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

This is one of the most hilarious things I've seen in a while. Nonetheless, if their services regularly include things like science lectures or philosophical discussions/teachings and I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn, I would totally go. Definitely not an atheist, but it doesn't really matter.

Cool, they have a right to gather and express their views, but why steal so much from christianity? Like the Sunday thing? Be original at least.

reply to post by AliceBleachWhite


It will be interesting to see where it goes because everyone believes in something (even if that something isn't God). It does appear it is just for what you speak of - a way to have fellowship without the attachments and things that go with that (guilt in some churches or just praying to something otherworldly without all of the emotional baggage in others). Singing songs like "why can't we be friends" or "what a wonderful world" pretty much makes everyone happy, and if people leave feeling more love and harmony with one another that is a good thing.

I would be more interested in what their lectures are about. Day to day struggles and how people help others to get through them, stories of world events with good energy to spread throughout. Because if so - those are good things yet even spreading good energy can look like a religion (more Eastern perhaps). It seems some belief systems will bleed through but maybe the facilitators have it carefully protected from that. Who knows - maybe in meeting due to religion being damaging to them in their lives (or have just reasoned their way out of it), they find a piece of God. God is, after all, love. It's just so many religions have taken it away from it being that simple.

reply to post by Klassified


This is hilarious. Someone who doesn't believe in God emulating the meetings of some who do.

I laugh at Atheists now, even more so reading this. It's absolutely hilarious.

After reading a small portion of the first page of this thread, I really had know interest in whatever else folks said upon the matter; though I really believe that it was "deep", and profound, and maybe it changed someone elses life. Either way here's Tim Minchin [yvid]IZeWPScnolo]

Dang technology,guhh!!! www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZeWPScnolo right, if this is like a three speed transmission, the linkage will be bullocks and it won't work. But HEY!!! Being positive!

Right, hopefully this worked. OK, no it didn't. thankfully all of this portion of existance, (Which includes your comments regarding me being an old dozzie sum'a bit for not knowing this part. Only really exists for my personal entertainment. Actually, I'm kinda bored so just wind folks up, who can't see the silliness of the openning, or erm secondary, tertiary statement? Either way. here it is: All of christanity was created for my personal amusement. It's gotten rather stale recently so I feel it's time to stop pretending. Let's shut down the fictitious things referred to normally as to churches, get on with our lives trying to make this a better, non-fictitous administrative world. You are no better than anyone else = no else is better than you. But you all may be better than me at posting youtube vids!!! So if ye can can you post: Thank You God Tim Minchin You won't be blessed, but ye may have a laugh.

reply to post by arpgme


I bet the pope francis will make a surprise visitation - "you don't have to believe in God to go to heaven"

NWO religion at it's finest.

and this is why I decided to not consider myself atheist. I knew this would happen. I also know that atheists are the same if not worse then Catholics. So what do I believe in... hmmm I don't know. I mean if start believing something I am put into some sort of cult/religion, and then when I don't I am considered atheist, but I don't wanna be put into that group. Science is out of question thanks to Scientology. I'm so conflicted right now. Why do humans have to ruin everything?

i don't know about this. (what to think)

in a way, they have everything already, to classify them as a religion.

monuments, dogma, "popes", (high priests?)
common beliefs, fundie's, prejudiced, lol! all they need is to apply for tax exempt.

i hate to bring up race, but how diverse will the congregation be?

all the atheists i know, are white. which is few, mostly online.

granted, i don't know every atheist.

i know a few (races?) and they all have some sort of religion going on.
in my congregation, we have white, Filipino, indian and asian.
my in laws are chinese and they are diverse, wife and 1 sis is christian, and the rest are buddhists and tao.

so i don't see where they are drawing people from.

reply to post by tsingtao


Bring them all together and have them pay huge taxes to the NWO because "mother earth" is dying.

NWO religion. We all love mother earth, don't we?

reply to post by Klassified


Next stop, Satan.

Carl Sagan was right. Atheism is just an alternative belief for people who haven't got a clue what happens when we die!

I'm Agnostic but I'd probably go to one of these Atheist places.... They probably have some sort of entertaining stuff there to do, you can sit around and talk with people who aren't complete jackholes, maybe the militant atheists are. I guess it's just a sense of community where people can come together and hang out, the kind of stuff they do at a church but with much cooler people....... As long as they didn't start preaching Atheism, I'd be totally cool with going!

reply to post by Klassified


And the name of the church will be........................The Church of Hypocrisy.

Atheism is a private state of mind in my opinion.

I do not believe in unicorns, im not about to attend any "Unicorns are not real" seminars.

If this was for Agnostics, it would make perfect sense. THAT would be something that i, as an agnostic, would actually like to attend.

jheated5
I'm Agnostic but I'd probably go to one of these Atheist places.... They probably have some sort of entertaining stuff there to do, you can sit around and talk with people who aren't complete jackholes, maybe the militant atheists are. I guess it's just a sense of community where people can come together and hang out, the kind of stuff they do at a church but with much cooler people....... As long as they didn't start preaching Atheism, I'd be totally cool with going!

what do you think they will ask you about? or tell you about?

you won't be in an agnostic church. the "i don't know" one.

and who says they will have "cooler" people than a real church?
lol!!

don't cha just love pre conceived notions about people?

reply to post by Klassified


I say, "Go for it."

My faith isn't contingent on anyone else's faith (or lack thereof).

And if they get tax-exempt status, then more power to them!

beezzer
reply to post by Klassified

 

I say, "Go for it."

My faith isn't contingent on anyone else's faith (or lack thereof).

And if they get tax-exempt status, then more power to them!

i hope they can get a religious status.

then they can see what they are up against.

who knows what that will breed. lol!!

welcome to our world!

be careful what you wish for, as they say.

beezzer
reply to post by Klassified

 

I say, "Go for it."

My faith isn't contingent on anyone else's faith (or lack thereof).

And if they get tax-exempt status, then more power to them!

You're probably right, Beez. This could get interesting with some popcorn. I wonder if they'll qualify for (un)faith based initiatives? And what would an un-revival look like? :-)

ChaoticOrder
This is why I'm agnostic...

Quoted for truth. Atheism is the other side of a bad penny. To declare definitively that a god exists or doesn't exist is folly.