R&I – TxPAT*****
Hi
The Faithful or the Unfaithful!
As much as 6% of Christian priests (throughout the denominations) lose faith or do not believe in God and many during their training opt for a new course or even opt-out altogether and take a new vocation in life. Not many people know this, but it is true. Many were unbelievers for many years, even decades before the coming-out https://clergyproject.org/ It’s more Gospel Truth than the canonical Gospels. Loss of faith affects both male and female clerics, with a substantial staying in their profession solely for a Job and home, hiding their unbeliefs from their paymaster and flock. The % would be much higher if all these Christian malcontents left their prospective churches.
Dr Marriott (a Professor at Christian Biola University) says that his: research shows that people who lose their faith tend to have certain personality traits, and underlying beliefs and values (the ingredients). These include having an above-average intelligence, and a low tolerance for submitting to authority and for right-wing political ideas; valuing self-determination and being in control, and being open to experience.
https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2019/1-march/features/features/what-causes-people-to-lose-their-faith Low tolerance of submitting to authority!..Probably right in my case as my bossy Christian wife would like me to do as I am told.
There is even an online podcast programme NPR (National Public Radia) on Religion that asks leading religious readers who have lost their faith to get in touch with them.
https://www.npr.org/2012/05/07/152197685/when-religious-leaders-lose-their-faith
There has always been in religious history—them and us! Meaning biblical scholar vs Pulpit bashers or the Clergy. However, there is one thing that they all can agree on is that they have all had the same or similar education. It is just that scholars tend to specialize more in certain fields. However, that is not to say that some clerics don’t take up specialist fields, they do! There are present and past senior clerics (from all denominations) that have shown that they too can be great scholars.
So what do these faithless clergies do? Well, most take a new vocation, others become writers and historians and some become vocal atheist activists, such as Dan Baker, Jerry DeWitt, Joseph McCabe, Bart Campolo, Teresa MacBain, etc.
Is the loss of faith attributed as Dr Marriot writes due to above-average intelligence and a low tolerance for submitting to authority and for right-wing political ideas; valuing self-determination and being in control, and being open to experience? Or is it due to something else, what do you say?
Cofion
Jero Jones
Article URL : https://breakingnewsandreligion.online/discuss/