What happens at an atheist church?

[brooklynite]

BBC:

[div class="excerpt"...the Sunday Assembly is no ordinary church service.

Launched last month, as a gathering for non-believers, it is, in the words of master of ceremonies Sanderson Jones, "part foot-stomping show, part atheist church, all celebration of life".

...snip...

Instead of hymns, the non-faithful get to their feet to sing along to Stevie Wonder and Queen songs.

There is a reading from Alice in Wonderland and a power-point presentation from a particle physicist, Dr Harry Cliff, who explains the origins of dark matter theory.

Interesting perhaps, but I still don't understand the assumed "need" for people to gather together such that a "church" framework is needed in addition to the thousands of social and subject-specific groups that meet regularly.

[Warpy]

1. They sing rock songs

I have three online friends in London who are all thinking of going this Sunday. If they do it, I'll give you a report.

[Curmudgeoness]

2. This reminds me of the UU church in our area.

I don't get the attraction to a "church" either. I have occasionally joined the UU's, but it has been when they did their "service" as a hike in the woods or some such thing. I don't really want to commit to any communion with people who feel the need to call themself a church on a regular basis, even though I do enjoy when I do join them.

But I guess that humans have a social need to gather together with like-minded people. I see advantage to this, even if I don't like the idea of it being set up like a church service, with the same rituals (even if they are not doing hymns).

[Neoma]

3. Gatherings are great, if you're at the right kind of gathering.

Everyone has a different level of need when it comes to socializing. Some need a lot, some don't need much. There really is a desperate need to be around people for many.

[progressoid]

4. The shared experience is very important for a lot of people.

I think for a great many people, the social aspect of church is as important as the religious aspect. Just because someone doesn't believe doesn't mean they don't want to socialize.

Frankly, I do sort of miss that part of church. Although it was hard to keep the thoughts of "you people are nucking futs" out of my mind while there.

[Kolesar]

5. We didn't talk to anybody before mass or after mass

What a party! Wonder why I quit going. Wonder if I need this:

[progressoid]

6. Maybe that's more of a Protestant thing.

I recently went to a church (to help out a family member with a project). The coffee and donuts after the service were a big deal. They had four different kinds of coffee, tea and a wide variety of pastries. Thankfully, I was only there for the snacking part and not the service.

Last time I was at a Catholic service was for a funeral. Of course around here that means ham sandwiches and cake after the service.

[Kolesar]

7. I went to Methodist services with my friends and it was way more fun

Our mass was held in this dark temple with ugly woodgrained pews that looked as attractive as a breakroom bench in the steel mill. The room smelled like incense, and not the good "college apartment, 1977" kind of incense. The iconostas had all these paintings of holy people looking down at me. Yuk

[gcomeau]

8. Nothing that makes calling it a "church" anything but purely stupid. -nt

[trotsky]

9. It's the same old equivocation trick.

"See? Atheists have church! It's a religion, you have faith just like we do!"

[gcomeau]

10. Worse than that...

...the idiots named it that *themselves*.

The first time I read that I almost literally smacked my head against my desk.

[trotsky]

11. I can't fault the atheists too much.

Unlike what most believers think, we aren't monolithic in our positions about anything other than being unconvinced gods exist. Some folks think the word "church" should be taken back - stripped of the religious aspect and re-defined as a community sort of gathering. That doesn't bother me. But it bothers me when the religious assholes seize this as "proof" that atheists have faith or whatever crap they want to spew to dismiss atheist arguments.

[gcomeau]

12. I can

Stupid is stupid. Churches are houses of *worship*. Are they worshiping something in them? No. So calling it a church only accomplishes one thing. Loads and loads of the smug idiocy from theists claiming atheism is a religion that you rightly pointed out immediatel, because of course that's where your first thoughts went. That's where EVERYONE'S first thoughts will go. There is no need to "take the word back", churches have never been non religious. Take it back to what? They could have called it a hall, a center... hell they could have called it the Thunderdome for all I care. But no.... they called it a church.

I spend enough time knocking that crap down without having to trip over clueless fellow atheists feeding the flames just because they think people like the word "church" so they might as well use it for that and no other reason. Ugh.

[trotsky]

13. I totally understand where you're coming from.

But that's what's great about being atheists, we can disagree with the folks who want to call their building a "church" and yet we're all still atheists. None of that No True Scotsman crap that plagues most Christians!