“A large number of Americans identify themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” It is likely that perhaps one in every five persons (roughly half of the unchurched) could describe themselves in this way. “(Spiritual, but not religious by Robert C Fuller, Beliefnet 8-22-2002). “Those who see themselves as “spiritual, but not religious” reject traditional organized religion as the sole-or even the most valuable- means of furthering their spiritual growth. Many have had negative experiences with churches or church leaders. For example, they may have perceived church leaders as more concerned with building an organization than promoting spirituality, as hypocritical, or as narrow minded”. This is related to a larger set of issues which is compounded by the recent negative media exposure religion and church leaders have received.
There are several things we know about today’s unchurched seekers as a group. They are more likely than other Americans to have a college education, to belong to a white-collar profession, to be liberal in their political views, to have parents who attended church less frequently, and to be more independent in the sense of having weaker, social relationships.
“The fact is, in North America every other religion is gaining converts while Christianity is losing them, “states the Decline and Fall of World Religions, 1900-2025. The same report indicates that in the year 2000, Christians had fallen to 84.9% from 86.8% in 1975. The report predicts that by 2025 the decline will reach 83.3% a loss of 1.6%. At this same time the nonreligious sector has increased from 4.4% in 1975, almost doubling to 8.7% in 2000. The nonreligious sector is predicted to rise to 10% in 2025 a gain of 1.3%.
Denominational groupings from the Larimer, CO County Report, Religions Affiliations in 1990 the “Unclaimed “population represented 62.26% of the total in 1990. The population of this county in 1990 was 186,136 therefore 115,888 people in Larimer County did not claim to have any religious affiliation. Religion is on the downslide in our country, yet people believe we need more. Know Love Now Organization will address this need by providing a caring and comfortable environment (hopefully in the form of a café someday) while providing community programs and spiritual resource center.
Resolution:To solve this problem we will start in the community of Fort Collins and build an organization that will provide a new venue and programs that foster spiritual growth. Our goal is to provide gateways to Christianity. Our hope is to host daily free computer and high speed internet access. One program provides for scheduled educational opportunities through speakers, introductory classes, seminars and workshops. Another program would support and develop a Christian mentorship program. The third program is to support local artists and provide an exhibit venue whether the medium form is art or music. We will address the needs of the adult community and provide a new way to communicate about Christianity.
Recently, stated in the Earth Charter the concept that once basic needs are met, human development is primarily about being more, not having more. The outcomes of programs will fulfill individuals’ social and spiritual needs and support and foster individuals to BE more. Societal benefits include; educational and networking opportunities, community and environmentally conscious organization.