Replacing Religion
by The non-religious life can still be spiritual!
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The hard part of leaving religion behind is that a whole lot of what most people call religion has nothing to do with metaphysics, and everything to do with the very worldly needs all humans share. Things like social belonging, self-examination, and even ritual are important in a person’s life, and many folks have only ever experienced them in a religious setting. How do we, the non-religious, fulfill these needs once our philosophical development has divorced us from not only the metaphysics of our religion, but the secular support structure it provided as well?
Society
In religious society, going to church/temple/fellowship/what-have-you is where most people regularly connect with friends and family. The greatest fear many of the newly non-religious express is the loss of this sense of community. Ironically, this is the simplest problem to overcome, but it’s going to require some effort.
Religious groups do a lot of the work for you, when it comes to community. They schedule regular get-togethers, they own or find facilities, and they provide ready-made topics of conversation. The thing is, there are lots of other groups that do that sort of thing, one just has to go out and find them. Hobby-clubs, sports clubs/leagues, martial arts and dance schools, and industry special interest groups are all out there waiting to be explored. There are even groups who get together *because* they are non-religious, and want to discuss their common beliefs, differences, and challenges.
Some religious groups use the sense of community as a tool of manipulation, both for recruitment and retention. Even if it is not explicitly stated, there is always the threat of being cut off from friends or family who remain with the group. Unfortunately, there’s no way to avoid this problem. However, it’s worth considering that if someone is willing to write off a friend or family member over a difference of opinion on beliefs, it says a lot more about that person than the one they are abandoning!
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