I'd go even further than you, Lather. Most of the believers I have known don't know, and don't care, what the particular church/temple/mosque they belong to actually teaches. They believe what they want to believe, not what anyone else tells them to believe. They attend services because they feel more in touch with "The Divine" there, not because they buy into (or even listen to!) what "the divine" (i.e., the preacher/priest/rabbi/mullah) is saying about "The Divine."
Back in the 1950's, there was a major sociological study done of "believers," i.e., of people who attended divine services at least once a month. These folks were tested for their "religious knowledge" --and they flunked! Most could not identify a single prophet (the Jews did a little better), or explain a single doctrine (e.g., Virgin Birth, Original Sin, etc.).
The testers were absolutely horrified. I personally was amused and gratified. Many of these good people would have been forced to leave their churches, if they had really understood what doctrines those churces officially held. (Predestination, for example: ugh! But how many Presbyterians today subscribe to that doctrine?) As it was, they could still go to church, meet their friends, and enjoy themselves.
Joan |
