“I don’t want to be a God-fearing man. I believe in religion without fear.”
Despite not being a rabid NPR fan, this opening line has me hooked on NPR’s This I Believe, one of the most downloaded podcasts in America. I know, I know, no one needs another podcast or media related addiction. At the risk of sounding hopelessly cliche, I can only tell you that this is something…brace yourself…different.
According to the website, This I Believe is an international project engaging people in writing, sharing, and discussing the core values that guide their daily lives. These short statements of belief, written by people from all walks of life, are archived here and featured on public radio in the United States and Canada, as well as in regular broadcasts on NPR. Paul Thorn’s personal story of faith, which is painfully understandable, continues below.
I grew up in a Pentecostal-type faith in northeast Mississippi called the Church of God of Prophecy where my father was the pastor. At the age of 12, I was sent to a summer Bible camp where fear was the motivation for belief. One night the counselors staged a Russian takeover of the camp, simulating the assassination of our camp director. Real shotgun blasts scared us all to our knees where we begged God for salvation.
At the age of 17, I was dis-fellowshipped from my church for having premarital sex with my girlfriend. Since my father was the pastor, a meeting was arranged between me, my dad and my Sunday school teacher. I was given two options: stand and confess my sins in front of the congregation and be forgiven, or continue my evil ways and no longer be in the club. I chose to be dis-fellowshipped and became officially unaffiliated with the church…
A $6,000 used trailer and a boxing career later, Paul’s life gets better. (For the rest of Paul’s story, go here.) Not all the 50,000 essayists posted on This I Believe are so lucky, but the compilation of the stories comprises a richly woven fabric of faith based stories styled in the shapes and sizes of the authors rather than the requirements and mandates of their associated religions. And that is refreshingly beautiful.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Linda // Jul 14, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Thanks for the site - I sent my hubbers, a man of the cloth himself, to check it out. I love Paul Thorn’s songs, he’s been getting play up here. Hope the writing’s going… Peace, Linda
2 Mindy Withrow // Jul 15, 2008 at 7:15 pm
I love this program because instead of one “radio personality’s” tired schtick, every week is a different voice, a different story, a different perspective. Come to think of it, that’s why I like Speaking of Faith, too. Letting people speak for themselves…what a crazy concept.
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