Can You Help Religious People Without Believing?
- Ashley Beaty-Perry
- Oct 16
- 2 min read
👉 If you’d rather watch the video version, you can find it here.
People often ask, How do you, as a secular chaplain, care for people who are religious?
It’s a good question — and part of the answer lies in what all professionally trained chaplains are meant to do.
Clinically trained chaplains are taught to meet people exactly where they are — to walk alongside them, not ahead of them, not above them, but with them. Our care is never about us. It’s always about the person we’re serving.
Meeting People Where They Are
Chaplains are not pastors, priests, or ministers. We don’t evangelize, preach, or try to convert. Our role is not to promote any belief system but to support people in exploring their own sources of meaning, hope, and purpose.
If the person I’m caring for draws strength from their faith, I meet them there. I’ll ensure their spiritual care aligns with their tradition — whether that means offering familiar prayers or helping them connect with a priest, minister, or leader from their own faith community.
If the person I’m caring for finds meaning outside religion — through the arts, nature, science, or relationships — I meet them there too. My job is to ensure their care aligns with what matters most to them.
That’s what it means to provide person-centered care.
When Religion Isn’t Wanted
There are many wonderful ways for people to access religious care. But for those who don’t want religion involved — or who no longer find comfort in it — options can feel scarce.
That’s why I talk so often about secular chaplaincy. I want people to know this kind of care exists. There are professionally trained chaplains who come from secular, humanist, or atheist backgrounds — and we’re here to provide
compassionate, nonreligious support when that’s what someone needs.
We’re not here to argue beliefs or take them away. We’re here to listen, to walk beside people through the hardest parts of being human, and to remind them they don’t have to go through it alone.
Why This Matters
Every person deserves care that feels authentic to them — whether that includes religion or not. Secular chaplains ensure that those who want care without religion still have a place to turn for comfort, understanding, and connection.
💬 I’d love to hear from you. Have you ever worked with a chaplain — religious or not? What kind of care feels most supportive to you?
💛 Ashley
Your secular chaplain
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