The Clergy Project
May 2012. Mike Aus discusses his progression from believing Lutheran pastor to spokesperson for freethought. This hour-plus video, including a long Q&A segment, was taped during a meeting of the Humanists of Houston, in the very city where Mike had most recently been pastor of a progressive, nondenominational church.
Recovering from Religion
Professional clergy" such as pastors, priests, ministers, rabbis, and imams, face some unique challenges when transitioning out of religion. Their livelihood relies on leading their flock, but when their faith is gone, they may be "stuck in the pulpit" usually without the skills or connections to simply walk away. Charles, Hill, former minister and current Communications Director for The Clergy Project, will discuss the unique challenges faced by these professional clergy who no longer believe what they're preaching and how The Clergy Project provides a safe, supportive landing space for them to share and discuss their loss of faith, family, career livelihoods, divorce, mental health and even suicide.
Openly Secular
This source is intended for clergy members who wish to understand how someone who is openly secular may feel after disclosing their views to their community, and how they can mitigate these problems by leading by example with tolerance.
Wikipedia
Margaret Ann Vosper (born 1958), known as Gretta Vosper, is an ordained minister of the United Church of Canada who is a self-professed atheist. Her beliefs have caused controversy both within and outside of the United Church. In 2016, following the Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris, her public statement that the belief in a supernatural God promoted hatred led the United Church of Canada to institute an official review of her suitability as a minister. In 2018 that process was discontinued when Vosper and the United Church reached an agreement that left her free to continue as a minister. Her published works include With or Without God: Why The Way We Live is More Important Than What We Believe and Amen: What Prayer Can Mean in a World Beyond Belief.
Dr. Stephen Frederick Uhl Ph.D.
This book could have been titled The Book of Tolerance. The Psychologist author recognizes that every child learns a lot of traditions and beliefs when too young to evaluate them. Such prejudices are very deeply ingrained into the subconscious. They are difficult to overcome even in our adult years of further experience and education. (Dr. Uhl was already in his 30s when he finally got free; many people never get free.) Each person grows up and learns to analyze and think criticallly at different rates. Even in the same family one sibling may remain opinionated and prejudiced, stuck in the past, while another thoughtfully unlearns childhood myths and becomes a broadminded adult ready for planetary friendships. Therefore, tolerance of such differing rates of learning and unlearning is necessary for civilized peace in a pluralistic society. Such friendly understanding comes easy under the new Golden Rule: Treat others as you would reasonably want and expect to be treated if your roles were reversed. Out of God's Closet: This Priest Psychologist Chooses Friendly Atheism shows how the author got really free and how readers can enjoy the same freedom to be proud, happy, planetary neighbors. Generous sprinkling of earthy humor richly seasons this revolutionary book for enjoyable spiritual nourishment.
The Clergy Project
A private, online community for active and former clergy who no longer hold supernatural beliefs.
Humanist Chaplaincies
American Humanist Association network that connects Humanist chaplaincies across the United States with each other and those who seek their services.
The Humanist Society
The Humanist Society endorses and prepares humanist professionals to lead life celebrations and support people during difficult times. Our celebrants, chaplains, lay leaders, and invocators provide millions of people with a meaningful alternative to traditional religious services and ceremonies across the nation.
YouTube Channel
I am an ex-clergy atheist (nine years in the Methodist ministry), and have a PhD in Biblical Studies from Boston University. I am the author of "Ten Tough Problems in Christian Thought and Belief: a Minister-Turned-Atheist Shows Why You Should Ditch the Faith." I also maintain the Cure-for-Christianity Library©, which now includes more than 300 titles, most published since the 1990s; this can be found on my book's website, along with more than 300 Atheist Quotes Memes.
