I am an atheist, however that leads to certain problems. So this thread is intended for discussion of the problems that can arise from being an atheist.
One of my big problems about atheism is the lack of community. Something that religions do well is to provide a community structure and support system. There is no equivalent for the atheist. There is no such thing as an "atheist community". There is no equivalent to the parish priest to whom I can take my troubles.
A while ago I had a big moral dilemma for which I needed objective advice and support. It was not something I was able to discuss with my family, in fact it concerned members of my family and my attitude to a decision that one of them had made. The only person I found I was able to get any kind of useful support from was the minister of the local church, with whom I was at the time only very slightly aquainted.
The fact is that, despite knowing that I am an atheist, he was extremely helpful and his advice opened me up to a point of view which I had been unable to achieve on my own, and which helped me deal with the situation. He even asked if I minded if he said a little prayer for me (which I agreed to, feeling it a very small price for the advice I had received).
I would have preferred to have been able to take my problem to someone with a similar role, but without the religion, only there is no-one. There is within atheism no structure for such a person. There is no structure of anything within atheism. On a local level, I mean.
What I think is needed is a kind of atheist church, a place where atheists can meet regularly to celebrate their atheism and in order to develop a sense of community. Only how on earth such a thing could be brought about is completely beyond me. Any ideas?
One of my big problems about atheism is the lack of community. Something that religions do well is to provide a community structure and support system. There is no equivalent for the atheist. There is no such thing as an "atheist community". There is no equivalent to the parish priest to whom I can take my troubles.
A while ago I had a big moral dilemma for which I needed objective advice and support. It was not something I was able to discuss with my family, in fact it concerned members of my family and my attitude to a decision that one of them had made. The only person I found I was able to get any kind of useful support from was the minister of the local church, with whom I was at the time only very slightly aquainted.
The fact is that, despite knowing that I am an atheist, he was extremely helpful and his advice opened me up to a point of view which I had been unable to achieve on my own, and which helped me deal with the situation. He even asked if I minded if he said a little prayer for me (which I agreed to, feeling it a very small price for the advice I had received).
I would have preferred to have been able to take my problem to someone with a similar role, but without the religion, only there is no-one. There is within atheism no structure for such a person. There is no structure of anything within atheism. On a local level, I mean.
What I think is needed is a kind of atheist church, a place where atheists can meet regularly to celebrate their atheism and in order to develop a sense of community. Only how on earth such a thing could be brought about is completely beyond me. Any ideas?
