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Current time: December 5, 2024, 2:18 am

Poll: Atheist 'churches' a good idea?
This poll is closed.
Yes
15.63%
5 15.63%
No
53.13%
17 53.13%
Not sure/Depends
31.25%
10 31.25%
Total 32 vote(s) 100%
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Atheist 'church'?
#31
RE: Atheist 'church'?
Churches are community events, first and foremost. It's a regular event that many community members can get together for, and where they might expect to find other members of their community. It also serves as a semi-united social force, for whatever function such may serve.

As such... I am completely okay with churches of all types, so long as my boundaries provided by my understanding of 'basic human dignity' are not crossed.

(December 22, 2013 at 9:11 am)StoryBook Wrote: Yup, fucking dumb. Church is for worship,atheist don't worship.
My internet sucks so I only watch the first minute, but that was enough to annoy me. What the fuck is with the stupid singing. They look like a bunch of crazy Christians, just singing different words.

Singing with one's fellows is pretty good on the soul... you should try it sometime. Say, with your family, or other loved ones, and see how you feel Smile

And don't do any of that stupid self-confidence-depreciation shit, yo: this activity has the capacity to do *wonders* for it.

(December 22, 2013 at 11:50 am)là bạn điên Wrote: This just gives ammunition to Christians who state that atheism is a religion.

My non beleif in a divinity does not give me anything else in common with other atheists

Are you human? Are you a mammal? Are you primarily made of water molecules?

Plenty of things in common with these "other atheists", of whom you speak. Community... is in finding that commonality, and in respecting that diversity.

Do you think that all Christians in a given church believe exactly the same things? Or for the same reasons?

(December 22, 2013 at 12:51 pm)teaearlgreyhot Wrote: I'm cool with it so long as they meet in the afternoon, have couches instead of pews, and do human sacrifice.

The former we can talk on later, but that last is nonnegotiable.

(December 22, 2013 at 3:44 pm)Raeven Wrote: Well, I hardly feel like I'm "surrendering some of (my) autonomy and freedom to avoid false persecution," by not wishing to confuse religious folks further by naming a gathering by atheists a "church." I have zero problem standing up to them and do so comfortably and regularly. It isn't for my personal sake that I have a preference to avoid using the word, "church," in reference to atheist gatherings. It's because use of that term has specific meaning to many people -- particularly among the religious. So it gives rise to even more confusion among the religious than already exists. I see no reason to do that.

If it pleases you to think I'm just making things more comfortable for myself, then that's ok. You are certainly entitled to think it. But I don't feel the concept I'm conveying here is so difficult to grasp.

Or... you could explain to them what church is, and use their misunderstanding of a word to further their understanding of a world. Smile It's a fantastic learning opportunity for them, should one seize upon it.

(December 22, 2013 at 4:09 pm)rasetsu Wrote: Suppressing or disguising your identity is a form of proximal stressor in minority stress. We have a number of transgendered individuals on this forum. How much do you want to bet that they disguise or otherwise hide their transgendered status from people who would "be confused" by the concept of their transgender and want to treat them as less than full men or full women on account of knowing, in a confused way, that they are transgendered.

Or that they hide from themselves, their loved ones, because they're too confusing, distressing, or difficult for them to deal with... which is further enforced by a society that holds norms for pre-established definitions, and does not well-understand anomalies.

(December 23, 2013 at 5:46 am)là bạn điên Wrote: Interesting. I am an(atheist) Buddhist and I think their use of Sangha is incorrect and is just affectation. If you are not monks then it is not a sangha. It is a meditation group.

Oddly... what it is called is probably the least important thing that could have been noted within the paragraph, especially having been explained within such as having been an aside, thereafter incorporating said aside into the cohesive whole, being "the point" XD

It's an exercise that a number of individuals, each with their own reason(s) for being there, might engage in. What it is called is fundamentally irrelevant: it could be a "Cheeseburger" and have precisely the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physiological effects it has when called a "Sangha".

All that differs is the expectation of the event. A 'meditation group' does not suggest or otherwise imply that the sit has ANY spiritual background whatsoever.

(December 22, 2013 at 8:42 pm)Cinjin Wrote: Someone in your country needs to tell these atheists about something we call - A BAR.

Not everyone enjoys the bar scene, Cin Heart

(December 23, 2013 at 8:27 am)Napoléon Wrote: Well I do. Raeven hit the nail on the head with why. I understand your own point about this Sangha, but I do think it's an entirely different circumstance. I'm not doubting the idea behind this 'atheist church' is probably a good idea, but my contention is entirely with them calling it a church. I don't see that word as being 'rebootable'. The word literally means "house of god". IMO calling an atheist gathering a church just creates completely unneeded confusion. It's almost as though these people have tried to be clever. "Ohh hehehe we've called it a church aren't we smart". No, you're just feeding the negative stereotypes people already have with atheists in the way you're going about it. Many religious people will find this whole thing not only laughable, but see it as though atheists are taking the piss out of their religion, something I'm not exactly keen on encouraging, at least not in such a dumbass way.

