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

It looked like a typical Sunday morning at any mega-church. Hundreds packed in for more than an hour of rousing music, an inspirational sermon, a reading and some quiet reflection. The only thing missing was God.

Dozens of gatherings dubbed "atheist mega-churches" by supporters and detractors are springing up around the U.S. 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.

Uhm. What!?
If this is such a great thing. Why do I feel like atheism is being co-opted, religionized, put in a box, and labeled, so it can be stereotyped, and put on a shelf? Don't get me wrong. I'm all for atheists coming out of the closet, and being honest about what they don't believe. I'm also for people coming together and putting aside the division that permeates our society, but do we really need an atheist "church"? What next? Door to door proselytizing? Putting flyers on peoples cars? Inviting people to our Sunday meetings? Maybe we can make the Christians that visit our church sit in the back.

Does this picture look familiar? It does to anyone who has been to a protestant church service.

That impulse, however, has raised the ire of those who have spent years pushing back against the idea that atheism itself is a religion.

"The idea that you're building an entire organization based on what you don't believe, to me, sounds like an offense against sensibility," said Michael Luciano, a self-described atheist who was raised Roman Catholic but left when he became disillusioned.

"There's something not OK with appropriating all of this religious language, imagery and ritual for atheism."

Exactly.

But hey. Who am I to judge these folks. If they're enjoying themselves. I think it's great. But I also think they aren't going to like the end result. If atheists thought they were stereotyped before, they haven't seen anything yet.
Source

reply to post by Klassified


Auhhh the old Tax free status is a worthy goal! Amazing! Wonder how long before the founders will be flying around in their private jets, hookers and all?

reply to post by Klassified


Heh, I figured people claimed atheism as an excuse NOT to go to church.

Pretty hysterical.

reply to post by 727Sky

A very astute observation. Religionize and monetize.

I hope something like this takes off in UK.

Greetings,

That woman has a look on her face that screams:

"PRAISE Jesus!"

-Peace-

ofSamoom
I hope something like this takes off in UK.

That's where this started...

Dozens of gatherings dubbed "atheist mega-churches" by supporters and detractors are springing up around the U.S. after finding success in Great Britain earlier this year.

This is why I'm agnostic...

do we really need an atheist church?

Yes! Do you really want the established religion's having control over all the people that want a place to socialize on Sunday?

CB328

do we really need an atheist church?

Yes! Do you really want the established religion's having control over all the people that want a place to socialize on Sunday?

Ok. Do we really need to mimic Christian ritual, though? This seems a bit disingenuous to me. And the fact this was started by two comedians isn't lost on me, either.

To each their own I guess..... Boggles my mind though.

reply to post by Klassified


Well I don’t see any harm in it. I have gone to church a few times to appease my wife and the community aspect of it was nice so I can see why this would be a big hit with some. As long as they don’t start to degrade others for their beliefs then it will be an asset to the community and from what I have read about the other atheist churches they claim to stay away from such things.

If one pops up in my area I will probably go see what it’s about but I like my football on Sundays so you know which will win out over the other if it comes down to it.

reply to post by Klassified


You mean to tell me Sonny & Cher in that photo are comedians?
Seriously?



-Peace-

(P.S.: I imagine what she's saying in the photo is something like: "Raise your hand if you know what its like to be hated on because you're too hot?")

reply to post by Klassified


Would you feel better if they called it a club? Seems to me to be a large group of like minded people getting together.

Personally i will not be showing up at any gatherings like this because it not really my style. I don't blame these people for showing up though. A church environment is a pretty positive thing and its definitely not on the list of things i despise about organized religion. Getting together and working together to cause positive change without using fear and guilt to manipulate followers sounds like a good thing to me.

Time will tell though i suppose. There is a lot of power running a successful church, secular or not. Abuse of power is horribly unmoral no matter which side of the belief line you hang out on.

DC

i ain't joinin no athiest church unless someone can prove god don't exist!

reply to post by Grimpachi

Well I don’t see any harm in it. I have gone to church a few times to appease my wife and the community aspect of it was nice so I can see why this would be a big hit with some. As long as they don’t start to degrade others for their beliefs then it will be an asset to the community and from what I have read about the other atheist churches they claim to stay away from such things.

I agree. I can definitely see why some would flock to this. And I'm not trying to say it's all bad. But I do see potential problems down the road, depending on where it goes from here.

I'm waiting for the first breakaway from the mainstream atheist church, though. "The reformed latter day atheists", "Southern atheists", or something like that. lol.

reply to post by Klassified


Bring on the fundamentalist atheist, let's shake it up!

reply to post by xDeadcowx

Time will tell though i suppose. There is a lot of power running a successful church, secular or not. Abuse of power is horribly unmoral no matter which side of the belief line you hang out on.

You just hit on one of the handful of things that bug me about all this. I just hope they don't start capitalizing, and capitalizing on, "atheism". :-)

The only reason I could think of as a atheist to go to one of these is to pick up chicks. Since chicks don't dig Spanish Archers I'll skip going to the not-church, stay home and waste my time watching football or some nonsense.

Why anybody would entertain the thought of attending one of these is, quite frankly, beyond my comprehension.

so atheism is a religion now, how strange. going in my strange folder of strange things people do.
Cant wait to join the anarchy club that now organizes itself with a heavy bureaucracy.