The Religion of “None”

A growing group in Western society is referred to as “nones.” These are people who claim no religious affiliation, and many in this group are young adults. Now, “nones” are not necessarily atheists. Many claim to be “spiritual” but not religious.

These people may claim that they don’t have a religion, but in reality they do. They have a man-made religion of secularism or of “spirituality.” They have put their belief and trust in something and have developed a worldview that they use to view and interpret the world. Everyone has a religion, but ultimately there really are only two religions: you are either for Christ or against Him (Matthew 12:30). They are either acknowledging their Creator, Jesus Christ, as God and Lord, or they are ignoring the knowledge of God that He has put within all of us and made clear throughout creation (Romans 1:18–19). A person either trusts God’s Word or man’s word. And this battle between religions began in Genesis 3. And this struggle has not stopped and will not until Christ’s return and the final judgment.

Well, reportedly, many in this “nones” group are active in humanitarian work. One writer says, “Helping other people in a way that’s effective is very affirming, a positive emotional experience . . . . This is pretty close to the purpose of life itself.” But what basis do they have for doing these good deeds? Really, they are borrowing from a Christian ethic in wanting to spend their time helping others. From a biblical perspective we should help others because each person is lovingly made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). And Jesus commanded us to “‘love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength’ . . . [and] ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 12:30-31). They reject Christianity and yet they still cling to some biblical ethical principles. This is quite inconsistent but it is becoming increasingly common in our post-Christian society.

We need to be bold in proclaiming the truth of God’s Word to those in our culture who are spiritually adrift. They are desperately seeking something to give their lives purpose and meaning. But they won’t find purpose or meaning simply in doing good deeds. They will only find true meaning and purpose in a relationship with Jesus Christ. We need to be active in telling other people how they can have this relationship with Christ because of His death and Resurrection.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.