Last night on Channel 5 News I happened to catch a story about a billboard on Hillsboro Road for Secular Life.  I think it was on Hillsboro Road at least. I’m not 100% positive about that part.

At any rate it says something about “Got God?” or “Don’t got God?” I guess it’s upset some people who do believe in God because this is a group for those who don’t –but who would like the fellowship, encouragement, inspiration, and community service opportunities like churches provide.

One person they interviewed was irate about it. He made it clear that people who don’t believe in God and go to traditional church are bad. It’s people like us that are what’s wrong with the world today.

I was curious to hear more, because I fit into the Secular Life mindset. But sometimes people like that can be just as nutty as the uber religious people.

But then they interviewed Secular Life’s founder, a man named Thaddeus. The first thing he made perfectly clear was Secular Life doesn’t bash other beliefs. That’s not their purpose. Their billboard is not meant to upset people, but to draw in others who believe the same way –or perhaps don’t believe in traditional ways.

He seemed very calm, very level headed, but what caught my attention most was his emphasis on being positive. He wanted to create an atmosphere where other like-minded people could come to be inspired and encouraged. They have no interest in putting down other religions, and his response to the critics (the religious people who find the idea of such a group offensive) was, “It is not my intent to offend you.” He just wanted to give people who don’t feel comfortable with traditional religion a place to meet with others who want to live well, create a better world, share knowledge and give and get support, encouragement, and inspiration.

Cool!

I always thought a group like this should exist, a group for non-God people. I was so excited to find one, but never expected to find it in Nashville. As the irate man interviewed last night said, “Groups like this are going to be hard-pressed to find members in the Bible belt.”

Perhaps…but Secular Life’s membership just grew by one today!