This book was FASCINATING. The author is a United Church minister, and she has taken a very hard look at the role of Christian churches in society- both the benefits and the harms. The big question she asks is, is it more important that people believe in God, or that they live according to ethical principles? She believes that it is how we live that matters most, and as a result of that conclusion, she has a very radical proposal. Given that the whole 'belief in God' thing alienates many, many people from the church, she has suggested that churches should stop talking about God, abandon their exclusionary religious rituals, and just become a place where anyone can attend who wants to be a better person. People of any (or no) belief would be welcome, and the focus would be on how to live well, help others, etc- the non-controversial principles that we can all agree on. She thinks that if the goal is to reach more people and get them living according to so-called Christian principles, then the way to do it is to get more people coming to church by eliminating the requirement for belief, the talk about God and Christian mythology, and the mysterious rituals that so many people find off-putting and difficult to understand.

As an agnostic, I've never felt that church was important, but this is the kind of 'church' that appeals even to me! I would love to have a place where I could regularly get together with other people who are trying to improve their lives and the lives of others. We could share ideas, inspire each other, work on humanitarian projects, maybe even have a place where we could celebrate important events (weddings etc) according to principles that *we* agree on. And the best part is that such an institution would have the effect of uniting us (Christians, atheists, Muslims, homosexuals, Buddhists etc would all be equally welcome), rather than dividing us as traditional religion has done.

However, I doubt very much that any Christian church is going to make the changes that Vosper suggests: they consider their faith in God to be too important to remove it from their church services. If a 'church' like she envisions is ever to happen, it will probably be developed outside of Christianity altogether.

Released on the free book-exchange shelf (go inside the main door, through the foyer and it's on your right). Enjoy!

I picked this book up off the shelf today. I am usually fascinated with religion as a whole and enjoy learning about world religion. That being said, I also believe that religion is at the root of so many of the Earth's ills and that religious tolerance is one of the only solutions for a more peaceful society. This looks like it will be an interesting read.

After I found this book at the book exchange CrossingGuardMa expressed interest in reading it. Since it is way down near the bottom of my TBR I am simply going to pass this book off to her today at the Bookcrossing Meeting at the Joshua Tree Cafe. It will come back to me eventually.....

This book is on my holds list at the Calgary Public Library so when I saw that Minerva had it, I asked it I could look at it. Gretta Vosper is stirring things up in the United Church with her thoughts.

I have always said that some of my most religous/Christian friends are athiests. They live a good and proper life like God would have us do....

Tidying up my book shelf and moving to permanent collection as a resource till I get around to reading it.

Read this as part of a church group. Plenty of “food for thought”

With the covid19 pandemic we haven’t been meeting as a group as we are all practicing social distancing. Sing song so kindly offered to pick up Costco groceries and delivered them, along with some books for me. She also took some of mine, this being one of them!

Oh oh - I never journaled this after a COVID porch exchange.