| A set of theological doubts, some occasioned by things in my personal life, led to feeling that I was too dubious about essential doctrine to continue as a communicant of the Church. First, a difficulty with the idea of eternal punishment; second, with the full version of the doctrine of Original Sin; and third, with the necessity of Vicarious Atonement as the way to salvation. Among the personal aspects: I was going with a divorcee, and we had a technical way for her to obtain an annulment, because her former husband had been a Unitarian. However, they had a bad break up, and she hesitated to go so far as to ask him to declare that there was never a marriage. Also, I realized that I would marry her without an annulment, and did. There were some other things, like questions about calling things like masturbation and pre- marital sex mortal sins. I found that, in my heart, I could not sincerely regret a couple of pre- marital relationships I had had. Anyway, that is should suffice....... |
