Leaving religion but finding community

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-faith/wp/2013/07/10/leaving-religion-but-finding-community/

By Becky Garrison, Published: July 10, 2013 at 10:36 am


Mark Poprocki / iStock

In my nearly twenty years reporting on Americana Christianity, I’ve observed a growing number of Christians becoming weary with the institutional church playing politics and amassing wealth instead of issuing a prophetic voice on social issues. When bestselling Christian pastors waffle on issues like marriage equality and even progressive emergent church gatherings continue to be led by white males who self-identify as straight, an increasing number of people choose to leave behind a faith that no longer speaks to them.

The statistics from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life reflect this shift where one-fifth of the U.S. public – and a third of adults under 30 – are religiously unaffiliated. Within this group, only four percent currently identify as atheist or agnostic though an overwhelming 88 percent say they are not looking for a religion. Those hawking their wares on the Christian author/speaker circuit may promote a kind of Christianity beyond religion that promises to create an insurrection where love wins. But these nones will not be lured back. Like Elvis, they’ve left the building.

Since the Clergy Project established an online presence in 2011, this confidential resource for active and former clergy who no longer hold supernatural beliefs has grown from 52 to 470 members. Presently 80 percent or their members are based in the United States with the majority of these ex-clergy coming from evangelical and pentecostal traditions. While filming Refusing My Religion, a documentary about these religious leaders who’ve lost their faith and become atheist activists, co-directors Michael Dorian and Marc Levine documented a grassroots-level development of “godless congregations” (based on a Christian model) to provide people who’ve left religion with the “sense of community” they miss once they leave their churches.

Comedian Troy Conrad, co-executive producer of “Set List: Stand-Up Without A Net“ is representative of the growing number of former fundamentalist Christians whose quest for truth led them out of the church. “Through doing stand-up comedy, I discovered how we all find our own truth in creating meaning out of what we see in life.” This revelation led him to become an atheist though he still longs for the community he used to experience on Sundays.

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