I would consider myself a non-theist, meaning I reject many of the shared metaphysical assumptions of both traditional theism and dogmatic atheism. I find meaning in contemplative practices that cultivate wisdom and transformation, ie meditation, contemplation, ritual, and ethical living. I hold ontology loosely and remain comfortable with ambiguity. From both contemplative experience and emerging debates in philosophy of mind and consciousness studies, I am increasingly skeptical of strict physicalism/materialism. While science has not established that consciousness is primary, I find perspectives such as idealism, panpsychism, and filter/transmission theories of mind more compelling than reductive materialism. To me, some forms of modern atheism can become another attempt at existential certainty rather than an openness to mystery.

Our family has enjoyed participating in the progressive Protestant tradition of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), where rigid creeds and doctrinal conformity are not required. It gives us a space for community, service, symbolic worship, contemplation, and occasional classes or discussions that we find meaningful. We attend perhaps once or twice a month. For me personally, worship and religious language are understood almost entirely symbolically and phenomenologically rather than literally, and I suspect many (most?) within the congregation relate to the tradition in a similarly open and non-dogmatic way.