exbrahmin wrote:I am so confused ... I used to like so many things of BK. Now I am so lost. I don't want to lose faith. I just want to belief in a God who immensely loves me.
Hi ex Brahmin
may I suggest, for your own sake, that you make an effort to distinguish between your personal relationship with God (whatever you understand Her to be) and the group view of God (whether that group is BK, Catholic, whatever). An interesting dynamic happens in most groups.
A group can be made up of individuals with something in common, but who are different in other ways, like a chess club, with singles, marrieds, labourers, lawyers etc. They meet, train, play then go on with their lives, without seeking to change everything about the others. The commonality is the game.
Other groups do not see themselves in this way. There is a definite broad boundary that creates a "whole of life" identification with the group. Inevitably such groups have a life of their own, seeking to grow and multiply. This requires a diminishing of the individuals' differences, to allow a "brand" or a "product" to be clearly presented. Especially in the case of religious groups, a dogma needs to be in place - a set of distinguishing principles. If an individual goes against any part of the dogma, their identification with the group is threatened, or they are considered threatening. Or the individual can feel that they are the one who is at fault
I would also like to agree with Tom's point about unconditional love from parents and family. If nothing else, unconditional love shows up the BK for the elitists and exclusivists that they are. I remember a discussion about drug addiction, where it was said that the best thing a parent can do is "be there" for the child, so they know they will not be judged; they have a place to have a break from the intense lifestyle that their addiction entails, have a chance to mix with others who are not caught up in the same web. They then know deeply that an alternative exists, and the step that needs to be taken is not unfamiliar or fraught with recrimination.