Winterfest 2015 – “Taking Your Inner Atheist to Church”

 — from Meredith Griffith for Orcas Island Community Church —

Orcas Islanders are invited to hear author Dr. Daniel Taylor speak on “Taking Your Inner Atheist to Church: Skepticism, Belief, and the Role of Story” at Winterfest 2015. Taylor will present at Orcas Island Community church on March 6-8.

“As a person who tends toward skepticism, I have asked myself whether skepticism actually is the best way to truth or to a rich and meaningful life,” says Taylor. “I believe that God is inviting me into a story, not into an argument or puzzle. That understanding is not a way to escape the question of truth, but rather a recognition that some kinds of truth are closer to beauty and mystery than certainty.”

Taylor’s books include “The Myth of Certainty,” “Tell Me A Story: The Life-Shaping Power of Our Stories,” “Creating a Spiritual Legacy: How to Share Your Stories, Values and Wisdom,” “The Skeptical Believer: Telling Stories to Your Inner Atheist,” “Letters to My Children,” and the novel “Death Comes for the Deconstructionist.”

Taylor shared thoughts for spiritual seekers who may associate the church with past hurt or anti-intellectualism. “The church is very big,” he said. “It’s wide. It has a long and rich history, and so I would encourage people not to assume that their experience in the church defines what the church is … Sometimes people need to find a different community that understands faith in a different way, or lives it out in a way that is more amenable to their own spirit.” Taylor said questions and conflicting viewpoints will be welcome at the conference, adding, “Having a bad relationship shouldn’t discourage you from ever having another relationship – same with relationship with God as mediated by the church.”

A frequent speaker at colleges, conferences and retreats across the country, Taylor is also co-founder of The Legacy Center, an organization devoted to helping individuals and organizations identify and preserve the values and stories that have shaped their lives. He and his wife Jayne have led student and adult tours to England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Spain, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Australia, Guatemala, Brazil, and Cuba.

Taylor emphasizes faith as a story to be lived in rather than as a set of propositions to be affirmed, saying, “If I am going to live as a character in a story, I need to ask myself what kind of story it is. My understanding of the Christian story is that it is at the same time an epic, a mystery, a quest, and a love story, with its primary theme being shalom.” He said people are welcome to bring their questions and contrary points of view to discuss during the weekend.

Winterfest Schedule

• Friday at 6 p.m.: “Looking for God in the 21st Century: Faith as a Bear Hunt”.
• Saturday at 10 a.m.: “Many Ways Up the Mountain: Why This Story and Not Another?”
• Saturday at 7 p.m.: “The Theme of God’s Story: Shalom (All Things Doing What They Were Created to Do)”.
• Sunday at 9:30 a.m.: “Spiritual Legacy: Why Your Story Matters (Passing on Wisdom and Blessing)”.

While there is a suggested donation of $80 for the weekend or $25 per session, all are encouraged to attend, regardless of ability to pay. Please preregister at https://www.eventbrite.com to help organizers prepare. For more information, see www.thekindlings.com/winterfest-2015. Taylor’s website is www.wordtaylor.com/.