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The Clergy Project is fascinating; it’s a confidential online community founded in 2011 for active and former clergy who have lost their supernatural beliefs. The community’s 500 plus members use the network to discuss what it’s like being an unbelieving leader in a religious community. I interviewed their Executive Director, an atheist and passionate feminist, Catherine Dunphy.
VB: Catherine, tell us more about your project and how it approaches faith, atheism and feminism.
CD: The Clergy Project is a confidential online community for active and former clergy who are non-believers – our members identify as secular humanists, atheist, agnostic and freethinkers. I identify as a secular humanist. The Clergy Project provides a safe house for unbelieving religious leaders of every persuasion. Inside the virtual walls of our community we are free to interact and to share our stories.
Our private member-only site was created in March 2011 with 52 members – we now have over 500. As a virtual community The Clergy Project works to protect our members’ anonymity, especially given that many of our members are still in active ministry.
All of our members came to us after they had already decided they are no longer believers. Our members come from a variety of backgrounds, denominations and religions. Currently we count active and former Pastors, Chaplains, Rabbis, Imams Nuns, Monks and Priests as our members.
VB: How did it all start?
CD: I ‘m often asked how the Clergy Project came to be – it’s founding came about from a number of simultaneous conversations regarding the existence of unbelieving religious leaders and a concern for their unique dilemma.
First, there was the preliminary study “Preachers Who Are Not Believers,” by philosopher Dan Dennett and researcher Linda LaScola and second, conversations between Dan Barker, a former minster himself, and Richard Dawkins, concerning the need to help non-believing clergy who want to leave ministry.
These secular leaders, together with the first 52 members, founded the project. When we launched our public site, clergyproject.org, it was with the goal of communicating the existence of organized non-believing clergyand to develop programs and services to aid active members in leaving ministry.
LINK
Preachers Who Are Not Believers
A recent study from Tufts University tells the story of several pastors who no longer believe in God. Most are still working in churches, still preaching sermons, and still counseling the faithful. They are isolated and, in some cases, unable to confide even in their own families, for fear of what their newfound disbelief may do to their relationships.
ExChristian.net
sk0rpi0n
It would be delusional of a christian to claim he is at peace with an atheistic society that has laws in place to protect ones ''right'' to insult God, the prophets and Jesus (packaged as 'free speech').
adjensen
are they "making the best of it" for themselves? Or for the people that they are supposed to be serving?
Krazysh0t
maybe they could transition to a public speaking role? How about some sort of domestic support field?
FlyersFan
adjensen
are they "making the best of it" for themselves? Or for the people that they are supposed to be serving?
Both. It's fake, for sure. But the people get help from a trained person like they want .. and the clergy still keeps a roof over his head and food in his stomach like he wants. So it works.
a good many more are afraid of losing friends, family, and spouses. They remain closeted atheists/agnostics because outing themselves in many cases runs the risk of losing those tys. In that respect I feel bad for them.
Which is why even religious clergy begin to lose faith.
All of our members came to us after they had already decided they are no longer believers. Our members come from a variety of backgrounds, denominations and religions. Currently we count active and former Pastors, Chaplains, Rabbis, Imams Nuns, Monks and Priests as our members.
The Clergy Project is a confidential online community for active and former clergy who are non-believers – our members identify as secular humanists, atheist, agnostic and freethinkers.