Frequently Asked Questions
This is the beginning of an FAQ page. We are just posting the questions at present; the answers come later! We envisage posting several alternative answers to the same question. After all - the SoF is a network of individuals who hold different opinions on these questions so there will not necessarily be a single definitive answer on every question. However, we hope that this page covers all the difficult questionsd asked of Sea of Faith and that at least some of the responses convince you.
If you want to contribute a question or an answer to this page, please email the webmaster at sofn.webmaster@gmail.com
by clicking here...
The organisation
- When and how did Sea of Faith start?
- Why is it called the Sea of Faith?
- Is the fact that it is called a "network" significant?
- What does the Network do?
- Is the Sea of Faith a campagning organisation?
- Who are the members?
- How do I join?
- Are there local groups?
- Does the Sea of Faith have any policies on national issues?
Beliefs
- What does the Sea of Faith believe?
- What do you have to believe in order to join the Sea of Faith?
- Do Sea of Faith members believe in a personal God?
- If you don't believe in an objective God what does faith and salvation mean to you?
- Do Sea of Faith members believe in the supernatural?
- Do Sea of Faith members believe in life after death?
- What is the SoF attitude to ritual and worship?
- I understand that some SOF members are practicing clergymen. How can they in good conscience conduct conventional religious funerals ceremonies in which it is implied the deceased live on after death?
- Is the Sea of Faith a Christian organisation? Do any members belong to other religions?
- Is Don Cupitt the guru to the Sea of Faith?
Non-realism
- What is meant by non-realism?
- Isn't "non-real" just another way of saying "unreal"
- Isn't non-realist theism just atheism by a different name?
Books & Writers
- Who are the main Sea of Faith writers?
- Can you recommend a list of introductory books?
SoF, Church and Religion
- Do SOF members belong to mainstream churches?
- Why don't you just leave the church if you don't believe its doctrines?
- Why don't you set up your own church?
- Some SOF people call themselves Religious Humanists. Isn't that just a contradiction in terms?
- Aren't you just atheists?
- Isn't Sea of Faith just a modern version of Plato's "Noble Lie"?
- Aren't Sea of Faith members really humanists who know that religion is false but just haven't quite grown out of it?
- Why do Sea of Faith members feel they still need the crutch of religion?