(November 19, 2014 at 11:16 am)Mister Agenda Wrote:(November 19, 2014 at 10:24 am)Brian37 Wrote: I do hate that some atheists are starting "atheist churches". Sounds nice right now, how can a minority become abusive? Easy, think short term and forget that you are not a separate species, create a club, write down words as moral absolutes, POOF, what was a mere position suddenly becomes a dogma with political goals.
I'm pretty sure establishing a dogma would be counter to their dogma of not establishing a dogma. Even the Unitarian Universalists and United Church of Christ don't have lists of things you HAVE to believe to be members; just expectations of civil, legal, and safe behavior. I'm sure an atheist 'church' can follow suit.
You'd like to think that, but still not a given. I attended a Unitarian Church for many years. It was pluralistic and very inclusive. And I really liked it because everyone hated Falwell(the same city he lived in). But in 05 when I moved here, they had gotten rid of the preacher because he was too secular and atheistic. He got replaced by a more Jesus fan because the entity of the organization didn't like that direction.
You are not going to avoid power struggles even with saying " we are all equal". It sounds nice on paper, but you do not protect it by presuming that merely saying it, will automatically make that happen.
