Resources
This page offers supporting materials for those who want to explore deeper—historically, ethically, or reflectively.
These aren’t doctrines. They’re tools. Use what sharpens your mind and conscience. Leave the rest.
This page offers supporting materials for those who want to explore deeper—historically, ethically, or reflectively.
These aren’t doctrines. They’re tools. Use what sharpens your mind and conscience. Leave the rest.
A stripped-down version of the gospels with all supernatural elements removed.
A non-canonical collection of Jesus’ sayings, many with deep moral insight.
The theoretical sayings document behind Matthew and Luke.
▪ The Second Mountain – David Brooks
A call to move beyond individual success and toward a life rooted in service, community, and moral depth.
Buy on Amazon | Borrow on WorldCat
▪ The Moral Landscape – Sam Harris
Argues that science—not religion—can help us define and pursue human well-being through reason and evidence.
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▪ Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? – Michael Sandel
A powerful introduction to moral philosophy, exploring real-life dilemmas through competing ethical frameworks.
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▪ Zealot – Reza Aslan
Portrays Jesus as a political revolutionary and Jewish reformer—far from the divine figure shaped by later theology.
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▪ Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time – Marcus Borg
Reintroduces Jesus as a historical person and spiritual teacher, not a myth or miracle-worker.
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▪ Forged – Bart Ehrman
Reveals how many New Testament books were falsely attributed to apostles—and how early Christian texts were manipulated.
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▪ Religion for Atheists – Alain de Botton
Explores what religion got right—like ritual, meaning, and community—and how we can reclaim those without belief.
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▪ Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor Frankl
Written from inside a Nazi concentration camp, this book argues that meaning—not pleasure or power—is the key to survival.
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▪ Living the Secular Life – Phil Zuckerman
Profiles people who live ethical, fulfilling lives without religion, offering a practical model for secular living.
You don’t need scriptures to examine your life.
You don’t need dogma to reflect deeply.
These prompts aren’t commandments. They’re tools for waking up — to your own values, your own contradictions, and your own potential.
Use them alone, in a journal, or with a group. There’s no scoring. No hierarchy. Just you and the truth.
What do I believe is “good”—and why?
Who taught me what’s right and wrong—and do I still agree?
What values do I say I live by... and what do my actions actually show?
What beliefs have I held onto out of fear—not truth?
Would I still be a good person if I stopped believing in anything?
If no one ever saw what I did, would I still choose integrity?
What’s more important to me: being kind or being correct?
Have I ever chosen silence over standing up for someone?
What do I tolerate in others that I wouldn’t tolerate in myself?
Do I treat people with compassion—or just politeness?
What part of my moral sense feels natural—and what feels trained?
How often do I revisit or update what I believe?
Have I ever mistaken guilt for guidance?
Is there anything I’ve inherited (culturally or spiritually) that still serves me?
If I lost everything I believed—what would still be true about how I treat others?
What parts of Jesus’ teachings still feel relevant—even without religion?
Where do I see churches acting in direct contradiction to the values they preach?
What would it look like to follow Jesus’ example rather than his worship?
Has belief ever been used to excuse cruelty in my community—or in me?
When I hear “Christian values,” what do I actually think of?
Do I know the difference between what Jesus said and what Paul wrote?
What modern systems reward obedience over conscience?
Would Jesus be welcome in most churches today—if he came without miracles?
Have I ever been pressured to conform when I knew it wasn’t right?
Do I associate “God” more with compassion or control?
How does power use religion to stay in power?
What would Jesus’ real message threaten—if we actually followed it?
Have I confused safety with morality?
Do I speak up when I see hypocrisy—or stay quiet to keep peace?
If Jesus were alive today and unrecognized, would I notice him? Or dismiss him?
What fears shaped my morals growing up—and are they still valid?
Who benefits when I feel ashamed of my instincts, body, or doubts?
Have I ever mistaken fear of punishment for conscience?
What rules do I follow out of habit—not because they’re right?
Has obedience ever made me complicit in harm?
When I’m honest—what am I really afraid will happen if I break away?
What voices in my head still sound like “God” but aren’t truth?
What would moral courage look like if I didn’t fear judgment?
Is there such a thing as ethical disobedience—and have I practiced it?
Do I confuse submission with humility?
What’s the difference between respect and control in my life?
When have I acted from guilt instead of love?
What parts of myself have I silenced to “stay good”?
Can I be truly free and still be deeply responsible to others?
If I stopped asking for permission, what kind of person would I become?
Who do I feel responsible for—and who taught me that?
What does justice mean to me when there’s no heaven or hell involved?
Do I act differently when power is watching?
Have I ever apologized to escape guilt—not to make something right?
What does “love your neighbor” look like today—in real terms?
What would forgiveness look like if it had nothing to do with forgetting?
Who have I harmed by staying neutral?
Where do I see injustice—but choose convenience over action?
What would it cost me to show up for someone outside my “tribe”?
Do I treat strangers as people—or problems?
What kind of justice do I want when I’ve been wronged? And what kind do I offer others?
When does helping become control?
How do I balance compassion and accountability—in others and in myself?
If everyone acted the way I do when no one’s watching, would the world be better?
What do I owe the people I’ll never meet—but whose lives are affected by my choices?
What gives my life meaning—if not divine purpose?
If this is the only life I get, how do I want to spend it?
What makes something sacred to me, even if I don’t believe in gods?
What rituals help me stay grounded—and which ones have I outgrown?
How do I honor grief, love, and change without religious ceremony?
Can awe exist without a deity? Have I felt it?
What does it mean to “bless” someone if I don’t believe in magic?
Where do I find peace without prayer?
Who am I when there’s no afterlife to impress?
Can I face death without belief in a soul—and still feel whole?
What kind of legacy matters to me if no divine record is being kept?
Where do I experience transcendence in ordinary life?
What would a secular celebration of birth, death, or marriage look like to me?
If “God” was never real—what parts of religion still feel useful?
How do I make sense of suffering without assuming it’s part of a plan?
These prompts aren’t here to preach.
They’re here to help you see more clearly—what you value, what you carry, and what you’re becoming.
Use them however you need. Alone. In conversation. In your journal. Around a table. Or not at all.
You don’t need belief to ask honest questions.
You don’t need dogma to live with depth.