family life. Nevertheless, I did go through a period, around confirmation, when I was very close to God. But then came adolescence and rebellion and all that drifted away.
Once I got past those rebellious teenage years, I eventually went to college, graduate school, and then spent the next 20 years in academics at a Big 10 university (a soulless place if there ever was one). Throughout this time, God was pretty nonexistent in my mind, but I didn’t give up completely—I was, after all, agnostic, not atheist.
About a year ago, I started to turn my attention back to God while I was going through a personal crisis of sorts. I wanted to learn more about God, so I joined a community Bible study group. Since then, I not only acquired some of the knowledge I was seeking (I still have a lot to learn!), but I also developed a relationship with God.
I now have cancer. I don’t know what God has in store for me, but I do know that I will be healed one way or another—if not in this lifetime, then the next. I’m grateful that He is with me as I navigate this stage of my life. I don’t know how I’d handle it without Him. The ladies in my Bible study group have been immensely supportive and helpful, as well. They are so very kind.
The community Bible study group is fantastic. They have groups all around the country and a “no politics” policy. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the word of God. If interested, please see https://www.communitybiblestudy.org/.
My husband and I were both raised Catholic, but when our children were born, the "pedophile priest" scandals were still in full swing, so we decided to drag them to a more progressive Unitarian church where we figured "at least the priest won't be diddling the alter boys." But about two years into it, we had a REAL bad experience, so we stopped going to church completely and never spoke another word about God anymore to our children. Fast forward, the kids are now in college, and we realize we've failed to give them an important tool to deal with life's ups and downs. My husband and I have found an evangelical church that we really like, but unfortunately our kids are now at that age where we can't MAKE them go, nor have we been able to convince them its worth looking into.
Adam - that was wonderful. I’m really happy for you and your son. These stories about your journey are just so uplifting and encouraging. Thank you for sharing them.
A truly blessed outcome, Mr. Coleman; better late than never.
As I look around me at so many troubled souls that were never indoctrinated into a a religious tradition as children, their struggles with meaninglessness are only slightly less tragic than their lack of any spiritual discipline to sustain them through suffering and misery.
It seems to me that the lesson to be learned, is that every parent in history has struggled with faith, and that our duty to children is to set our personal crises aside and provide our children with the tools they may need to survive the tragedies and miseries that they may encounter when we're no longer there to protect and succor them. We are ever only ever a poor substitute for The Lord's succor, anyway.
The reason for early indoctrination is twofold; to prevent conditioned responses from excluding certain types of perception from developed pattern recognition, and to prevent faith from becoming purely transactional.
Time will tell, with your son. May his faith grow to include the stoic's prayer; that simple and all-inclusive "Thy will be done."
Thank you for sharing your testimony 🙏❤️
My pleasure
This is beautiful. I'm going to need to read it again, piece by piece, because it feels so much like my own path and a mistake I risked making with my kids.
Thank you.
Thank you so much for writing this touching article. Your story, minus the kid part, is somewhat similar to mine. I grew up going to church with my family, but God was a once a week “event.” He was not a part of our everyday family life. Nevertheless, I did go through a period, around confirmation, when I was very close to God. But then came adolescence and rebellion and all that drifted away.
Once I got past those rebellious teenage years, I eventually went to college, graduate school, and then spent the next 20 years in academics at a Big 10 university (a soulless place if there ever was one). Throughout this time, God was pretty nonexistent in my mind, but I didn’t give up completely—I was, after all, agnostic, not atheist.
About a year ago, I started to turn my attention back to God while I was going through a personal crisis of sorts. I wanted to learn more about God, so I joined a community Bible study group. Since then, I not only acquired some of the knowledge I was seeking (I still have a lot to learn!), but I also developed a relationship with God.
I now have cancer. I don’t know what God has in store for me, but I do know that I will be healed one way or another—if not in this lifetime, then the next. I’m grateful that He is with me as I navigate this stage of my life. I don’t know how I’d handle it without Him. The ladies in my Bible study group have been immensely supportive and helpful, as well. They are so very kind.
The community Bible study group is fantastic. They have groups all around the country and a “no politics” policy. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the word of God. If interested, please see https://www.communitybiblestudy.org/.
Thank you for sharing your story.
I'll pray for your good health. Keep hope alive.
Thank you for writing this impactful article! You are a gifted writer.
I appreciate you
Thank you for sharing that!
My husband and I were both raised Catholic, but when our children were born, the "pedophile priest" scandals were still in full swing, so we decided to drag them to a more progressive Unitarian church where we figured "at least the priest won't be diddling the alter boys." But about two years into it, we had a REAL bad experience, so we stopped going to church completely and never spoke another word about God anymore to our children. Fast forward, the kids are now in college, and we realize we've failed to give them an important tool to deal with life's ups and downs. My husband and I have found an evangelical church that we really like, but unfortunately our kids are now at that age where we can't MAKE them go, nor have we been able to convince them its worth looking into.
You're not the only parent who made that mistake.
Adam - that was wonderful. I’m really happy for you and your son. These stories about your journey are just so uplifting and encouraging. Thank you for sharing them.
Thank you. It's my pleasure.
A truly blessed outcome, Mr. Coleman; better late than never.
As I look around me at so many troubled souls that were never indoctrinated into a a religious tradition as children, their struggles with meaninglessness are only slightly less tragic than their lack of any spiritual discipline to sustain them through suffering and misery.
It seems to me that the lesson to be learned, is that every parent in history has struggled with faith, and that our duty to children is to set our personal crises aside and provide our children with the tools they may need to survive the tragedies and miseries that they may encounter when we're no longer there to protect and succor them. We are ever only ever a poor substitute for The Lord's succor, anyway.
The reason for early indoctrination is twofold; to prevent conditioned responses from excluding certain types of perception from developed pattern recognition, and to prevent faith from becoming purely transactional.
Time will tell, with your son. May his faith grow to include the stoic's prayer; that simple and all-inclusive "Thy will be done."
May God bless you and keep you both.
Thank you so much. God bless you too.
I'm a fan of your writing, and this is your best yet. Crying. God bless you & your family. Merry Christmas!
Thank you so much and Merry Christmas to you too.
Me too.