Harvard Atheists Team Up to Write About Godless Congregations

[rug]

May 17, 2013
By Hemant Mehta

James Croft and Greg Epstein, both of the Humanist Community at Harvard, just signed a book deal to write The Godless Congregation:

The past few months have demonstrated that there is an increasing desire among religious “nones” for new forms of community which fulfill the human need for fellowship, support, civic engagement, ethical inspiration, and existential exploration. The Houston Oasis, the Sunday Assembly, and the Secular Hub in Denver are three such congregations: the sign of a trend toward greater organization among the nonreligious, showing that godless congregations are possible and that people want them.

I love the idea. There’s value in community for those who want it — and I suspect a lot more of us want it than we think. Only now are we starting to see some options pop up.

Yes, people are going to complain that an “atheist church” makes no sense or that it’s too much like religion, but that’s a very narrow-minded way of looking at it. There are so many people who don’t believe in God but remain in their church because of all the benefits it offers — community, moral education, childcare, a “spiritual rejuvenation” if you will. You don’t need God for any of that, and the atheists who are starting these “congregations” are only adapting the good parts of church while leaving behind the myth. There’s potential for abuse, but it hasn’t happened yet.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/05/17/harvard-atheists-team-up-to-write-about-godless-congregations/

[skepticscott]

1. It's only imbeciles

who feel the need to call these things "churches". Humans have been forming groups or all types for thousands of years for all sorts of reasons. But there seems to be a desperate need among religionistsas and apologists to paint atheism as a "religion" at any cost.

[rug]

4. Are Croft and Epstein religionistas, apologists or imbeciles?

[skepticscott]

5. Has either of them

has used the word "church" to describe these communities? If so, show us. If not, then I see no reason to label them with any of those terms.

[skepticscott]

9. Apparently they never did

despite your implication and your horseshit false choices.

[rug]

10. I;ll let you know after their book comes out.

In the meantime I give you this link so you can continue your horseshit name calling without repeating yourself so often.

http://thesaurus.com/

[skepticscott]

11. So in other words, your question was just bull cookies

and a lame attempt to play "gotcha". What a shock.

You really ought to consider Chapter 11.

[rug]

12. Lol, you mean Chapter 7. I have no need to reorganize.

[Warren Stupidity]

6. Well in fairness Alain de Botton does talk about atheist cathedrals.

Just to confuse the issue. But he too simply wants to take what is good from the dead and dying institutions of failed religions and incorporate them in new non-theistic institutions that promote non theistic communities.

[DirkGently]

2. Secular congregations are an interesting idea.

Why not? One of the positive things about religious organizations is that they serve as community meeting places. I can imagine one where people could discuss community, ethics, etc. without the mythological framework.

No need to call it a "church," but I've always thought the idea of "church" have meaning beyond the big three religions.

[LostOne4Ever]

3. They HAD to use the word church didn't they?

Why not the term social club? Or Community group?

If you want a church environment that is welcoming to atheists and agnostics there is always the UU Church.

Also since when have all "nones" been atheists?

The author had to use the word "church" didn't he.

[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#dcdcdc; padding-bottom:5px; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-bottom:none; border-radius:0.4615em 0.4615em 0em 0em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/church[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#f0f0f0; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-top:none; border-radius:0em 0em 0.4615em 0.4615em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]1church noun \ˈchərch\

Definition of CHURCH

1
: a building for public and especially Christian worship
2
: the clergy or officialdom of a religious body
3
often capitalized : a body or organization of religious believers: as
a : the whole body of Christians
b : denomination <the Presbyterian church>
c : congregation
4
: a public divine worship <goes to church every Sunday>
5
: the clerical profession <considered the church as a possible career>
See church defined for English-language learners »
See church defined for kids »

Not one of these apply.

[Goblinmonger]

8. The UU I belong to doesn't use the word church.

It is called a "Fellowship." So even the UU world sees the idiocy of that term to a large extent.

A caveat: I realize I belong to a fellowship that is markedly not christian in orientation so that may guide the labeling. I went the the UU "congregation" in Madison, WI a few years back and it had a markedly Christian feel to it. But such is the world of the UUs--no Pope to shame us into doing what he wants us to do for fear of hellfire.

[cbayer]

7. The U/U's are going to fill alot of these gaps, imo, but I suspect we will see

more and more organizations of non-believers and "spiritual but not religious" types going forward.

That's a good thing, imo. And I don't care what one calls them. If they take what is good and valuable from religious organizations and mold them to meet the needs and interests of their members, they can call them whatever suits them.