Well Jesus did warn us. He said, 'Narrow is the gate, few will be able to enter'... & ..'Narrow is the path to Eternal Life and Wide is the path that leads to Destruction...'

"Hi, we're young, healthy, and believe (gut-level/unexpressed) that we're immortal!"

No matter. From a chaplaincy perspective, we'll see many of them at their (their loved ones') first health crisis. And we'll minister to them as "little children" (which, as St John expresses it, we ALL are anyway).

Boy, has our culture become anesthetizing, though, when so many don't even care that their lives have no "meaning"! O_o

JC Fisher

""Hi, we're young, healthy, and believe (gut-level/unexpressed) that we're immortal!"

No matter. From a chaplaincy perspective, we'll see many of them at their (their loved ones') first health crisis."

Wow, how arrogant is that? I lost my wife of 30 years to a brain aneurysm and if I thought there was a moment when any of my religious friends thought this was a moment of deeper conversion I would kicked them from here to kingdom come.

How dare you presume to capitalize on the tragedy of those in dire straits to proselytize or to presume that the tragedy that befell them somehow says they were of insufficient faith? That's the territory of the televangelists and charlatans and has no place in the episcopal church.

"To be human is to have a sense of purpose, an awareness that our life is an utterly unique expression of creation and we want to live it with meaning, grace and beauty."

You don't need to believe in God to believe that you can live life with meaning, grace and beauty.

Honestly, havent we moved beyond that? I live my life as a non-believer amidst people of faith but fortunately i don't experience IRL this kind of arrogance. Good thing.

I hope this summary of Bp Budde's comments does not do her justice.

Susan Forsburg

Dave, so very sorry for your loss.

I have grown weary of these reports on poll data. So much depends on how a survey is written and administered to its subject. The length of the survey and and the type and number of allowed responses can affect the answers. And then the writeup of the results can characterize the data in a way the respondents may not have intended. To wit: "And 18% scoffed that God has a purpose or plan for everyone." Do we know that they were "scoffing" when they ticked the box or gave the answer? A significant gap exists between survey data and a knowledge of what's in people's hearts and why.

The real question, I think, is how we choose to act in the world. How do we want to be salt and light? What do we say to someone right in front of us who questions the idea that life can have meaning?

Dave, I also want to express condolence for your loss. May your wife rest in peace, and rise in glory.

You interpreted my comment in ways I did not intend. I was speaking of those who live lives apathetically---something you CLEARLY do not do, and I'll assume your wife didn't either---not using health crises to proselytize (something I'm against in ANY circumstance!).

What Susan said: "You don't need to believe in God to believe that you can live life with meaning, grace and beauty."

Yes. Obviously, yes. I don't think this is what the poll was measuring, nor Bishop Budde lamenting.

JC Fisher

From my perspective, there's also a fine and difficult line here. While we are all responsible at the end of the day for our own actions and beliefs, as a church we often have failed to answer these questions such that others can share our faith.

Recall that one of the leading reasons folks leave organized religion is perceptions of weak or failed pastoral care--a perception many of us, in my experience, have seen firsthand. Thus, we indeed may see some of these persons at the first health crisis in their lives; let us hope that our response as a church fully warrants the trust that these persons place in us at such difficult moments in their lives.

Eric Bonetti