Why would a non-believer go to Church?

One question I'm frequently asked is about Church.

Since I don't believe in a higher power, people wonder why I attend our local Anglican church most Sundays. They wonder why I'm on the Lector's roll - and why I even teach Sunday school.

There are actually many reasons. Here's the most important one: It's for my son.

But that's not the only reason (as I'll explain later.)

Mini-Militant is just a baby - but as he grows up, he's going to have to go through the same spiritual journey as the rest of us did. Will he believe in God? What shape will that faith take? Or will he reach the same conclusion I did - that there is no 'higher power?'

Whatever decision he eventually makes - it's his. I'm sure my belief will influence him - but similarly, so will his mother's strong faith. In any event, I want to give him the chance to reach that conclusion himself instead of being brainwashed one way or another (something I detest about fundamentalism in America.)

But less magnanimously, I also want his introduction to religion to be a good one. The Anglican church means a lot to me - not just because it's the denomination I was raised as. In America, especially, it's one of the most progressive churches around - and what they've prioritized about 'Christ's message' is definitely the right stuff to take away from Christianity.

I don't want my son growing up to learn that Christianity equals bigotry, homophobia, hypocrisy or conservatism - as it's taught to millions of fundamentalists each Sunday.

Another reason I want to give my son exposure to Christianity is because the Bible is an incredibly significant part of western culture. It's not, in any way, the 'basis' for American society (as some deeply delusional people will claim.)

However, the majority of Americans are Christian and the majority of the things I think are important - like literature and history - are better appreciated with a knowledge of the scripture that is so often made reference to within them.

And, finally, I want my son to experience the same Church I did - so we'll have a common bond. He's going to grow up in a different country to me - with a radically different way of thinking. So many of my experiences - like playing cricket and rugby in P.E. (ick) or conkers in the playground, or listening to the BBC on the drive to school - are going to be completely alien to him. This is a way to make sure my son grows up with his British heritage as part of his life - and that means an awful lot to me.

But that's not all.

While I might claim that I'm 'doing it for my son', that's not the entire truth. I don't think I'm altruistic enough to go to Church every Sunday if I didn't take something away from it myself - which I most certainly do.

For a start, I want to support our local Church, and the Episcopal Church in America in general. 70% of Americans claim to be Christian - and there are an awful lot of churches vying for their loyalty. I want to make sure that the Anglican church - a church that's progressive, fair and follows a vision of Christ's message that embraces everything good about religion - continues to stand strongly amongst the other denominations (especially the ones with more questionable beliefs.)

If I can only achieve that by being one more 'bum in a pew' on Sunday morning, and making a weekly donation to my Church, I think that's a small sacrifice to make.

Secondly, just because I don't believe in God, it doesn't mean I don't believe in Jesus. I'm a historian, after all - and the fact that a billion-strong faith that's endured for two millenia originated with the teachings of one man, it's pretty strong historical evidence that he might have really existed.

I don't believe Jesus was the son of God. I don't believe he performed miracles, or healed the blind. I do believe he went about the Holy Land preaching a message of brotherly love, tolerance and understanding - and much of what he taught is still applicable today.

He wasn't sent down from heaven to die for our sins - but he was put on this Earth to pass along some of the most important philosophical teachings in human history.

...and finally, I get something out of church - every week.

Our Reverend is an incredibly intelligent woman and her sermons are always thought-provoking. She has a wonderful way of taking scriptural teachings from the Bible - what I dismiss as the purely humanist philosophy taught by Jesus - and making them relevant to our daily lives.

It's very rare that I leave the church on a Sunday without feeling like I've learned something - and that this new knowledge could help me become a better person.

When I first lost my faith, I was very angry with God - and then when I realized you couldn't be angry with something that didn't exist, I transferred that anger to his followers (as demonstrated by a hundred angry posts about Christianity.)

But now I've mellowed - and can see that religion might be meaningless in my eyes, but it's not meaningless to millions of other people. I believe most of humanity is hardwired to 'believe' in something - and if that 'something' is as progressive, positive and good as the religion taught in my local Anglican Church, than this Atheist is very happy to support it.

I don't believe in God, but I do believe in my Church. That's why I'm a part of it.

Hear endeth the lesson.