Have you listened recently to the 1970s song Imagine by John Lennon? New York Times columnist Ross Douthat was on my podcast this week, and he brought up the song as he talked about how some people feel “a kind of lifting of weight” in the absence of religion.

He says, referencing the song, “Imagine there’s no heaven. Imagine there’s no God. We’re just alone here—that’s it. Clearly, there is some kind of relief that people can feel in that initial sense of, ‘Okay, God is not judging me all the time. These punitive rules don’t actually apply. I don’t have to swallow some mythological conceit.’”

Here in the US we’ve gone through a time of growing secularization, with fewer people attending church or identifying with a specific religion. We talk on the podcast about how this could be broadly connected to declining trust in institutions in general, and religion in particular. Scandals, such as the sex abuse crisis in various church denominations, along with other controversies in religious communities, have led many to feel disillusioned.1 Ross points out that it’s fair to say that America is becoming less religious overall.

And yet, while Americans have become less religious, this reality has not led to the euphoric experience imagined by Lennon 50 years ago.

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Ross says, “I’ve really noticed, especially in the last three to five years, this sense of disappointment—angst—in the post-religious landscape, maybe especially among younger people.”

The challenge, according to Ross, is:

“What do you do next? What is the actual source of meaning and purpose in your life if there is no God?”

What does it mean to be human? Does God exist? Is the universe good? Is there order and purpose to human life? These are the types of questions that help to shape our imagination about our individual lives and our life together. Ross and I begin to dive into these questions as we discuss his latest book, Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious. Our conversation explores:

• the rise of secularism and the disappointment many face in a post-religious world
• the importance of engaging with religious questions
• how individuals can begin their journey of seeking meaning and purpose

The Relationship Between Religion and Politics

Ross’ book does not include any political punditry or commentary (and I read every word of it!). That was intentional on his part, even though he often writes about politics in his NYT column. But I did take time in our conversation to ask him about the proper relationship between religion and politics.

Here are some of his insights:

1. Identify what has worked.
   The American model of politics has worked relatively well in that it discourages using state power to impose specific religious beliefs on others.
2. Acknowledge history.
   Core moral debates in American history have been deeply influenced by religious ideas. Examples include the abolitionist movement and the work of Martin Luther King Jr. and others in the Civil Rights Movement.
3. Identify what has changed.
   Social priorities have shifted. For example, parents today tend to be much more concerned if their child is marrying a member of a different political party than if their child is marrying a member of a different religion. Several decades ago, the opposite was true. This reality reflects a shift toward an unhealthy politicization of identity.
4. Identify a proper balance.
   Take care not to confuse your politics with your religion. “As religion declines, people pour religious kinds of energy more and more into partisan politics and invest partisan politics with moral and theological significance, when the correct balance is to have a moral and theological perspective that’s more important to you than your politics—that informs your politics but doesn’t confuse your politics with your religion.”

Becoming a Seeker

At one point in his book Ross writes, “It’s worth becoming a seeker.” I love that idea. It’s worth seeking after truth and goodness and beauty and justice and all these things that I hope religion ultimately stands for. I hope you’ll watch or listen to (and share) this episode. What do you think about the importance of religion? Do you see yourself as a seeker? I’d love to hear from you.

MORE WITH AMY JULIA:

• FREE RESOURCE: 5 Ways to Experience God’s Love
• S7 E18 | Exploring the Good Life with Meghan Sullivan, Ph.D.
• S6 E17 | Questions for a Life Worth Living with Matt Croasmun

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