The Sacred Humanists platform intends to provide empathy, thought-provoking ideas, and resources for people going through seasons of spiritual deconstruction and reconstruction. One of those resources is a sense of community with people who just plain “get it.” Through our private Facebook group and a password protected bi-weekly Zoom gathering, we strive to offer a sense of understanding and belonging. Perhaps think of it as providing an island for some of the misfit toys. Almost like an online retreat center, we’re trying to provide digital spaces for people to experience reorientation, renewal, and restoration.
The reason this is so important is that a lot of people who are going through a period of spiritual turmoil find themselves feeling alone. When they ask difficult questions that their established faith communities are unwilling or unable to address, they’re often either actively silenced or passively ignored. Their family and friends, who they imagined would always be there through thick and thin, are suddenly no where to be found. The implicit expectation? Conform. That’s not the vibe here. In the end, there’s no replacing face-to-face friendships but hopefully this can take off some of the edge in the interim.
Both the Facebook Group and the Zoom Gatherings share a common culture. These are non-judgmental spaces where honesty is welcome, curiosity is encouraged, and everyone is treated with dignity amid any disagreements that may exist. We invite people to accept where they are, not where they wish they were at or where they feel like they should be. This is not to say participants won’t be gently challenged at times. Wrestling with new insights and working through uncomfortable questions is an unavoidable part of deconstruction and reconstruction, but we’ll stand beside you through it.
