And then there were Nones

I identify as an Interfaith Minister and Chaplain. I say that I support people of all faith traditions and those of none. At one time, I was a “None,” but now see myself as both “None of the above” and “All of the above.” I feel that I write for everyone, but in particular, it is the “Nones” that interest me.

Here in the USA, more people are leaving traditional religions than are committing to them. About 3 in 10 U.S. adults are religious “Nones” - people who say that are atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular.” Even for those who identify as Christian, only half of Protestants are regular church goers and only about one-third of Catholics regularly attend services.

For many, religion is not central to their lives, but everyone seems to look for a sense of purpose to things. This is especially evident during those pivotal moments in lives, such as marriages, births and the loss of loved ones.

Everyone who chooses to leave formal religions, or just stops participating, does so for their own reasons. Some chafe at the restrictions that religions demand. Some just don’t feel moved by what they hear and do not see it as being important in their day-to-day lives. Social values are changing as well, and they often come into conflict with traditional religious teachings. It is our nature to desire freedom and some see religion as a barrier to it.

When I first thought about entering seminary, I spoke to one of their graduates who was the resident chaplain for a retirement community. She told me that many of the long-time church goers there confided to her that as they neared end-of-life, they really didn’t know what they believed and were afraid.

One man I’d known since my youth had been a regular church goer all his life. But in his last days told me that he didn’t believe in God or Jesus, that when you die you totally cease to exist, and he was angry about it. He went to church because he always felt the need to be part of that community. I wondered how I might give him some solace, but he stubbornly hung onto his resentment. I suppose if it’s going to make you happy to be unhappy, then you should be unhappy.

As a young man, I took myself to church, even though my parents didn’t go. It was my choice to attend. I was always trying to make sense of the very personally chaotic world I grew up in, and religion offered stability. It suggested a structure of right & wrong. It was a tribe that I was welcomed to join, be part of, and be safe in (as opposed to my home life).

I suppose that originally, it was my need to have some control over my life that lead me to be a seeker. I wanted to make sense of the world, how to negotiate life in it, to prosper and find love, which I certainly wasn’t getting at home as a young man. Trying to make sense of things lead to looking for purpose, and that lead me to ask “Why?”

I chose to leave Christianity at age 18 because of John 14:6, which reads:

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

I never felt the need “to be saved” as many Christians do. I’ve never accepted that Hell awaits all who are not “saved.” I never saw the logic in this passage. I never denied that Jesus existed, was the Son of God or was divine. I just saw truth as a thing unto itself. Just because Jesus said it, didn’t make it any more true, and thus this passage was something I could not honestly accept. That being the case, I realized that I could not call myself Christian, and thus became a “None.”

I’ve always felt there was a truth and a sense of purpose to existence. It may be a simple gut level feeling, but observation suggests to me that this is so. But this is the question everyone needs to address for themselves.

As a seeker, I’ve always felt the need to be of service to others. Perhaps I’ve felt a connectedness. I lived in a housing cooperative in college that required all of the residents to do 5 hours of work every week cleaning, cooking, building maintenance, etc. I loved it because we were a collective enabling all of us to live well and cheaply. I certainly couldn’t have afforded college otherwise. Rent there today is about $700/month, for room and meals. That’s a bargain anywhere, but especially in the San Francisco area.

During my technology career, I worked for 30 years as an IT professional. I loved it when someone would come to me with a problem. I fixed it and they said, “Thank you.” That made my day. Being of service to others still does, which is why I write this blog and do the work of minister and chaplain.

As a seeker, I’ve always felt that there was meaning and purpose to be found. The existence of God is The Great Mystery that mystics and shamen, of every path, all through human history have pondered. It is something I explore all though life and hope to encourage others to do as well. I feel called to be of service to life, and writing these blogs is one of the ways I am serving.

I’ve made my money and have enough, which is why this blog will always be without charge. I write because I feel called to speak equally to both the heart and the mind, because neither love nor rationality has to supplant the other. If what I write speaks to you, please subscribe to my blog and share it with others. I want to reach as many as possible because that way, I will be of an ever greater service to life.