Kirkepiscatoid

Hat tip to Terry for this post. Here are my answers to the three questions and the two spares:

1. How do you feel about the term "born again"?

Kirkepiscatoid: Really really queasy, because it describes a specific type of "conversion experience" that is evangelical in nature, which is kind of foreign to liturgical, sacramental Christianity. It is a "code word" for "Are you spiritually one of us?"

2. Has anyone ever tried to save you?

Kirkepiscatoid: Oh yes. Many times, pretty much with no luck. But I do have to tell the story how there used to be tent revivals in the park when I was a kid, and at age eleven, my friends and I decided to "watch the show" (hey, small towns are boring...) and on a dare went up and got "saved." I have to admit I liked the attention, though.

3. Is there a difference between spirituality and religion?

Kirkepiscatoid: Oh, yeah. They can go together or be separate. To me, religion is the nuts and bolts of how you practice your spirituality publicly, but spirituality is much bigger than that. If I drew a Venn diagram, there would be a big circle labled spirituality, and a smaller circle labeled religion. The religion circle would be 3/4 included by the spirituality cirlce with a little bit (1/4) sticking outside the spirituality circle. That would be my version of the two for me.

Elsewhere, two additional questions are suggested:

4. Which spiritual person do you most admire?

Kirkepiscatoid: Hands down, Simon Peter. He's so human. He's so like me in a lot of ways. In for a dollar, in for a dime, but often in the middle of an "Oh, shit" moment. But despite his terribly glaring faults, he's so real and so overall solid.

5. What would you say to Christians if they would listen?

Kirkepiscatoid: Sit still and feel. Stop listening to other people so much.