What? Church without God?

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 Photo Credit CBS News                           

My husband sent me a LINK about an article he read that I find quite disturbing ("Church without God: How secular congregations fill a need for some nonreligious Americans" by Jacqui Frost).

Apparently, these "secular" churches are set up to imitate religious churches, except for their lack of a belief in God. They seem to be a sort of mishmash of beliefs (from those that share a desire for rituals using drugs, to ways to freeze yourself.) Those, in particular, are rather far out.

My concern is that secular (atheist) "churches" might draw others away from God. At a basic level, we should just call them social groups, except, as I said, they try to imitate real churches by providing "secular ceremonies for major life transitions, like births, funerals and weddings."

Of course, they have no history, per se. No solid foundation. No grounding other than self-affirmations and a shared belief in, well, nothing (literally).

These secular churches remind me of the allegory of Plato's cave. These shadow churches that people are experiencing are not a true representation of reality, although it seems as such TO THEM. These are their perception of reality.

It's an interesting article (you should read it) but I think it should serve as a wake-up call that we may be losing people to such groups.
 
What was it that Jesus said in the Gospel of John?

"And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me" (Verse 39).
 
Neither should we.
 
Know Jesus, and courageously profess his name in love, so that the "work" he calls us to do is both attractive and true. 

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.com
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