ideologyhunter
Contributor
I am in the last few pages of a terrific book which compiles interviews with clergy (Protestant, Catholic, Mormon, Jewish) who lost their belief in scripture and often, basic orthodox dogma, in mid-career, and examines their choices and future plans. This is a subject which fascinates me. Ministers/priests, whatever, are a literate bunch overall, whose lives revolve around key documents which most of them study academically before ordination. It stands to reason that many of them would, over time, after propounding the ancient writings, come to question the strange baggage that accompanies those writings. The Bible is full of freakish stuff. One of the ministers talks about a parishioner who questioned him about the likelihood that Samson actually captured 300 foxes, tied each pair together at the tail, lit them on fire, then sicced them on the enemy's fields to burn down the crops (Judges 15). He felt sheepish when he told his questioner that God could make the story possible. Imagine having to tell childish stories for your living, long after you have ceased to believe them. Incidentally, most of the interviewees state that their seminary studies introduced doubt into their faith life.
The book is Caught in the Pulpit: Leaving Belief Behind, by Daniel C. Dennett and Linda LaScola. Well written and a fast read.
The book is Caught in the Pulpit: Leaving Belief Behind, by Daniel C. Dennett and Linda LaScola. Well written and a fast read.