The new Charleston SC chapter of Recovering From Religion (RfR) held its first face-to-face support group meeting on Wednesday, April 22nd covering a wide range of fascinating topics. We chatted informally with attendees who have left religion, are in process of leaving, or are dealing with problems arising out of religious doubt or non-belief. It kind of runs the gamut, and was super engaging.
RfR is an international non-profit organization with over one hundred local chapters in the United States and abroad. RfR has been providing face-to-face support groups, telephone and chat helplines, and online peer support since its founding in 2009. There were already chapters in Charlotte and Ashville; and now Charleston is the first in South Carolina!
The goal of RfR is to enable participants to express their feelings about their personal religious experiences and have their voices heard. We don’t offer advice or therapy but DO offer support and resources without influencing participants toward or away from any religious belief or lack of belief. RfR facilitators must complete a rigorous training program to provide non-judgmental support to attendees.
Our first meeting included thoughtful discussions about individual experiences; learning to work through trauma, relating to family and friends, becoming comfortable with sexual identity and LGBTQ+ orientation, moral, ethical and philosophical issues….all within the framework of religious experiences. Believe it or not, one attendee even shared how his understanding of mathematics and quantum mechanics influenced his changing attitudes towards religion! It turns out that quantum physics and religion intersect through philosophical interpretations rather than empirical evidence. Some even view quantum mechanics as a bridge between scientific reality and spiritual concepts. Amazing!
Charleston’s RfR chapter will meet regularly on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm in North Charleston, in the offices of We Are Family, located at 3265 N. Carolina Ave., North Charleston, SC 29405. Comfortable seating, snacks and beverages will be provided.
RSVP’s are requested. For more information or if interested in attending the next meeting on Weds, May 27th at 6:30pm please visit our Meetup page at https://www.meetup.com/rfr-south-carolina-chapter/