New 'God-less' Congregations

Greg Epstein is a chaplain at Harvard University. The only problem is that he does not believe in God – at all! His main goal rather is to build ‘God-free’ but ‘church-like' organizations across America that make man the center of everything. The monthly schedule would be similar to many churches, having group meetings to discuss shared beliefs, small groups, and extra activities like parenting classes. The chaplain sees real potential for growth as 15% of people in the United States now claim to possess no religion at all.

Epstein, who was ordained as a rabbi by the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism in 2005, defines his philosophy as a commitment to living ethical, personally fulfilling lives while serving the greater good. He plans to promote his idea with his new book, "Good Without God," which is to be published by HarperCollins later this year.

The reality of man rejecting God is as old as man himself. The Old Testament makes that clear at the outset, beginning in Genesis chapter three. Then the New Testament continues the same tragic thread and describes ‘humanism’ in detail long before it had any official secular title or definition.

Romans one vividly outlines man’s spiritual rebellion of God, and how he replaced the praise of the Creator God with the worship of anything and everything else under the sun. Verse 24 reads, “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”

What Greg Epstein may be unaware of, among other things, is that there is no legitimate good apart from God. All good originates with a righteous and loving Creator, even if done by those who willingly reject His existence or authority in their lives. The reason for all good is seen in Genesis 1:27. “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” When bad men do good things, it is only because they have the imprint of a Holy God on their eternal souls and not because they are somehow fundamentally good. Romans 3:10 leaves little room for discussion on the matter. “As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one.” End of discussion!

Epstein also does not see that he will never have a ‘godless church’ if that is indeed how he views his new groups. The definition of the ‘church’ refers to only those who have been called out of the world by a literal eternal God. These have come to God through their personal trust in the redemptive work of His Son, Jesus Christ. Those who bond together while denying the reality of God can accurately called themselves anything they like – except a true church body, as a biblical church will in some way model itself after the basic pattern of Acts chapter two. “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:41-42)

The church is first and foremost a spiritual entity. And it will always revolve around the foundation as laid out by Peter’s great profession of faith in Matthew’s gospel chapter sixteen. Speaking directly to the Lord’s identity question in verse 15, Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:16-18)

There is much that separates the one true church from any other organization. The church is a living organism and a spiritual mystery known, and truly understood, only to those who comprise its ranks. (Ephesians 5:32) The founders of the new “Good without God” groups will never make a church or be part of one until they reverse their beliefs and separate themselves from the those characterized in Psalm 14:1. “The fool has said in his heart, There is no God."

To miss this is to miss everything – with the exception of missing the unimaginable blessing of spending eternity in heaven with the head of the one true church – the Lord Jesus Christ!

Bill Breckenridge