The Atheist Church?

[Redruth]

"Plans to set up almost 400 “atheist churches” on five continents are underway after the extraordinary success of one small congregation that began holding godless services just over a year ago."

 

the daily beast http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/05/04/godless-church-services-for-atheists-go-global.html

Edited May 5, 2014 by Redruth

[YO303]

so religion was never the problem, it was people .. people ARE like this, religion didnt make people act like this

[Redruth]

humanity

[doublename]

We've already got sports and art for godless religion, m8.

 

Is atheist church a good place to meet ladies, though?

Edited May 4, 2014 by doublename

[Audioblysk]

Eh, just means someone is going to get bored in a different building on a different day.

 

PRAISE THE VAST UNKNOWN YOU IDIOTS

[eugene]

400 actual irl /r/atheism's, mother of god.

[data]

 

 

I'm a non-collector of stamps, where do i join the non-collector of stamps association?

[peace 7]

Well..... I think a place for philosophy and thought-provoking conversation is good for humanity. Considering that modern schooling has become a place to learn memorizing skills as opposed to thinking skills, atheist churches could be great for opening up minds. Plus, community building helps. As long as this doesn't get skewed into killing people who believe anything different, theeen they should be okay?

 

Religion is not a problem in and of itself. Religion is a problem when people use it to spread hate.

[gmanyo]

Haha get owned religion! Looks like you're time is up! All hail the Flying Spaghetti Man!

[LimpyLoo]

 

Religion is not a problem in and of itself. Religion is a problem when people use it to spread hate.

 

Religion is a problem when people develop weird beliefs about the world, which inform their worldview, and then these people act rationally--even thoughtfully and compassionately--within the context of their worldview. For instance, if you truly believe in heaven and hell, and that anyone who dies before they're 5-years-old automatically goes to heaven, the logical and compassionate thing to do is to go around mass-murdering children under 5 to ensure their place in heaven. If you actually hold this worldview, then the woman who drowned her children a couple years ago for this very reason is truly a great mother.

 

Anyway, my point is that hate is a very small part of the problem. Having weird beliefs about how the world works is a much bigger concern.

Edited May 5, 2014 by LimpyLoo

[usagi]

[usagi]

Anyway, my point is that hate is a very small part of the problem. Having weird beliefs about how the world works is a much bigger concern.

 

totally ass-backwards. by this logic, everyone should be fretting about what everyone else thinks all the time. you can't police people's beliefs, you can't even hope to consistently positively influence them through education or indoctrination or anything. human beings just don't work that way. the only thing you could reasonably concern yourself with and hope to control is the negative consequences of a person's beliefs on other people, e.g. hate speech/crimes, violence, unrest, etc.

[luke viia]

right, agreed with usagi. and also, i hope these churches are hosting fedora potlucks.

[LimpyLoo]

 

 

 

the only thing you could reasonably concern yourself with and hope to control is the negative consequences of a person's beliefs on other people, e.g. hate speech/crimes, violence, unrest, etc.

 

 

Did you read my post? That's exactly what I was talking about. All of the things you list are--in the context of religion--symptoms of having weird beliefs and acting on them.

Edited May 5, 2014 by LimpyLoo

[usagi]

my point is the 'disease' you are referring to, of which those things are symptoms - i.e. having "weird" beliefs - is incurable on the whole, and trying to cure it, on the whole, is a misguided effort. only the symptoms can be treated.

 

and anyway, there's a whole other question around what's really "weird" and what isn't. or whether it's even possible to objectively define "weird beliefs" as a universal definition (I'm certain it isn't possible).

[LimpyLoo]

We could cure most of it by having a scientifically-literate population...

 

...although how to actually accomplish that in this world is beyond me.

 

 

And by 'weird beliefs' i mean pre-scientific beliefs...like angered gods being the cause of drought and disease and bad weather.

