| “Many of us have been taught that there is only one (capital-T) “truth.” However, dogmatic religious viewpoints that restrict truth in that way have not served us well. In fact, we use the (small-t) plural “truths” to indicate that there are many truths, and we can discover those best when we honestly explore our faith, beliefs, and questions together as a group people, with various perspectives.” – “Who is Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC)?” UFMCC Website. I was raised in the 1950’s and 1960’s, attending Catholic schools from first through twelfth grades. In religion classes, we learned that our church offered the one, true faith. We were told to pray for the souls of people who were not devout Roman Catholics, because they would go to hell if they did not convert. This monopoly on Truth was not limited to the Catholic church. When I first encountered anti-Catholic prejudice during the 1960 presidential election of John F. Kennedy, I was mystified. I could not believe how many untrue things people said about Catholics – for example, that JFK, if elected, would be taking orders directly from the Pope and that Catholics were heretics for praying to Mary and the saints. As a result of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), the Catholic church began to modernize and became more welcoming to the beliefs of other faiths, but by then I was turned off to Christianity, God, and religion. During my childhood, I had little context for a plurality of beliefs. There were no models for people of different faiths having productive, open-ended conversations about God. And there were no models for individuals engaging in an open and curious personal relationship with the divine that included questioning or doubt. In retrospect, I see that the belief system imposed on me became something that got in the way of finding a genuine relationship with God. Over time, during a very long hiatus from church attendance, I started doing meditation, journaling, and other spiritual practices. I began to see that a spiritual journey requires us to seek truth for ourselves, whether we do our searching in solitude or in the company of others. I began to discover a sense of inner discernment and realized that I was actually engaging in a relationship with the divine. When I first walked through the doors of Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church in 2000, I was happy to find an active, engaged community full of LGBTQ people and allies. As I got to know them, I learned that people at Resurrection came from many different religious backgrounds and from no religion. I was thrilled about the gender-inclusive language that was used during services. My understanding of God is not gendered, and I have always found the emphasis on a masculine view of God in most churches to be an impediment. I was happy to learn that there are few required beliefs in MCC, beyond a desire to follow Jesus’s teachings. Instead, the Statement of Faith of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (our denomination) talks about an ongoing conversation about our faith and beliefs and a willingness to be led by the Holy Spirit. I felt that I had found a community where I could engage with others on an authentic spiritual journey. I still meditate and attend spiritual classes and retreats outside of church. I see this as part of my responsibility to follow the unique spiritual journey that I am led to travel. I have had many interesting and respectful conversations with other Resurrection congregants whose beliefs don’t exactly coincide with mine. This is all part of being in a dynamic community committed to ongoing communication and support. If you are interested in reading UFMCC’s Statement of Faith, Core Values, and Mission Statement, check out the website at www.insidemcc.org. |
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| Cathleen Sheil-Hopper, Board of Directors Cathleen@ResurrectionMCC.org |
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