Personal Religious Beliefs vs Official Organizational Stances
Channel: Alex Zorach
Date: 2014-07-23

Here I explain the distinction between people's personal religious beliefs, and the official denominational stances.

I talk from my own experience about how, when I have talked in depth with people about their religious beliefs, I was surprised to find that their beliefs often deviate from the official stances of organizations they identify with.

I give the example of Catholicism and Protestantism, and transubstantiation, and explain how I have met Catholics who don't believe in this, and protestants who do.

I conclude by saying that, because people don't always hold beliefs that agree with the official beliefs of organizations they identify with or are members of, that I don't like it when people make general statements about what members of certain religions believe, and that I prefer when people talk only about their beliefs, or about official organizational beliefs.