Get to Know New York City's Social Club For the Formerly Devout

Formerly Fundamentalist is a secret group on Meetup that seeks to provide a safe space for formerly religious people to socialize, discuss and transition into secular society.

Formerly Religious is for people who have left their religions, especially fervently religious, fundamentalist, and orthodox sects. This group is designed for people who no longer believe in the faith they were raised in, such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism; i.e. atheists, agnostics, and deists or “spiritual” individuals who may or may not believe in a higher power.

In this video from Gothamist producer Jessica Leibowitz, hear from some of the group's members talk about their experiences transitioning out, and the social group helping them do so.

"I don't want to go to a dinner party that's a therapy session. I have a therapist," the woman explained. "But I want to meet like-minded people, and that's exactly the point of the group. You can say nothing, or you can hang out and talk about the presidential race, or you can spill your guts."

Check out the video's accompanying article on Gothamist for more on this fascinating story.

via Gothamist

Matt Coneybeare

Matt Coneybeare

Editor in Chief

Matt enjoys exploring the City's with his partner and son. He is an avid marathon runner, and spends most of his time eating, running, and working on cool stuff.

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