Why I am still connected to religion in a world where ‘no religion’ is the fastest growing demographic?

By Nick Blaylock–

(Editor note: All this week, our regular bloggers are considering, and writing about, the question of why belong to a religion when the fastest growing demographic is no religion at all?)

This question is difficult for me to answer, because in reality, I think I might be part of that demographic. I do not necessarily see myself as part of any specific religion. That being said, I cannot deny my relationship and involvement in the Christian heritage. At the risk of sounding brash, it is my opinion that ‘religion’ can be the most destructive face of spirituality – can be. I see religion as a certain tool, that when approached in a healthy way can grow us in depth of community, justice, peace, and love. Someone’s religion might be Catholicism, Buddhism, or Hinduism. But just the same, another’s might be nutrition, politics, or science. Indeed, you could say that all of these, the latter and the former, could be found throughout each other, and in some way, that is my point.

Spirituality, and specifically religious practice, has been an integral part of all human history – it is one of our fundamental needs. It’s as if there is something deep in the heart of it all quietly whispering to us that life is more than this moment. All existence is an unfolding of life and love, constantly moving forward in relentless pursuit of harmony, and we are participants in that journey.

I was introduced to this through the lens of Western Christianity, with the idea that God created everything out of purpose and love. I still follow this, and see it as an undeniable reality, but I do not thank religion for this truth. I do, however, thank religion for being the channel through which I found people to give words to that which was already true and unfolding in my heart. Just as, to our knowledge, grass will always grow after any amount of fire, I believe life will always rear its head at a greater pace than death. Religion did not give me God. God called, and is constantly calling, us all to life, and sometimes, the simplest way we find relationship with this heartbeat is through the mode of spiritual practice: church, prayer, worship, rituals.

The Bible was not made for Christians. God did not inspire the Bible so that Christians would take over the world. The Bible was an honest human reflection, and constant bumbling to put words to that call from the deep; hence, inspired by God: “God is that which about nothing can be said, and that about which we should never stop speaking” – Peter Rollins. The Bible did not give us God or Jesus… God was found in all reality and people wrote about it. Jesus was in human history and people wrote about it. We search the Bible to recall how others of our heritage put words to the same deep mystery that calls us to love still today.

I find less need to identify myself by/with any particular religious affiliation. That is where I find myself in my journey. For me, at this moment, it is more distracting than helpful and serves as an obstacle between me and those I feel called to. I take part in the Christian heritage not because I factually agree with it in my head, but because I see it all around me. I almost do not know how to see reality any differently than one of love. This would be like asking me why I take part in gravity.

God is found in our hearts, in the earth, in the sky, in death, in arguments, in silence. And if this is the case, God can sure be found in a Buddhist temple just as much as in a chapel. Now, this is not to say that we should never go to church, never worship, never choose a heritage in which we can invest, but rather, let’s not allow those things to be our answer, but a tool, a sacred tool with thousands of years of wisdom history that we can utilize to grow in connection with ourselves and the world around us.

God is that which birthed the possibility of that connection, not religion. Neither the hammer or the nail build the house. Or better yet, neither the sower nor the seed produce the plant, but something deeper yet which should inspire our utmost respect and focus. If one finds that kind of life undergirding all life through a church service, then that is their means. Far be it from me to discourage that. If we draw lines between us about what pants the farmer wore to plant the seed, then we have missed the whole point.