Belonging and Behaving

Having finished Diana Butler Bass' book Christianity After Religion, I am struck by her claim that the majority of people are drawn to religious communities in which belonging and behaving are the top priorities. By that, she means, churches in which people value each other in a deep and meaningful way. In these communities, people do not attempt to wear masks and conceal what is going on in their hearts and lives.

The behaving part has to do with the community's involvement in significant works of service.

What people actually believe is at the bottom of the list. This is true of all religious communities whether they are Christian, Jewish, Muslim or anything else. In fact, the religious communities that do not honor and respect other traditions are in the decline.

She, of course, is talking about Western civilization. This is something I have certainly observed in my conversations with people both in and out of religious communities. The way people treat each other is vastly more important than the details of any belief system. Churches that do not offer opportunities for community service have little chance of surviving.