"Atheist Mega-Churches"?

[Mr. Morden]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/atheist-mega-churches-root-us-world-20845796

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[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Atheist churches sounds kind of bizarre.

However, secular clubs are nothing new.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freethought

[afleitch]

Trust an American media outlet to call them a ‘mega-church’, because megachurches are scary am I right?

They are free-thought assemblies in small venues under the umbrella of the ‘Sunday Assembly’ brand. There was one a few weeks ago in a community hall near me. I’ve no interest in going because I much prefer spending my Sunday morning at the gym but I’ve been to free-thought assemblies before to participate in debate.

However these new assemblies, branded or not when transported into the States seem a little bit more glitzy. I can certainly see how they might take off in parts of America where the expression of a non-theist viewpoint can be socially difficult and where organising into a communal ‘church’ seems to convey legitimacy. Given that America is the home of cheap, trashy, bastardized Christianity, then I have a feeling that sentiment will creep into free-thought assemblies too.

[Sic Semper Fascistis]

*sigh*

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Exactly.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

They sound a bit like a UU megachurch, depending upon the habits of the congregation.

[DC Al Fine]

*sigh*

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Exactly.

This

I recall reading a similar article about "de-baptism" ceremonies. There's a strong element of "stick in the eye" to these things.

[DemPGH]

*sigh*

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Exactly.

Generally, yeah, especially if we're talking about some monolithic thing, but I also think that a lack of belief in God could be better normalized - certainly in America. If "free thinker assemblies" are a way to do it, fine. But a "church of atheism" is NOT something that I would participate in.

They sound a bit like a UU megachurch, depending upon the habits of the congregation.

It does - there are a couple of those around here. I know of several folks who attend, and they do so mainly as loose spiritualist seeker types who are largely socializing. A couple of them don't even believe in God, or at least not in the God of any of the Western religions.

[bore]

Just for the record, the leaders of the sunday assembly are in no way prominent as comedians. Their entire claim to fame is as the leaders of the sunday assembly.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Speaking as an atheist, I hate atheists.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Speaking as an atheist, I hate atheists.

Many Christians feel the same way about Christians.

[memphis]

Nearly three dozen across the US and Australia? As politics nerds, we can all do the math here. No wonder nobody's heard of them. Atheists have far better things to do.

[Hatman 🍁]

They sound a bit like a UU megachurch, depending upon the habits of the congregation.

I've been to a couple of UU services, and this definitely sounds like one.

[minionofmidas]

What decade is this, the 1840s?

[Tetro Kornbluth]

What decade is this, the 1840s?

New Atheism is just Comtean Positivism on steroids. That's been obvious for some time.

[Third Party]

Speaking as an atheist, I hate atheists.

The problem with atheist organizations is that atheists only have one thing in common: not believing in a deity or deities. Atheist clubs always devolve into bantering about politics/economics/social issues/etc. Therefore, one might as well just join an actual political organization instead.