by Leslie Allan

Eight of us met online on 2 May for an intimate get-together on Zoom of our Ex-Religious Support Network.

There is a real advantage in facilitating a small group, as each member has a much greater opportunity to ask questions and share their experiences.

We especially welcomed a new member as well as our members from overseas.

Starting with our usual introductions, we then moved to open discussion in which we traversed a range of issues and concerns. The biggest challenge our members face when leaving their religion is the loss of community and friends. Here lies the real value in groups such as ours.

We also discussed the reasons the religious are more likely to give to private charities, while the non-religious favour a common contribution through taxation to public infrastructure and services that help the disadvantaged impartially.

Why and how people differed in their concepts of God also raised interest, as well as the reasons the religious seek meaning and purpose outside of themselves.

Most importantly, we all checked in to see how each of us is going on our journey away from religion.

Sharing our challenges and current concerns is invaluable on the road to recovery.

You can check the date and time for our next Ex-Religious Support Network casual get-together is on our MeetUp page here.

We'd love to see you there!