Believing Without Belonging

May 10, 2004

Category: Church , My Life , Postmodernism

Today I heard a report on NPR called New Religion Survey (streaming audio report). At first I was a little guarded because the promos for the spot sounded a little, I don’t know, “cultish.”

In it they described how there are approximately 800 to 1000 small, new, yet very real new religions in our country since the 60s. They talked about postmodernism and the general belief that there is no absolute truth and how that affects traditional and transient religion. 10-15% of people in this country dabble with or join new religions at some point in their lives.

“Now is the watershed moment when the US is entering a whole new stage of religious life.”
Lorne Dawson, Chairman of Religion department, University of Waterloo says, “people are still intent on having a spiritual aspect to their life… it’s called believing without belonging. People want to believe, but they no longer have confidence in the traditional ways in which religion was organized and delivered to them, so they’re ceasing to belong.”

As I was listening to the report, and as I heard the quote above, I thought, ‘that’s what I fee like.’ See, I want to believe, and I DO believe, but I’m tired. Tired of the church. I’m tired of fighting, struggling, begging, and, well… of belonging.

Posted by pablohart on May 10, 2004 11:04 PM

Comments

My buddy Jamison passed me along a link to this particular posting and I needed to let you know how much I share the same sentiment as you.

I listened to the broadcast, and quite frankly wasn't surprised in the least by what I heard [although, on a side note, I was annoyed to hear how much attention the "penticostals" were getting with their barking and meowing at the end there——*shrinking in embarrassment*]. The concept of believing but not "belonging" is something that I've felt now for over a year and a half, as I've been recovering from burn-out within the church and increased frustration with the condition of it.

I won't go into great lengths about my story [perhaps that's something for an email dialogue], but I want you to know that you're not alone and I'm sure we both have some great similarities in our struggle to believe and consider ourselves followers of Christ... despite how much the church is an embarrassment or annoyance to us.

I can be found over at:
michaeltangen.com or my columns at hitchhikersguide.org.

Peace be with you.
- Michael

Posted by Michael Tangen at May 11, 2004 2:41 AM

Just yesterday Samuel and I were talking about life and somehow "the church" came up as it often does in our discussions about life. And I made the comment - "I hope that someday the church will be what it is intended to be, and not something to be ashamed of."

It's tragically sad that "the church" IS something that so many people run away from - God intended the church to embody Christ, yet it's ironic that even Christ's followers don't want to be a part of the "body" that is predominantly available now.

But if there are so many people who are so unhappy with the way "the church" is now - why not get together - BELONG to the Body and to one another - and do it the way Christ intended? He didn't intend for us to do it alone. (Romans 12: 4-6)

There ARE places worthy of belonging out there - I know, I belong to a couple of them!

Posted by Robyn at May 11, 2004 7:34 AM

Paul, I also identify with this sentiment. I'm also tired of the institutional church. I even feel apprehensive identifying myself as a "christian" not because I am ashamed of Christ but because I'm scared people will think I "belong" to that group of know-it-alls who call themselves the same thing.

However at the same time I (and many of my postmodern, faithless friends) feel a deep need to belong. I think this need to belong is reflected in the huge impact the sitcom Friends has had, the gang activity in our nation, and even the new religions that radio spot speaks of.

Personally I think we, as humans, are wired to "belong". We get married to belong, we make friends to belong, we worry about fashions trends because we want to belong. My problem is that more and more I see that I don't "belong" in the current church.

I think the church needs to ask some hard questions like - What does it mean to belong? Why is the church (currently) not worth belonging to? What would it take to be a place people want to belong? The church can't keep sitting back and waiting for people to come. The church needs to regain people's trust, their curiosity, and their desire to belong.

Posted by Samuel at May 11, 2004 7:54 AM

As a 15 year old Penticostal, I believe that if you believe in God truly and his infallible word, that you will want to "belong". If you are unsatisfied or troubled in this issue....pray.

Posted by heather at June 19, 2004 8:08 PM

I think there are some deep issues here about getting tired of the way church is and belonging. I've been tired of church too, but am now finding renewal as I focus a little differently.

I think the majority of christian churches today are worthy of being tired of. Sometimes I think if I hear another message on the five keys to this or the seven secrets of that, I'll puke. It's as if we talk a good show, but are in reality depending on ourselves to apply the principles of wisdom. Anybody would lose heart eventually. The IRS will give you some rules and principles to live by, but they won't satisfy your soul. Any cult will define what being a good member is all about too. People are rightly tired of belonging in that way. Like that I don't want to belong to a church either. But I want to belong to Jesus, hear his voice and follow him. I think people will be willing to belong when it is not to an organization, but to people of like mind who also belong to you, and all of us striving toward the same goal of genuine intimacy with Jesus.

Posted by Dave at June 24, 2004 9:49 PM

I am just tired of the silliness--the "God told me" Christians, the prosperity Christians, the people who think they have it figured out. Life is not simple nor is God.

Most of what I see in church today is people trying to figure out how to use God to get a better life now. That's not entirely wrong-headed, but the motivation is all fouled up.

I just don't think church allows people to ask or think about the hard questions. And I won't play the game anymore.

Posted by Kristine Christlieb at October 2, 2004 10:54 PM

Kristine, I agree that most US churches don't allow people to ask the questions. The best church I've seen that DOES allow is Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan. I'm not sure where you're from, but it might be a good place to check out. They actually have a forum every month where the main pastor just gets up in front and starts answering questions. Pretty darn cool.

Posted by pablohart at October 8, 2004 2:51 PM

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