Ex-atheist holds faith discussions
A faith discussion group open to believers, atheists and agnostics will have its first meeting next week.
A recent survey by the Barna Group, a Christian research organization, found that 62 percent of non-Christians and lapsed Christians, according to the survey “ … say they would be open to talking about faith matters with someone who listens without judgment, the top quality they value.”
Many of these people are also willing to talk to Christians “who do not force conclusions, demonstrate interest in other people's stories and are good at asking questions.”
For these reasons, St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 201 W. Jefferson St, has started a faith discussion group that is open to all members of the community: atheists, agnostics, Christians and lapsed Christians — and open to all age groups.
Its first meeting will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the church lounge. St. Mark's member and group founder Bill Oehlschlager said all are welcome to bring their questions about any faith issues they are wrestling with or wish to discuss in a group setting.
Oehlschlager said of his role with the group, “I don't know what you would call me. I guess you could call me the facilitator.”
“This will be the first public meeting. We had a meeting with St. Mark's members only just to set up some guidelines for discussion.”
He added, “It was my idea for this meeting based on the Barna Group report.”
In its 30-year history, Barna Group has conducted more than 1 million interviews over the course of hundreds of studies, and has become a go-to source for insights about faith and culture, leadership and vocation, and generations.
“What we are trying to do is we think the church has answers to the big questions in life, but fewer and fewer people are asking themselves the important questions,” he said.
Oehlschlager added the goal of the first meeting is to make all whether Christian or nonbeliever “feel comfortable, loved and accepted. This will be a safe space to come and ask questions.”
“It's really to help people find answers to deep spiritual needs they have that they might not even be aware of,” said Oehlschlager
He might have some insight into why people don't believe in God and how the church can answer questions for them.
Although today he is a lay Lutheran minister, Oehlschlager said he was an atheist from 16 to 27.
“I'm 67 now so I have been a practicing Christian for 40 years,” he said.
The goal of the faith discussion group, he said, is to provide a forum for people to discuss the big faith issues.
He added that today with all the distractions and entertainments available to people, most tend to ignore the spiritual side of their lives.
That's a belief that a second Barna study seems to confirm.
For its 2019 State of the Bible study, Barna discovered that about half of Americans aren't engaged with the Bible at all.
“As if this trend wasn't already evident, this study backs up the fact that not only is the Bible and its universal wisdom being eroded from American families, American government and the American society as a whole, it is the trailing evidence of God being tossed aside in our culture,” said American Pastors Network president and national host Sam Rohrer.
“We no longer have time for the Word of God in our lives. What's even more dangerous is that when we have no time for the Bible, it means we think we have no time nor need for God,” said Rohrer.
WHAT: Faith discussion groupWHEN: 7 p.m. TuesdayWHERE: St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. 201 W. Jefferson St. Enter from parking lot on S. Washington St.INFO: Open to all members of the community to discuss faith issues in a safe space
