A more profound challenge awaits religious people outside the religious world. Because the nonreligious, secular world is the fastest growing religious population in our nation today. A good portion of my generation dropped out of church during the 1960s and 1970s. Now our children are adults. The effect is evident.
Most members take the class because it serves as a gateway to our community.
They do not know the stories. Out of this situation, at least two questions arise that we might want to consider. Let me say first that professing my religion under ANY circumstances is profoundly difficult for me. I'm like my friend at St. Mark's who said he keeps his parish directory on his desk because he uses it almost every day - but he keeps it face down. Only recently have I begun to find ways to be more open about who I am, which is a religious person.