[usagi]

science will not fix all the undesirable aspects of human nature that have remained constant for millennia. are scientifically-literate people today any less subject to their passions and weaknesses than the supposed primitives of the past?

 

I don't know how to say this without coming across like a prick but the most vocal/insistent proponents of "science will fix everything" are people who don't science and don't understand that it's not a worldview. science doesn't care about any kind of belief, it's not supposed to. practicing the scientific method in the course of your job or whatever has no bearing on what you still believe at heart. it's not like there aren't scientists out there who hold religious beliefs.

[LimpyLoo]

science will not fix all the undesirable aspects of human nature that have remained constant for millennia. are scientifically-literate people today any less subject to their passions and weaknesses than the supposed primitives of the past?

 

I don't know how to say this without coming across like a prick but the most vocal/insistent proponents of "science will fix everything" are people who don't science and don't understand that it's not a worldview. science doesn't care about any kind of belief, it's not supposed to. practicing the scientific method in the course of your job or whatever has no bearing on what you still believe at heart. it's not like there aren't scientists out there who hold religious beliefs.

 

1) Never said science will fix everything.

 

2) Yes you are correct, science itself is not a worldview. But just in case you're not being cute and willfully obtuse--and you don't actually see how science pertains to worldviews--then Google "the enlightenment."

 

3) I know you're on a recent quest to mock me and contradict me whenever you can but c'mon, you can do better than this, usagi.

[LimpyLoo]

I think if you lived in America (where about 43% of Americans believe that "God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so") then the link between scientific-literacy and beliefs would be more clear and immediate.

 

Over here we literally have politicians that blame homosexuals and atheists for our hurricanes.

[gmanyo]

im just glad i have a church where i can freely worship the atheist overlord Satan!!!! eat scum religion!!!

[Friendly Foil]

Hey religious people, if this "God" of yours is real why do we have wars and people starving all over the world? Can't answer that? Didn't think so. People like you never can.

 

*sips boxed wine from fedora*

[Candiru]

Hey man, think of how much worse the world would be right now if Jesus didn't get himself killed the same way countless other people did and guilt trip us for it.

 

Ungrateful little children.

 

 

 

[usagi]

 

science will not fix all the undesirable aspects of human nature that have remained constant for millennia. are scientifically-literate people today any less subject to their passions and weaknesses than the supposed primitives of the past?

 

I don't know how to say this without coming across like a prick but the most vocal/insistent proponents of "science will fix everything" are people who don't science and don't understand that it's not a worldview. science doesn't care about any kind of belief, it's not supposed to. practicing the scientific method in the course of your job or whatever has no bearing on what you still believe at heart. it's not like there aren't scientists out there who hold religious beliefs.

 

1) Never said science will fix everything.

 

2) Yes you are correct, science itself is not a worldview. But just in case you're not being cute and willfully obtuse--and you don't actually see how science pertains to worldviews--then Google "the enlightenment."

 

3) I know you're on a recent quest to mock me and contradict me whenever you can but c'mon, you can do better than this, usagi.

 

 

periods of progress like the Enlightenment are a product of many factors aligning during a particular time in history, not just "science, bitches!". referring to the Enlightenment during the present time as an example of science bettering humanity says nothing about our present time.

 

to be clear, there is no dispute about science not bettering humanity. it's just not going to make inherent human problems disappear like you seem to think, the same way it's not going to solve our environmental problems, as if they exist in a vacuum independent of human irresponsibility.

 

also implying that I care enough to pursue you across the entire board so I can refute or contradict every single one of your posts is pretty lol. just cos I dislike your kneejerkiness doesn't mean I'm gonna start a crusade.

[LimpyLoo]

Trying to downplay the enlightenment is pretty lol

 

Anyway How about you go take a walk mate and let me be

(Unless of course you've got any more zingers about my psychiatric status)

[goDel]

Is this bitch fighting already happening in the atheist church? O God no! Jesus Christ!

 

Also, that bearded guy in the wooly chanting with his mic: atheist Jesus.