You don’t need a faith to find the meaning of life | Letters

Hester Brown, Jane Stott, Michael Harrison and Richard Harries respond to an article by John Harris on the yearning for meaning in a secular society

John Harris highlights the eroded sense of community many of us feel (How do faithless people like me make sense of this past year of Covid?, 28 March), but part of the solution is to reject the binary of faith/non-faith. Religions did hoover up all the meaning in life – explanations of why it works, and practices for how to do it – but they are not homogeneous. They stretch across a fascinating landscape from monotheistic to “god-in-nature”, and from “ultimate redemption” to living a good life here and now. In that conversation, there have always been non-religious voices, sceptical about the supernatural, using reason and science to understand “why”, and human culture for “how”.

There is a rich philosophy available to everyone who lacks narrative and vocabulary to make sense of life and death: humanism. This is the broad non-religious tradition, stretching back to Aristotle and beyond, which also owns the ideas of love, compassion, truth, justice and hope, which also has ceremonies and builds communities. The difference is that it recognises itself as an ever-evolving conversation, always open to question and with no gatekeepers, no single light or way.

Human rights and interfaith movements are leading the way in recognising equality between religious and non-religious worldviews and celebrating our shared values. Imagine the benefit to our mental health and society if we could end religious divides and belong together.
Hester Brown
London

• Millions of people have a spiritual aspect to their lives that is not based on faith, but on experience. I have been one of them for over 30 years. There are organisations that welcome us, as well as faith-based people, to help us make sense of our experiences and explore the sacred in our lives. Organisations I have found helpful include GreenSpirit, the Spiritual Companions Trust and the Findhorn Foundation. I could never follow one of the established religions, as I find them too male-dominated, but do not want to throw out the spiritual baby with the no-longer-needed bathwater.
Jane Stott
Bristol

• John Harris argues convincingly for secular meeting places, and this echoes recent correspondence about the state of adult education . The weekly class which brings together disparate people with a common purpose – learning a language, studying literature, art or science – can play much the same role as a church service and often leads to lasting friendships.

It can be especially valuable for those cast adrift by retirement, who have suddenly lost so much that formed their lives. Progressive cuts and demands for perceived value have undermined what was once an important social asset.
Michael Harrison
Oxford

• It would indeed be good, as John Harris argues, to have more public spaces for communal activities, but that does not get to the heart of the issue. Those who meet in synagogues, churches, mosques, temples and gurdwaras all believe they have some insight into a reality not of their making – one which makes sense of life and gives hope even in times of despair. Great though it is to come together on the basis of a shared interest in football, motherhood, the local community or chess, this can be no real substitute for what religious people believe religion has to offer.
Richard Harries
Crossbench peer, House of Lords

Letters

The GuardianTramp

Related Content

Article image
All schools should encourage respect and LGBT acceptance | Letters
Letters: 56 members or leaders of religion and belief groups, educationists, campaigners and school leaders warn the Department for Education against any dilution of LGBT advice in the independent school standards

Letters

11, Feb, 2019 @5:01 PM

Article image
Keeping the faith: religion in the UK amid coronavirus
Guardian photographer David Levene has spent several weeks covering the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on faith practice in the UK

Harriet Sherwood; photography by David Levene

03, Jul, 2020 @6:00 AM

Article image
Faith leaders challenge England lockdown ban on communal worship
Letter to PM signed by senior religious figures says there is no scientific basis for ban in new coronavirus restrictions

Harriet Sherwood

03, Nov, 2020 @3:45 PM

Article image
Rowan Williams and 200 faith leaders call for revised refugee policy
Open letter calls for government to ‘offer sanctuary to more refugees’, particularly relatives of those already in Britain

Harriet Sherwood Religion correspondent

11, Sep, 2016 @11:01 PM

Article image
'Nothing will ever be the same': how faith groups adapted to lockdown in England
As places of worship reopen in England, one church reveals how its congregation grew from 15 to 1,500 people

Rachel Obordo

15, Jun, 2020 @1:53 PM

Article image
All those who are displaced by crisis and conflict need help and protection | Letter
Letter: 57 leaders of faith and religious organisations, groups and communities, call for national governments and their leaders to ensure that internally displaced people get the help they need

Letters

19, Sep, 2018 @1:39 PM

Article image
What role can religion play in modern Britain? | Letters
Letters: Guardian readers respond to our editorial on the decline of organised mainstream Christianity

Letters

17, Jul, 2019 @4:56 PM

Article image
Many people in mostly Christian countries believe values clash with Islam – poll
Almost one-third in UK see rift, finds survey ahead of pope’s visit to Arabian peninsula

Harriet Sherwood in Abu Dhabi

03, Feb, 2019 @7:00 PM

Article image
Non-Christian faiths welcome Christmas easing of Covid rules
Religious leaders pleased that Christians will not experience ‘same disappointment’ they did

Harriet Sherwood

25, Nov, 2020 @6:00 AM

Article image
Religion: why faith is becoming more and more popular
Faith is on the rise and 84% of the global population identifies with a religious group. What does it mean for the future?

Harriet Sherwood

27, Aug, 2018 @5:00 AM