Sunday, July 17, 2022
Sunday Reflection: Deconstructing Faith
A number of people I know have recently gone through a "deconstruction" of their faith, which has usually led to to their leaving behind their denomination-- and sometime their belief in God altogether.
In some cases, it sounds like a Jenga game coming undone-- one piece was challenged and removed (say, recognizing the problems with gender in a denomination) and then the whole pile collapses. More often, it is a central tenet of their faith. But almost always it seems to stem from an initial event that involves the people of the church.
And the people of the church aren't doing that great, frankly. COVID decimated some congregations, which have withered and led to a retrenchment. The most stolid, conservative people are sometimes the ones who stayed, leading to an hostility perceived by others. The clergy, turned around and exhausted by all this, seems to be taking a voluntary layoff-- there are a remarkable number of clergy who seem to be taking a three-month sabbatical this summer, while others have just... left. And the Trump takeover of some churches hurts us all, as "being Christian" is now taken to mean that you don't like certain kinds of people.
That means spiritual needs aren't being served very well. And the fray is more than just at the fringe.
