Skeptic in the House of God
by By Kelley, James L.
Category: Biography & Autobiography , Religious

James L.Kelley, a skeptic about religion, writes with insight and humor  of his journey through St. Mark's, an Episcopal church that welcomes  doubters without pressuring them to compromise their intellectual  integrity. When Kelley first visited the church well into his forties,  he was searching for a respite from urban malaise and found himself  filled with disquieting questions: How could he reconcile his  convictions with the central purpose of the church-to worship a God he  didn't believe in? Could he say the prayers and sing the hymns while  remaining an honest skeptic?After fifteen years of full  participation in a church that is open not only to skeptics but also to  gay men and lesbians, blacks and Jews, where members are invited to  critique Sunday sermons, and where hymns are rewritten to reflect  feminist concerns, Kelley found that his agnosticism remained but his  skepticism about church participation had disappeared. Modern urban life  can be a sterile, isolating experience. Yet in St. Mark's Kelley  discovered a place of vibrant community, honest inquiry, and support  over the hard places in life.