Atheist 'Mega-Churches' Take Root Across US, World

[manifold]

If atheism is a religion, than so too is the Tea Party movement... if we're being consistent anyway.

You can't have a declaration that a group is or is not a religious movement. The Tea Party is only concerned with taxes i.e., Taxed Enough Already. The atheists truly are declaring themselves a religious movement with the creation of churches, pastors etc.

I wasn't talking about the group in the OP necessarily. I'm talking about atheism in general.

 

[TooTall]

People generally need to believe in something more powerful and better than themselves, I think.

That is where gays can go and get a Church wedding.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Confucianism is a 'cultural religion' with no gods in the expressions of the Abrahamic religions

 

[RDD_1210]

I'm an atheist and I don't quite understand the need to congregate and celebrate not believing in something. Religion is ridiculous but so is getting together to not believe in something. The beauty of atheism is you don't have to prove how worthy you are, to anyone real or "imagined".

 

[Mad_Cabbie]

I hate going to church - that's one of the perks of not being a christian - I can stay home.

 

[kidrocks]

What's the point? I mean, with church I can at least see a preacher giving a sermon about some lesson or parable or story in the Bible and how that relates to everyday living, but atheists have no holy book to draw from. So its a gathering of likeminded people to celebrate nothingness. Why bother? Just have a get together at someone's house, cook some food, and watch football or something.

That said, I suspect that part of the whole spectacle is the "I'm smarter than you" mindset that is so pervasive among many many many atheists. Being a dickish troll isn't limited to online behavior I'm sorry to say. This is just a coopting of religious ceremonies so they can stick a finger in the eye of believers. Of course, people need to gather among likeminded folks, that whole ingrained simian need for tribes, and once you star preaching to the converted, and let's face it the newly converted are often the most vocal of the group, I guess it just snowballs or something.

I also dislike this need to proselytize. I fail to see the need to run around and tell people who don't care what you have to think, just what you think. Is what you have to say really so worthwhile to set up shop on a street corner, much less collect 800,000 dollars to spread it overseas?

Didn't you read the article? It said the members unashamedly borrowed the "rousing music, inspirational talk and some quiet reflection and the camaraderie of a congregation without religion or ritual."

 

[R.C. Christian]

What if there is no God?

Did you ever think of that?

I have... many a time.






Atheist 'mega-churches' take root across US, world

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It looked like a typical Sunday morning at any mega-church. Several hundred people, including families with small children, packed in for more than an hour of rousing music, an inspirational talk and some quiet reflection. The only thing missing was God...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace.

Does that about sum it up comrade?

 

[Kondor3]

First United Church of Nothingness?

 

[Coyote]

Duplicate threads merged.

 

[kidrocks]

What if there is no God?

Did you ever think of that?

I have... many a time.






Atheist 'mega-churches' take root across US, world

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It looked like a typical Sunday morning at any mega-church. Several hundred people, including families with small children, packed in for more than an hour of rousing music, an inspirational talk and some quiet reflection. The only thing missing was God...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace.

Does that about sum it up comrade?

Nicely summed up indeed... thanks comrade!

PS... you should give credit where credit is due... John Lennon.

 

[hjmick]

People generally need to believe in something more powerful and better than themselves, I think.

Some people.

 

[boilermaker55]

re·li·gion
noun \ri-ˈli-jən\

: the belief in a god or in a group of gods

: an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods

athe·ism
noun \ˈā-thē-ˌi-zəm\
Definition of ATHEISM
1
archaic : ungodliness, wickedness
2
a : a disbelief in the existence of deity
b : the doctrine that there is no deity

Comprehend much?

I guess those who said atheism is a religion we right all along.

Atheist 'Mega-Churches' Take Root Across US, World - ABC News

It looked like a typical Sunday morning at any mega-church. Several hundred people, including families with small children, packed in for more than an hour of rousing music, an inspirational talk and some quiet reflection. The only thing missing was God.

Nearly three dozen gatherings dubbed "atheist mega-churches" by supporters and detractors have sprung up around the U.S. and Australia — with more to come — after finding success in Great Britain earlier this year. The movement fueled by social media and spearheaded by two prominent British comedians is no joke.

