I apologize in advance if this offends anyone, but does anyone else have trouble with religion? My small community is very religious and I seem to be rather confused when it comes to religious activities. I've never "felt the happiness that our God provides", so I've never been very religious. Is my religious confusion linked to alexithymia?
I’m an active participant in an organised religion, though I suspect I’m in the minority of Alex’s to do so. While I don’t relate to God in an emotional manner, I do relate to him on an intellectual basis.
I wasn’t raised in a religious household (far from it) but I always believed that there must be a God. After some searching of religions I found one that made logical sense and that could answer life’s big questions.
What is the predominant faith in your community? I’m curious because you mention your confusion with religious activities. Personally I’ve always found most religions rituals and traditions bizarre and empty.
I also have trouble understanding religion. Grew up in a religious household. The Mother of my children and my children are practicing Christians. I have researched and read on the different religions to try and understand it. I have gone to services with my daughters when they have invited me to go. I just look around at the people around me and in my mind i cannot understand why they are so happy being there. Why do I not feel the same happiness they have. I tend to get frustrated by the end of the service looking at peoples expressions.
I am religious, just not Christian.
I have a strong sense of cognitive ethics, because I'm unable to have intuitive emotional ethics. I respond clearly to coherent ideas, to innate wisdom, and that is very easy in my religion for an alexithymic person. I am able to examine the basis of these ideas philosophically, ethically, environmentally, socially, scientifically, psychologically and even in some ways politically and economically. I have yet to find my religious beliefs wanting or contradictory in these areas, when even some secular perspectives fail miserably. Therefore it makes sense intellectually to be religious.
Thank you all for your input. I was raised to be a Catholic Christian, but lived in a very Baptist influenced community. I attend Baptist and Catholic services. I notice a major difference in emotional use between the two. Most of my friends are Baptist and I never understood how "passages can give us strength" or how one can suddenly be joyful after attending a service, that just never worked for me. I still consider myself a Christian, but I'm don't feel connected emotionally. Apparently, according to the Baptist pastor, that means that I am not connected enough. I don't know how to, and I was wondering if alexithymia was preventing me from that.
While we have different faiths, I've always believed that God understands us completely and can see our true potential. So the fact that you and I don't feel an emotionally connection isn't a hindrance for God as he fully understands us and our shortcomings.
