I Got This.

From: http://www.shuckandjive.org/2010/03/church-without-god.html
By: John Shuck, Pastor at First Presbyterian Elizabethton

We are facing huge changes. Our universe is 13.7 billion years old as of the latest tally. Human beings have evolved as has every species on this beautiful blue ball. We were not placed in any garden by any divine being. No god/man came to Earth, walked on water, rose from the dead and sits on a heavenly throne. That is religious fiction. It is metaphor, story, myth, human invention. It is how our ancestors tried to find meaning. Bless their hearts.

We are still searching for meaning. It won't come for us in some imaginary heaven. It will come as we recognize that Earth is home and we have no more pressing religious duty than to care for our fellow Earthlings and for Earthlings who will come after us.

As we are in a period of transition we will wrestle with our inherited language. For some, the term "God" will have meaning. For others it will not. Religion is moving away from its supernaturalistic roots. "God" will be redefined accordingly. We are in the process of redefining meaning.

As the insights of Galileo and Darwin are finally making their way into popular consciousness, churches and religious institutions need intelligent, courageous leaders to provide the space for people to wrestle with the question of what it means to be a human being.

It could and likely will get ugly. Those who cling to their superstitions will be ruthless. There will be inquisitions. There will be heresy trials. I entered the ministry out of concern for truth as naive as that may sound. I discovered that truth was not the same as a supernaturalistic creed. The search and articulation of truth as I understand it is my integrity.

My advice for clergy and for laypeople who are growing out of a childish supernaturalistic past is to stand your ground. Don't let them set the terms or the rules. Don't resign. Be bold. Tell the truth. Don't call it a loss of faith. It is a growth in understanding. It is waking up from sleep. It is gaining sight from blindness. It is resurrection from death to life.

Happy Easter.

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A lot of you ask me why I go to church. The answer is that I found a church that holds the same or similar beliefs as I do. Or at least a church with people who support me and my belief system and are understanding of other views. There is no dogmatism. There is no closed-minded supernaturalism. My "religion" if you wish to call it that is to the world as it actually exists and to making this world an acceptable place to live. If you don't understand that, I'm sorry. If you think the church is "evil" I feel even sorrier for you and you probably just don't want to talk to me about it. You probably wouldn't come out feeling any better about the situation.

My beliefs have not changed. I am still, at best, agnostic but probably moreso atheist.

So no... you don't have to worry about me or my soul. I'm good. I got this. I have my truth.


That is all. :)