Are Nonreligious Organizations Able to Provide the Same Services as Churches?

[Pizza]

Do we have to replace church? All I want is secular institution that serves the same social function for atheists, agnostics, and theists who reject religion.

[Losty]

And they have better coffee cake than any atheist could ever make.

You wish buddy

[rexbeccarox]

I think it would be great if there were something like that. Maybe some sort of "free-thinkers" group or a secular social club that could offer the same sort of services as a church, i.e. pantry for the poor type events, childcare services, secular youth groups. Granted the U.S. government provides a myriad of great services for those short of finances, this would be more of a community based thing. However I can't see something like this being terribly popular in the U.S. seeing as how something like 75% of people consider themselves some sort of Christian denomination (do not quote me on that).

If someone started a "secular church" for lack of a better term, I could already see the Christian fundies going into an uproar about how society is jamming Satanism down the throats of their children.

I have about 250 index cards with ideas and plans for a secular, education-based "congregation". It's a lot of fun to think about. Science and history talks instead of sermons; Music; committees for charity work, youth groups, finances, activities, etc.; after school educational day care run by teen volunteers. Lot's more stuff too. I was a church secretary when I was younger, and got a good idea of how churches run.