Prompt 8: August 1, 2021
I was a None–by behavior. I believed in God and knew the Bible was the way to understand the faith but given my circumstances (all alone in the booming city of Lawrence), I didn’t feel like I was missing anything at church; it’s just the same old thing every week. But I knew I felt lonely in the secular culture of my dorm, so when I was asked by a classmate if I was a Christian and wanted to get coffee, I was happy to meet him. His words stuck with me from that rainy January afternoon: “Christians die in isolation.” I believed him, and I’m the better man for it. I write this prompt at a delicate time for Andrea and me. It seems we are coming out of a season of isolation as we become more and more involved with our new congregation. It feels right.
A “None” is a person who appears non-religious in survey data. You may consider them non-believers, but it appears to be more complex than that. The venn diagram, taken from Ryan Burge’s work, shows that Nones may indicate agnostic or atheistic views by their words, actions, or behaviors, but that most have a religious belief, yet are skeptical of corporate religion. Though they may not have any religious affiliation, they are by no means unreachable. The primary reasons people become a None are by questioning certain religious teachings they grew up with followed by unease of the church’s stance on political and social issues. Rather than the common misunderstanding that religion is unattractive to the younger generations, it seems as though the primary characteristic of Nones is an incongruent worldview. As we know, worldview is a foundation of belief, and belief is shown in our actions. From personal experience, evangelism can be contentious, and many Nones are often bothered by conversations about God. There is something there: culturally–yes, but something particularly personal.
For this prompt, consider the Nones. Consider a false narrative of an impersonal, vindictive judge. Can someone really be “bothered” by someone (or something) they don’t think exists? What are the implications of living a long life as a None? We all know some Nones; what are they like? How can the Church extend an embrace to reach these people not only with the Gospel, but by showing them a relationship with Jesus and not religion?
The thread is open. Create boldly, and may the Spirit guide us all.