26) I am currently identifying with this feeling. My sister is presently going through what I would call a reaffirmation of her Christian faith. Yesterday she told me that she was speaking in tongues. My first reaction was, "Oh my God, my sister is in a cult!" While speaking in tongues is common within many orthodoxes, my upbringing (i.e. my mother) reinforced to us that that was the "stuff that crazy people" did. So to hear my sister tell me this, I was taken aback. .
My present experiences with my sister have provided another direct correlation. In his discussion on creating a transformational space, Cope explains that the transformational space needs to be "open to and support other paths of development" (p. 31). This idea is one that I am currently struggling with in my own life. The basis of my religious beliefs are Christian; however, as my knowledge increases on other religions and beliefs, I tend to incorporate those beliefs that do not compromise my Christian faith. When discussing this with my sister, she pointedly asks me how can I sufficiently serve several Gods? She continued on to say that you can pick and choose things from several religions to make your own. At that moment, I felt as though I had betrayed God (my Christian God). I began to question whether or not I was merely spiritually towing-the-line trying to cover my own butt - playing all the sides. .
"Oh, for heaven's sake.every mature human being must have more than one church," Cope's friend said. But what did he mean by this? What are these "churches" that we must serve? Perhaps we need different churches to suit our different needs. In my opinion, churches are things in which we feel safe, freedom, and release. These things can be in physical church buildings, spiritual practices, or even in a hobby. While this idea of churches probably does not't directly correlate to my personal dilemma, I think it can be used to help me.