Absolutely beautiful and spot on. Personally, it was my own mother's death in 2022, and my presentation of a memorial service tribute to bring a scientific perspective to death in a gentle and loving, but realistic manner, that severed the final cords of my quiet but very powerful Catholic religious upbringing.
To add to your point regarding our deaths, I highly recommend this memorial by physicist Aaron Freeman, "The Physics of Death" (link below).
While our physical bodies composed of biological sensors and a chemical memory system which provides us with the ability to process our "existence", all of that is really just encoded by chemical signatures imprinted in the neurons of our brains which will all decompose upon our deaths. But our essential energy (not to be confused with our "consciousness") existed before the Big Bang and will continue until the end of all things, if ever.
I am grateful to have found this article. I have been on the path religious deconstruction for a long time but felt that I was alone. I'm glad to know that it is a "thing." The beginning for me was to finally love myself. Being told for years that I was "sinful and unclean" every Sunday led to self-hate. As I embrace the true meaning of Love, I am free to enjoy and suffer life. Thank you for your writing.
I just wish you would not conflate Christianity with religion. There are solid old and new religions that are on the far side of your 5 truths. I took an a seminary graduate and I left for one of those.
I am a ways in to the deconstruction process. I have come to a comfortable place of letting life be…and going with what comes my way. There is this hiccup though. A friend of about 54 years is going to die from a glioblastoma. My husband who is very new to the deconstruction process told me he feels so lost without Jesus to pray to. I told him it’s ok to pray to whoever gives him comfort. While I feel a certain type of way about life and death and the acceptance that it happens, I don’t have words of comfort for him in this situation I feel the love deeply for our friend and will grieve the loss but I am not the best explainer of love being truly what life is about
I’m about halfway through this piece but wanted to say hello and I am SO glad you are on substack. I found you on Facebook but I cannot stand that website so I was just scrolling past your posts. You are speaking my language, but with more nuance and clarity than I have found in my deconstruction process so far. Thank you.
Absolutely beautiful and spot on. Personally, it was my own mother's death in 2022, and my presentation of a memorial service tribute to bring a scientific perspective to death in a gentle and loving, but realistic manner, that severed the final cords of my quiet but very powerful Catholic religious upbringing.
To add to your point regarding our deaths, I highly recommend this memorial by physicist Aaron Freeman, "The Physics of Death" (link below).
While our physical bodies composed of biological sensors and a chemical memory system which provides us with the ability to process our "existence", all of that is really just encoded by chemical signatures imprinted in the neurons of our brains which will all decompose upon our deaths. But our essential energy (not to be confused with our "consciousness") existed before the Big Bang and will continue until the end of all things, if ever.
https://futurism.com/the-science-of-death-a-eulogy-from-a-physicist
I am grateful to have found this article. I have been on the path religious deconstruction for a long time but felt that I was alone. I'm glad to know that it is a "thing." The beginning for me was to finally love myself. Being told for years that I was "sinful and unclean" every Sunday led to self-hate. As I embrace the true meaning of Love, I am free to enjoy and suffer life. Thank you for your writing.
You have such good ideas.
I just wish you would not conflate Christianity with religion. There are solid old and new religions that are on the far side of your 5 truths. I took an a seminary graduate and I left for one of those.
Thank you Jim, that was a wonderful post…it resonated with me and help me clarify so much… thanks again my friend..
So it is all about the journey and not the destination. It seems deconstruction is a life long process. Thanks for your help
I am a ways in to the deconstruction process. I have come to a comfortable place of letting life be…and going with what comes my way. There is this hiccup though. A friend of about 54 years is going to die from a glioblastoma. My husband who is very new to the deconstruction process told me he feels so lost without Jesus to pray to. I told him it’s ok to pray to whoever gives him comfort. While I feel a certain type of way about life and death and the acceptance that it happens, I don’t have words of comfort for him in this situation I feel the love deeply for our friend and will grieve the loss but I am not the best explainer of love being truly what life is about
https://futurism.com/the-science-of-death-a-eulogy-from-a-physicist
I’m about halfway through this piece but wanted to say hello and I am SO glad you are on substack. I found you on Facebook but I cannot stand that website so I was just scrolling past your posts. You are speaking my language, but with more nuance and clarity than I have found in my deconstruction process so far. Thank you.
Wow, thanks for sharing 🙏🏽 I am having trouble putting words to describe my thoughts and gratitude ❤️