The Purpose of the Church of Nature's God
Inspired by Nature, Based on Reason. The Journey, Not the Destination.  

The Church began as the concept of one individual sharing his thoughts and aspirations in an attempt to investigate the value of belonging to a Freethinker's church. The Church has become a small fellowship of Deists sharing a common interest. The Church celebrates diversity in the most important way of all: diversity of thought. We all must, ultimately, find our own way. The Church celebrates individualism. The Church supports the idea of challenging and weakening the power of organized religious authorities and establishing individuals as the ultimate arbiters of truth.

The Church is not for everyone.

• If you are looking for a church that tells you what to think, this church is not right for you.
• If you are looking for a church that tells you how to live your life, this church is not right for you.
• If you are looking for a church that has it all figured out and never changes, this is not that church.
• If you are looking for a church that promises you salvation, eternal life or miracles, or any of the characteristics of a theistic church, you will not find any of these things here.

What does the Church offer?

• A Deist fellowship where we can share our thoughts and aspirations.
• An approach to spirituality based on nature, experience and reason.
• A place for self-discovery for those seeking an outlet for their spiritual side.
• Resources to help people define their own personal concept of something greater than themselves.
• Ideas for formulating one's own moral code.
• Suggestions for finding ways to live life with a greater sense of purpose and meaning.
• A broad path with many branches and choices for those trying to find their way.

What kind of person does the Church seek to attract? The Church hopes to attract people who place high value on free thought and reason, open-minded individualists who are seeking a religion or spirituality that can work for them. Many of the founders of the United States were Freethinkers, and several were Deist, or at least went through a Deist phase in their lives. Many of the greatest and most creative minds of all time rejected Theism. Some were Atheist, but very many of them found spiritual fulfillment in the study of nature and the sciences. From ancient Greece to the Enlightenment to the Space Age, Freethinking and spiritual people have been at the cutting edge of science and philosophy. The Church has no pretensions of sparking a new Renaissance, but providing a place for people to use their gift of reason to grow spiritually can be rewarding enough. And no, you do not have to be a Deist or accept all Deistic ideas to belong to the Church.

The fact is that most Freethinkers see no need for a church. In fact, there is, understandably, almost an anti-church attitude among Deists and Freethinkers. Many were members of organized religions before, and their experiences have left them with an aversion to churches. Freethinking people certainly do not need churches for worship or religious rituals. So what functions, other than worship, does a church provide, and why should Deists or other Freethinkers be drawn to a place that provides such functions?

I have long been intrigued by the idea of a church that encourages personal growth, celebrates reason and offers a place for spirituality without sacred texts or dogma. As a religion, Deism offers these things, so the Church has a Deistic foundation, but Deism lacks many features that necessary to establish a lasting church, so the Church extends in more directions than Deism alone.

The dictionary says that a church can be either a place of worship or a religious congregation. If some feel no need to congregate with others for religious or spiritual reasons, then a church is superfluous to them. And if a person has no desire to engage in worship, then a church is not needed for that function. The Church is not intended as a house of worship. A church certainly is a religious congregation, however, and the Church of Nature's God is a church by that definition. The Church aspires to fulfill some higher needs:

• The need for knowledge
• The need for spiritual growth
• The need to find a purpose in life or to understand the purpose of life
• The need for answers about life and death
• The need to develop a relationship with nature and develop a concept of a Deity
• The need to share and communicate in fellowship with one's fellow man
• The need for a social structure and to develop a moral code to live by

The Church was created for Deists and Freethinkers to help one another fulfill these needs through the sharing of natural ideas and concepts. A free association of Deists of all persuasions can find answers to the questions of man's higher needs.

Churches also provide other essential services: marriages, funerals, and counseling. While it is expected that Church members reject dogma and most religious ritual and ceremony, we do, however, marry and die and pass through all of life's stages. Upon request, the Church will support its members during such passages in their lives. Religion plays a part in modern world events, and often not in a positive way. A community formed around reason-based faith and spirituality can help us through these times.

"When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad, and that is my religion." -- Abraham Lincoln