 

[Vox]

Atheist church is oxymoron, so whatever is appearing is a proof that atheism is just a form of religion. Which was obvious long time ago

Yes, but a Godless religion at that. God has no exclusive rights to the word "church".

It doesn't matter. Still a religion. and with the prevailing number of fanatics ( a usual occurrence for a young religion )

 

[boilermaker55]

Repeated just for you.
re·li·gion
noun \ri-ˈli-jən\

: the belief in a god or in a group of gods

: an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods

athe·ism
noun \ˈā-thē-ˌi-zəm\
Definition of ATHEISM
1
archaic : ungodliness, wickedness
2
a : a disbelief in the existence of deity
b : the doctrine that there is no deity

Comprehend much?

Atheist church is oxymoron, so whatever is appearing is a proof that atheism is just a form of religion. Which was obvious long time ago

Yes, but a Godless religion at that. God has no exclusive rights to the word "church".

It doesn't matter. Still a religion. and with the prevailing number of fanatics ( a usual occurrence for a young religion )

 

[BDBoop]

I'm an atheist and I don't quite understand the need to congregate and celebrate not believing in something. Religion is ridiculous but so is getting together to not believe in something. The beauty of atheism is you don't have to prove how worthy you are, to anyone real or "imagined".

Maybe they just want to socialize.

 

[Vox]

Repeated just for you.
re·li·gion
noun \ri-ˈli-jən\

: the belief in a god or in a group of gods

: an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods

athe·ism
noun \ˈā-thē-ˌi-zəm\
Definition of ATHEISM
1
archaic : ungodliness, wickedness
2
a : a disbelief in the existence of deity
b : the doctrine that there is no deity

Comprehend much?

Yes, but a Godless religion at that. God has no exclusive rights to the word "church".

It doesn't matter. Still a religion. and with the prevailing number of fanatics ( a usual occurrence for a young religion )

yawn

atheism is just a form of religion - nothing more, nothing less. and as a young one it is very aggressive and has a very high number of fanatics.

Nothing new under the sun

 

[TemplarKormac]

I'm an atheist and I don't quite understand the need to congregate and celebrate not believing in something. Religion is ridiculous but so is getting together to not believe in something. The beauty of atheism is you don't have to prove how worthy you are, to anyone real or "imagined".

Maybe they just want to socialize.

Or contradict their entire belief system, by establishing places of worship. How cute.

 

[lakeview]

poach what from others?

If some atheists could stand on their own they wouldn't always have to get attention by placing themselves as close as possible to those they disagree with. They should believe what they want to believe and leave others out of it, but they don't.

I'm not sure I understand your point. Can you be more specific?

Are you saying that people shouldn't share what they believe with others? That seems a bit silly to me if that's the case.

I have no problem with people spreading their message, I do have a problem with people trying to disrupt the beliefs of others while they are doing so.

The atheist in Santa Monica mentioned in the story is a perfect example, that person could have put his display up at any time of the year, anywhere (with the proper licenses of course) but what did he do? According to the article in the OP he decided to put his in the middle of a nativity scene and that's not spreading your beliefs, that's screwing with the beliefs of others.

The article was wrong btw. It wasn't one atheist it was a group of atheists and they didn't add to the display they replaced it in its entirety.

Putting up your own display and spreading your own beliefs?...good.
Interfering with the displays and beliefs of others?...bad.

 

[manifold]

If some atheists could stand on their own they wouldn't always have to get attention by placing themselves as close as possible to those they disagree with. They should believe what they want to believe and leave others out of it, but they don't.

I'm not sure I understand your point. Can you be more specific?

Are you saying that people shouldn't share what they believe with others? That seems a bit silly to me if that's the case.

I have no problem with people spreading their message, I do have a problem with people trying to disrupt the beliefs of others while they are doing so.

The atheist in Santa Monica mentioned in the story is a perfect example, that person could have put his display up at any time of the year, anywhere (with the proper licenses of course) but what did he do? According to the article in the OP he decided to put his in the middle of a nativity scene and that's not spreading your beliefs, that's screwing with the beliefs of others.

The article was wrong btw. It wasn't one atheist it was a group of atheists and they didn't add to the display they replaced it in its entirety.

Putting up your own display and spreading your own beliefs?...good.
Interfering with the displays and beliefs of others?...bad.

Ok, fair enough. Atheists can be assholes just like anybody else.