Secular Sanctuary: A Nonbeliever's Guide to Holy Moments and Sacred Spaces

Is it possible to outgrow your faith in God? Many today are saying yes. As the sciences reveal the beauty and truth of nature, we are daring to let go of belief in the supernatural. Formerly satisfactory answers to the ancient questions of our origins and the purpose of our existence now seem like mere superstitions.

But does the postmodern view mean that our lives are without meaning, and that the world no longer contains anything sacred, and nothing holy? The good news is that, throughout time, the human spirit has authored all of the world's religions and created all the gods. The virtues and powers which we have attributed to our gods were and are human virtues and powers. The inspired words which have guided our lives and shaped our values are human words, inspired by human experience. We diminish what it means to be human when we ascribe all that it highest and best in us to an imaginary realm of superbeings.

In this book I invite the reader to accept the grief that may accompany loss of faith, and to move beyond it to celebrate the goodness of being human. I encourage the reader to reclaim the hope of living into the virtues and powers that have been given away, and to enjoy the satisfaction of creating a personal sense of what is sacred, what is holy. I describe how and why to create a private sanctuary and altar. The reader will find insight and support for the practices of mindfulness and meditation. The final chapters offer original, non-theistic rites and ceremonies for private use, as well as for the Naming of a Baby, a Wedding, a Wedding when there are children from prior marriages, a Croning Ceremony, and a Graveside Service.