SBNR -Spiritual, But Not Religious

"I'm spiritual, but not religious." We've all heard this sentiment expressed; many of us may have identified ourselves this way at some point. According to a 2010 Newsweek poll, SBNRs comprise 30% of the population, and a 2009 LifeWay survey reported 72% of 18-29 year-olds term themselves more spiritual than religious.  The website SBNR.org serves " the global population of individuals who walk a spiritual path outside traditional religion." An "SBNR" Google search yielded 183,000 results, and there is even an SBNR Facebook page.

Understandably, mainstream religions are concerned about the decline of church attendance and the irrelevance of religion to a large percentage of the population. Reasons people leave are as varied as individuals; an article on the Pew Forum website from 2009 cited reasons including disbelief in the tenets of the church, the conflict between science and religion, the perception of religious people as hypocritical, insincere and judgmental, or the desire for a new way to worship. But one in three unaffiliated people indicated they were willing to return to a faith when they found the right fit.

Descriptors for SBNRs found on religious websites include "lazy, egotistical, complacent, self-centered, apathetic, worshiping gods of their own making, new-age foolishness and Burger King spirituality". To the contrary: I believe that in most cases, these people may struggle and wrestle and suffer with deep questions in ways that happily churched people may never understand. Questions are good, and we should not be afraid of asking them, neither should we be ridiculed or rebuked.

One of the Baha'i months is named Masa'il, or Questions. One of the distinctive tenets of the Baha'i Faith is independent investigation of truth. It is a fundamental obligation for each person to acquire knowledge "with their own eyes and not through the eyes of others".

"One of the main sources of conflict in the world today is the fact that many people blindly and uncritically follow various traditions, movements, and opinions. God has given each human being a mind and the capacity to differentiate truth from falsehood. If individuals fail to use their reasoning capacities and choose instead to accept without question certain opinions and ideas, either out of admiration for or fear of those who hold them, then they are neglecting their basic moral responsibility as human beings." Baha'i.org.

Bahá'u'lláh taught that Religion is the chief foundation of love and unity and the cause of Oneness. According to the Baha'i writings, descriptors of the purpose of true religion include "love, amity, fellowship, peace, cooperation, knowledge, illumination, justice, in harmony with science, and an agency for the progress of human society".