I watch a lot of British shows and it always struck me how often the scenes are either in the church or the pub!
I do find that cultural intersection of religion and alcohol interesting, how there are sometimes behavior/moral codes and since we are human, how individuals either fall in lock step or deviate from them. And to keep this relevant to the thread, it’s been interesting to consider how people free from religion make decisions or have their own behavioral/moral code.
In my partying days, the people I partied with were of any and all faiths (including those that do not permit using substances, like Mormons) and when I would find out a bit about someone’s background I always wondered how that factored in to their choices to party. At that time I had no guilt or shame associated with my behavior and I always wondered whether they did and whether than impacted them negatively. The shame spiral is a powerful one - that came much later on for me, after party days were long gone.
Addiction doesn’t discriminate. But there are contributing factors (like shame) that are indicators for developing addiction issues, or at the very least a substance use disorder/issue.
Welcome to the forum, welcome to this thread and welcome to your sobriety Blackbird! I hope this place can be as supportive as it has been for me. Wishing you all succes in your journey.
I’m sorry you have to experience this, my condolences regrading your husbands family member and it’s great to hear that you were able to come up with a resolution that works for everyone.
I’m listening to you talk about your family and it reminds me of my own. Which I’ve always found very peculiar
My parents are devout Catholics, and of course when I reached the age of reason I questioned everything, which was well not very welcoming and they might as well be related to David Duke as well. Likewise the talk about illegals and ship them back etc etc. and I brought up some interesting points, most of Latin America and South America, are devout Catholics, and you have the catholic greed machine, so wouldn’t you welcome them? That’s more people in your church and more money coming your way?
I was shunned cause I can speak Spanish, as it was “enabling behavior” as well as the fact that I dated a black woman when I was in the army, but when they needed a translator, oh I was the first call, in my experience, most native Spanish speakers can speak English but often are more comfortable in their native language similarly If I was in Spain or The PR I would be more comfortable speaking English but we don’t see it that way,
Agnostic/Athiests in my experience are pretty open minded people they often can think for themselves Where as I seen many others often put the blinders up and refuse to see things from another’s point of view
Agnostic here. I would consider myself a spiritual person, but not a religious one. I also have a great deal of religious trauma. Awesome post, thank you. The traditional twelve steps never worked for me.
Thanks for the reply and support I think we are as open minded as we strive to be, each of us.
@anon29496718 welcome back!!! @Jayms1989 glad you’re here, too. I have described myself as spiritual but not religious in the past. Being half Mexican has had an influence on me, as there is a lot in the culture that has a spiritual aspect, and I respect people’s experiences and the stories people tell, too. My perspective is that I don’t know everything so who am I to say they’re wrong. I guess that is practically the definition of agnostic, to some degree, in a broad sense. Though I’m not a “believer” in a higher power called god. Humanist is closer to my philosophy.
I think we are as open minded as we strive to be, each of us.
Terry Pratchett