Atheist Mega Churches

[Cow Poke]

It's not an attempt to "mock" Christianity, and they're not "out to get" you, and it's not "inspired by Satan". It's just people who enjoy intelligent discussion, community, charity, and conversation.

Well, sure, that's what they say.

[mossrose]

I've attended Sunday Assemblies irregularly over the past couple of years. I'd say that most people attending grew up Christian, have since become non-believers, and miss the social aspects of church services.

The services loosely mimic church services, by default, in terms of there being a main speaker (who gives a TED-like talk, usually very intellectual on a topic of charity, science, philosophy, or politics) with various songs (pop songs), minor speakers, or readings (inspirational passages or poetry), followed by coffee+biscuits+chat afterward. The services have no religious orientation, and a believing Christian who attended them probably wouldn't feel out of place or under attack. The motto is "live better, help often, wonder more" and the talks focus on how people can improve their lives and the lives of those around them, how they can get involved in helping with charities, and challenge people to think more deeply about philosophical and scientific issues.

I think church services fulfill quite an important social role in the community, and it wasn't until I hadn't been going to church for several years, that I began to realize the importance of social events that are sort of "community for the sake of it" and how church services fulfilled that role. That's sort of the idea of the Sunday Assemblies. In my experience, the singing tends to be a bit cringeworthy, and their choice of random pop songs could be improved I think by at least finding some inspirational songs.

There's no overt religious element to the services of any kind (God doesn't get mentioned)... this has caused problems a couple of times in the US because various attendees wanted the services to be explicitly atheistic and they split off to have their own services. It's not an attempt to "mock" Christianity, and they're not "out to get" you, and it's not "inspired by Satan". It's just people who enjoy intelligent discussion, community, charity, and conversation.

Like I said. You could probably go to a Warren or Osteen type of church and get the same thing.

Of course it's inspired by Satan. All false faiths are, and this is simply another counterfeit religion.

[Cow Poke]

Cowpoke you a roastmaster dude.

Thanks



I think

[Cow Poke]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It looked like a typical Sunday morning at any mega-church. Several hundred people, including families with small children, packed in for more than an hour of rousing music, an inspirational talk and some quiet reflection. The only thing missing was God.

Nearly three dozen gatherings dubbed "atheist mega-churches" by supporters and detractors have sprung up around the U.S. and Australia — with more to come — 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.

On Sunday, the inaugural Sunday Assembly in Los Angeles attracted several hundred people bound by their belief in non-belief. Similar gatherings in San Diego, Nashville, New York and other U.S. cities have drawn hundreds of atheists seeking the camaraderie of a congregation without religion or ritual.

The founders, British duo Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans, are currently on a tongue-in-cheek "40 Dates, 40 Nights" tour around the U.S. and Australia to drum up donations and help launch new Sunday Assemblies. They hope to raise more than $800,000 that will help atheists launch their pop-up congregations around the world. So far, they have raised about $50,000.

They don't bash believers but want to find a new way to meet likeminded people, engage in the community and make their presence more visible in a landscape dominated by faith.

more at https://www.yahoo.com/news/atheist-m...214619648.html

I thought about this in Church this morning .... "It looked like a typical Sunday morning at any mega-church. Several hundred people, including families with small children, packed in for more than an hour of rousing music, an inspirational talk and some quiet reflection. The only thing missing was God."

'Several hundred people' is a mega-church?

megachurch.jpg

[KingsGambit]

I think this just shows that humans crave a sort of community based upon higher ideals. Many people find this in religion; others find it in politics and other things. When people who were previously religious lose their faith, it makes sense to me that they miss that sort of community and may want to look to something like this as a substitute.

[Sparko]

Hey! Are you implying unicorns AREN'T real?!?!?

only some of them.

[Sparko]

Actually I see nothing wrong with the idea although church is probably not a good term to define the gathering place since church implies worship of a deity, and we know how upset christians get if their terms of definition, like marriage, are used in a different context from their own. Thats not what they do, obviously, they don't worship a deity. Its just about a community gathering of like minded people, humanist, who don't attribute their morality and the like to the supernatural.

Who follow the "formula" of church, even down to the hymns. Right. They want to imitate church. But without God. They want what church offers but without God. It doesn't work that way. Church is about worshiping God, not humanity. Without God, it is just a big sad, back-patting party.

2 Timothy 3:3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

[Sparko]

I've attended Sunday Assemblies irregularly over the past couple of years. I'd say that most people attending grew up Christian, have since become non-believers, and miss the social aspects of church services.

The services loosely mimic church services, by default, in terms of there being a main speaker (who gives a TED-like talk, usually very intellectual on a topic of charity, science, philosophy, or politics) with various songs (pop songs), minor speakers, or readings (inspirational passages or poetry), followed by coffee+biscuits+chat afterward. The services have no religious orientation, and a believing Christian who attended them probably wouldn't feel out of place or under attack. The motto is "live better, help often, wonder more" and the talks focus on how people can improve their lives and the lives of those around them, how they can get involved in helping with charities, and challenge people to think more deeply about philosophical and scientific issues.

I think church services fulfill quite an important social role in the community, and it wasn't until I hadn't been going to church for several years, that I began to realize the importance of social events that are sort of "community for the sake of it" and how church services fulfilled that role. That's sort of the idea of the Sunday Assemblies. In my experience, the singing tends to be a bit cringeworthy, and their choice of random pop songs could be improved I think by at least finding some inspirational songs.

There's no overt religious element to the services of any kind (God doesn't get mentioned)... this has caused problems a couple of times in the US because various attendees wanted the services to be explicitly atheistic and they split off to have their own services. It's not an attempt to "mock" Christianity, and they're not "out to get" you, and it's not "inspired by Satan". It's just people who enjoy intelligent discussion, community, charity, and conversation.

It is a sad and empty gesture. Like blind men looking for a light switch.

[One Bad Pig]

Who follow the "formula" of church, even down to the hymns. Right. They want to imitate church. But without God. They want what church offers but without God. It doesn't work that way. Church is about worshiping God, not humanity. Without God, it is just a big sad, back-patting party.

2 Timothy 3:3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

Well, they follow the "formula" of a non-liturgical Protestant church. It's probably nearly indistinguishable from what you'd get at a Unitarian Universalist church.

[Sparko]

Well, they follow the "formula" of a non-liturgical Protestant church. It's probably nearly indistinguishable from what you'd get at a Unitarian Universalist church.

or like mossy said, at a church like Osteen's, which is more about "me me me" than God.

[Zymologist]

It doesn't seem like mockery to me...if anything, it seems like more of a compliment. "Hey, maybe this church thing isn't such a bad idea after all...."

I do wonder what they sing about, though.

[Sparko]

It doesn't seem like mockery to me...if anything, it seems like more of a compliment. "Hey, maybe this church thing isn't such a bad idea after all...."

I do wonder what they sing about, though.

watch the video at the beginning of the thread.

[Cow Poke]

or like mossy said, at a church like Osteen's, which is more about "me me me" than God.

It's not just "me me me". It's how to be a BETTER me!

[stfoskey15]

I could see going to a Unitarian Universalist church, but going to an "atheist church" just seems bizarre.

[Sparko]

I could see going to a Unitarian Universalist church, but going to an "atheist church" just seems bizarre.

I imagine they are like going to a large motivational seminar.