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Atheist Churches

Started by Biggus Dickus, March 24, 2022, 05:01:11 PM

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Biggus Dickus

Talk Heathen ran this poll recently, and I was somewhat surprised at the results of their vote. (Over a thousand votes)
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I'm personally not opposed to atheists gathering together, and I know that there are some well-known atheist organizations such as"The Atheist Community of Austin" that I wouldn't mind joining, however. The notion of an Atheist Church doesn't set well with me, as I can see it being too controlling or authoritative. Plus, there are already too many theists who like to compare or state that atheism is simply another type of religion, so calling it an Atheist Church seems to feed into this notion as well.

I voted no, but was curious what the folks here at HAF thought about this.
"Some people just need a high-five. In the face. With a chair."

Recusant

"Not being in favor of" would inevitably be a larger cohort than "against," I think. I'm in agreement with you, and am not in favor of atheist churches. If some atheists feel a desire to form one in the manner of the Sunday Assembly thing I don't really object, though I admit they get a side-eye from me. As for various assertions that atheism is a religion, there isn't much you can do about willful ignorance.  :shrug:
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Icarus

Humanists are polite atheists. My local Humanist group meets from time to time in a nice little church.  The church itself is a way out in left field type, who does not get much excited about the eminent return of Jesus.

At one of the few Humanist meetings that I have attended, I observed that almost all the adherents' were 50, 60, 70 year olds. .  That was surprising because I had previously presumed that the modern skeptics were of a newer generation.

billy rubin

well, i recently became an ordained minister of the universal life church.

its easy and free

they have a certificate i can put on the wall but it costs money and i havent done it yet.

you can become a minister too

https://www.themonastery.org/?utm_source=ordination_confirmation&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ordination_via_link&utm_campaign=themonastery_org


i dont yet know what i believe either. it will take some research.


set the function, not the mechanism.

Biggus Dickus

Quote from: Icarus on March 26, 2022, 02:08:00 AM
Humanists are polite atheists. My local Humanist group meets from time to time in a nice little church.  The church itself is a way out in left field type, who does not get much excited about the eminent return of Jesus.

At one of the few Humanist meetings that I have attended, I observed that almost all the adherents' were 50, 60, 70 year olds. .  That was surprising because I had previously presumed that the modern skeptics were of a newer generation.

That is surprising as most of the skeptics I have met have been younger than me (Mid-50's), however. I wonder if the older crowd attending the meetings you mention do so because they are more accustom to group settings and dynamics?
I mean most likely many of them probably attended churches when they were younger....while many younger folk today, especially the "Nones" didn't necessarily grow up going to church regularly according to polling data. (I have a daughter (mid-30's) and son (Mid-20's) who attended some church when they were younger, but not a lot.


Quote from: billy rubin on March 26, 2022, 02:35:54 AM
well, i recently became an ordained minister of the universal life church.

its easy and free

they have a certificate i can put on the wall but it costs money and i havent done it yet.

you can become a minister too

https://www.themonastery.org/?utm_source=ordination_confirmation&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ordination_via_link&utm_campaign=themonastery_org

i dont yet know what i believe either. it will take some research.

I used to be Father Bruno here on the forum some years ago, butt that was only a joke...You on the other hand are an ordained minister!!

That's cool...Should we call you Pastor Billy? 8)
"Some people just need a high-five. In the face. With a chair."

billy rubin

brother billy is fine.

my religion holds humility in high regard

look at what all i can do now

QuoteWe remind you to get ordained if you haven't already. This is the first step in the process that will allow you to legally officiate weddings of friends and family. You can also perform baptisms, preside over funerals, offer blessings, and even absolve the sins of others.

let me know if you have any sins you need to have absolved


set the function, not the mechanism.

Biggus Dickus

Quote from: billy rubin on March 26, 2022, 11:23:44 PM
brother billy is fine.

my religion holds humility in high regard

look at what all i can do now

QuoteWe remind you to get ordained if you haven't already. This is the first step in the process that will allow you to legally officiate weddings of friends and family. You can also perform baptisms, preside over funerals, offer blessings, and even absolve the sins of others.

let me know if you have any sins you need to have absolved


Brother Billy sounds cool, in fact you should change your forum name to Brother Billy. ;D


Can you absolve me of the sin of not having any modesty when it comes to bragging about the size of my thing?

I think if an Ordained Minister such as yourself could offer me absolution regarding this it would go a long, long way in patching things up between me and Bad Penny II.

QuoteOh please forgive me Brother Billy, it's been decades since my last confession.

I fully admit to being a selfless, immodest, self aggrandizing, braggart!! With little or no respect for the modest values of others, or how difficult their lives must be walking around with tiny, little penises.
I am truly sorry, and promise to stop....though even you Brother Billy have to admit it's Kina funny, right?
"Some people just need a high-five. In the face. With a chair."

billy rubin

i hereby absolve you of all conswquences in this world and any other that may accrue from excessive pride or aggeandizement pertaining to any characteristics of your tallywhachacker.

or any other anatomy of interest.

go and sin no more


set the function, not the mechanism.

Tank

The weekly sermon.

There is no evidence to support the claims of theists.

Humanist 'churches' could be a thing I suppose.
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Asmodean

Late to the party, but here be my two Kroner;

I voted "no" in the sense that I would not attend such a church. However, there are plenty of atheists who take things outside religion on faith and want affirmation of their beliefs and the feeling of righteousness and all the same kinds of things one may use a regular church for, that even before we mention wanting to belong to something larger than oneself.

As such, while you would have to force me into a place like that, there may well be a lot of people who find the idea appealing. As long as they do not intrude upon me, I have no reason to stop them.

Then of course one can call a community gathering place with no faith-in-authority-foundation "church." In that case... Personally, I'd just use a different word to describe it, but... Whatever.

To summarise, I'd say that atheist churches are not my cup of tea. Sceptic churches... Wouldn't be churches, but for the name.
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 25, 2013, 08:18:52 PM
In Asmo's grey lump,
wrath and dark clouds gather force.
Luxembourg trembles.

Harmonie

Church is dreadfully boring. I was never sad about leaving church, unlike so many others for that reason.

However, now as an adult I am feeling a void. Perhaps not a church void, but I think my introversion over the years combined with me not doing things where people normally meet each other (church, bars, etc) has dug me a hole that I'm finding myself unable to get out of and I'm sad. Didn't think I'd be single at 33, but here we are.

So I'm thinking I need some kind of community to join. But... I don't know that a community of atheists is really that exciting. Lol. Perhaps a diverse and progressive group of atheists would be better. I don't know how atheist/secular conventions are now, but a lot of us women know to avoid them. What stops an atheist "church" from becoming just like that?

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"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." - Susan B. Anthony