DarrenBarefoot.com

Avoiding more pressing matters since 2020

Posted on by

Kicking It Alpha-Style

I’ve decided to embark on an exploration of the world’s major religions. Most of the world subscribes to one faith or another, and religion is central to everything from personal opinion to foreign policy around the globe.

I don’t think is a sprititual journey. I’m agnostic, and am pretty comfortable with that at the moment. That said, I think I’d be silly and naive to not try to understand faith, spirituality and religion better than I do. I’m going to blog about the experience, and see if I can draw any big C conclusions along the way. I’ve got some notes from last week’s first Alpha course session, which I’ll get around to writing up some time this week.

I’m not entirely sure why, but I think it’s important to get out and talk to people about their faith, as opposed to reading about in a book.

I’ve started with the easiest one: Christianity. Julie and I, along with a couple of friends, are taking an Alpha course, which is essentially a gentle introduction to Christianity.

If anybody has any tips for Alpha-type programs for Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism, please leave me a comment or drop me a line.

This entry was posted in:The Long View
Unknown's avatar

Published by dbarefoot

Darren Barefoot is an author, speaker and digital strategist. He’s the co-founder of Capulet Communications, and co-author of “Friends With Benefits: A Social Media Marketing Handbook”.

17 comments

  2. I applaud your efforts to educate yourself about all religions and creeds.
    As for “Alpha” type courses about Islam, there aren’t many formal ones set up here. A good resource would be these guys: http://www.islamicspeakers.ca/
    I know one of the organizers (Omar) and he’s been giving presentations to various groups in the Lower Mainland.

    Norlinda

  3. I think that Voltaire nailed it:

    In the neighborhood lived a famous dervish who passed for the best philosopher in Turkey; they went to consult him: Pangloss, who was their spokesman, addressed him thus:

    “Master, we come to entreat you to tell us why so strange an animal as man has been formed?”

    “Why do you trouble your head about it?” said the dervish; “is it any business of yours?”

    “But, Reverend Father,” said Candide, “there is a horrible deal of evil on the earth.”

    “What signifies it,” said the dervish, “whether there is evil or good? When His Highness sends a ship to Egypt does he trouble his head whether the rats in the vessel are at their ease or not?”

  4. I’m currently reading a lot about Buddhism – to the point that I can see myself putting “Buddhist” under the religion column on a census in the future.

    Buddhism Plain and Simple, by Steve hagen, was the first book I read. It’s a bit simplistic, but gives a good idea of what the core of Buddhism is about.

    I’m currently reading Awakening the Buddha Within, by Lama Surya Das. It’s much denser than the Hagen book, but it’s quite an enjoyable read so far.

    I’ve considered myself an atheistic agnostic (I don’t know if there’s a God, but if I had to guess I’d say no) for quite a while. My interest in Buddhism is consistent with that – Buddhism requires no dependence on an external force to acquire salvation.

  6. Where are you taking it?

    And I’m pretty sure Alpha doesn’t get into speaking in tongues. That’s a fairly esoteric element of the modern church, anyhow. Not a classic element of faith.

    Drive-in movies, yes.

  8. I’d suggest visiting your local Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregation. UU focuses on the development of spirituality within an individual, regardless of faith/denomination, and doesn’t have a strictly Christian doctrine behind it (although it did originate as a Christian movement in England in the 1600s). Attending “services” there is an excellent way to get exposure to and education about several different faiths and beliefs, including Bhuddism and Islam.

  9. Thanks to everybody for your comments.

    Darren: I don’t know about the UU angle–wouldn’t it just be wiser to go closer to the source?

  11. Meg: I only asked about the speaking in tongues (about which mine is firmly in my cheek) as it was mentioned in several articles about the Alpha course.

    Of course, there seem to be several variations of Alpha depending on the denomination running the program; however, it seems that the more common program popularized by Nicky Gumbel in the 90s does include a section on being filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. It’s one of the elements of the program that seems controversial, even (or perhaps especially) amongst fellow Christians.

  12. Are you serious? Well, colour me ill-informed. (What colour would that be, anyway?)

    And my tongue was in my cheek as well (although it didn’t sound much like it in retrospect) with the drive-in comment. But I should have included one of these:).

    Thanks for the info… I should look this stuff up!

  13. Darren: That is a good site–very informative. I think I actually want the, uh, original experience of visiting communities of each faith, but I’ll keep UU in mind. Maybe some kind of wrap-up?

    Juan (may I call you Juan?): At the first session last week, we did indeed watch the Nicky Gumbel deal. I shall be on the lookout for speaking in tongues.

  14. This site is pretty interesting-

    http://www.beliefnet.org

    There are 3 major types of Buddhism, so I think you’d really have to narrow down what you’d want to learn about. I’m mostly a Buddhist, if I was to call myself anything.

  16. “’ve decided to embark on an exploration of the world’s major religions”

    Darren, were you for real on this post?

    Or were you just lying in a desperate bit for more readers?

    Hit us, how did it the “exploration” go?

  17. “I’ve decided to embark on an exploration of the world’s major religions”

    Darren, were you for real on this post?

    Or were you just lying in a desperate bit to attract more readers?

    Hit us, how did it the “exploration” go?

Comments are closed.