Words are rebooted endlessly, as are people, as are communities and nations of people.

How about turning 'church' into a positive connotation? Smile More than today: tomorrow.

(December 23, 2013 at 9:48 pm)Crulax Wrote: I have heard of them and while I can understand their intentions in wanting to bring atheist together for discussions I don't agree with it since Christians will more than likely use it to define atheism as a religion which it is not.

To their understanding of 'religion', it might well be.
Please give me a home where cloud buffalo roam
Where the dear and the strangers can play
Where sometimes is heard a discouraging word
But the skies are not stormy all day
Reply



Messages In This Thread
Atheist 'church'? - by Napoléon - December 22, 2013 at 8:56 am
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by StoryBook - December 22, 2013 at 9:11 am
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Kayenneh - December 22, 2013 at 9:38 am
Re: Atheist 'church'? - by NoraBrimstone - December 22, 2013 at 10:39 am
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by là bạn điên - December 22, 2013 at 11:50 am
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Tea Earl Grey Hot - December 22, 2013 at 12:51 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by BrianSoddingBoru4 - December 22, 2013 at 1:33 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Angrboda - December 22, 2013 at 1:40 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Napoléon - December 22, 2013 at 8:30 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Angrboda - December 22, 2013 at 10:08 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by là bạn điên - December 23, 2013 at 5:46 am
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Angrboda - December 23, 2013 at 6:17 am
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by là bạn điên - December 23, 2013 at 1:01 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Napoléon - December 23, 2013 at 8:27 am
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Whateverist - December 29, 2013 at 2:36 am
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Raeven - December 22, 2013 at 1:53 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Angrboda - December 22, 2013 at 2:09 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Raeven - December 22, 2013 at 2:15 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Angrboda - December 22, 2013 at 3:33 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Raeven - December 22, 2013 at 3:44 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Angrboda - December 22, 2013 at 4:09 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Belac Enrobso - December 31, 2013 at 3:43 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Whateverist - December 22, 2013 at 3:57 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Fidel_Castronaut - December 22, 2013 at 4:32 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by The Valkyrie - December 22, 2013 at 4:33 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Logisch - December 22, 2013 at 5:43 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Cinjin - December 22, 2013 at 8:42 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by EgoRaptor - December 23, 2013 at 4:59 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Crulax - December 23, 2013 at 9:48 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Faith No More - December 23, 2013 at 10:07 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Crulax - December 23, 2013 at 10:42 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Richi1 - December 27, 2013 at 7:32 am
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Violet - December 28, 2013 at 3:43 am
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Napoléon - December 28, 2013 at 7:55 am
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Violet - December 28, 2013 at 4:52 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Napoléon - December 29, 2013 at 8:15 am
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Whateverist - December 29, 2013 at 10:47 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Napoléon - December 30, 2013 at 6:50 am
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Raeven - December 28, 2013 at 10:27 am
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Violet - December 28, 2013 at 5:09 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Napoléon - December 28, 2013 at 7:57 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Violet - December 31, 2013 at 5:28 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Napoléon - December 31, 2013 at 9:02 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Angrboda - January 1, 2014 at 1:27 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Napoléon - January 1, 2014 at 2:32 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Whateverist - January 1, 2014 at 1:51 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Cinjin - December 28, 2013 at 11:44 am
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Tonus - December 28, 2013 at 11:56 am
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Napoléon - December 28, 2013 at 12:48 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by NoraBrimstone - December 28, 2013 at 12:57 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by rexbeccarox - December 28, 2013 at 4:27 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by BrokenQuill92 - December 28, 2013 at 4:58 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by The_Thinking_Theist - December 29, 2013 at 12:21 am
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by là bạn điên - December 29, 2013 at 1:46 am
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by bennyboy - December 30, 2013 at 7:55 am
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Napoléon - December 30, 2013 at 12:16 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Whateverist - December 30, 2013 at 12:49 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Napoléon - December 30, 2013 at 1:17 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Belac Enrobso - December 31, 2013 at 5:54 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Violet - December 31, 2013 at 5:59 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Belac Enrobso - December 31, 2013 at 6:21 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Violet - December 31, 2013 at 6:24 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by houseofcantor - December 31, 2013 at 7:12 pm
RE: Atheist 'church'? - by Violet - January 1, 2014 at 6:34 pm

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