Atheist church in London drawing standing room only crowds

[mrveggieman]

Sounds like they are spending 2 hours of their week ENJOYING themselves. No harm, no foul.

If that's what turns them on then more power to them I just don't see the point of trying to emulate something that you despise.

[habsheaven]

If that's what turns them on then more power to them I just don't see the point of trying to emulate something that you despise.

Emulate? Mocking is far from emulating. Maybe they are trying to connect with George Carlin in the afterlife?

[mrveggieman]

Emulate? Mocking is far from emulating. Maybe they are trying to connect with George Carlin in the afterlife?

Same difference but what's the point? How long will this gimmic last? Or better yet how soon will it be before we have fanitical atheists? If I didn't believe in any type of God I could find 1001 better things to do on my Sunday morning than to mock someone who is doing something to better themself. Some of these people at this atheist church were probably the same kids that were always picked last when chosing sides to play basketball on the playground. Now they are happy that they have their own little exclusive club to go to. Again I support and defend their legal right to attend this type of service no matter how stupid it is.

[Wickabee]

Emulate? Mocking is far from emulating. Maybe they are trying to connect with George Carlin in the afterlife?

Mocking becomes emulating becomes being. It's a fact of life.

And I think Veg had it best. If God is just like Santa and the Easter bunny why aren't these people devoting time to mocking them too?
Seems pointless, unless they want to show God they're mocking him, in which case they aren't atheists.
Basically, a true atheist would see this as a monumental waste of time.

[Wickabee]

Same difference but what's the point? How long will this gimmic last? Or better yet how soon will it be before we have fanitical atheists? If I didn't believe in any type of God I could find 1001 better things to do on my Sunday morning than to mock someone who is doing something to better themself. Some of these people at this atheist church were probably the same kids that were always picked last when chosing sides to play basketball on the playground. Now they are happy that they have their own little exclusive club to go to. Again I support and defend their legal right to attend this type of service no matter how stupid it is.

Are you saying we don't have fanatical atheists? One posts on these boards!

[mrveggieman]

Are you saying we don't have fanatical atheists? One posts on these boards!

[habsheaven]

Mocking becomes emulating becomes being. It's a fact of life.

And I think Veg had it best. If God is just like Santa and the Easter bunny why aren't these people devoting time to mocking them too?
Seems pointless, unless they want to show God they're mocking him, in which case they aren't atheists.
Basically, a true atheist would see this as a monumental waste of time.

I guess I will have to take your guys' word for it. I though mocking was the complete opposite of emulating. I had no idea Tina Fey wants to be Sarah Palin. God may be "just like Santa and the Easter Bunny", but the difference is people have no illusions about those two once they mature. As for wasting time; like I said, if they are enjoying themselves it's a worthwhile venture.

[JustAlex]

This reminds me of "Satanists".

They put on hoods, scary music, and start chanting nonsense....the truth is they don't actually believe Satan exists, and the vast majority of them (if not all) are actually atheists.

Why go through all of this?

Because they like it.


Not too long ago, a member on here asked me if I had a bad experience at church and if that was the reason why I'm so anti-religion.

I explained that not only did I like church, in many ways I miss it!

Church was a very social place for me, I had many friends there, we did fun things on occasions, I met one of my first girlfriends there, and the people were genuinely nice!

Smiles all around, a very positive place.

BUT....

When I would sit down to hear the sermon, that's when the happy mood would go away...

I think Habs said it best....Humans have a desire to "belong", this desire is sometimes very strong.

I know that when I deconverted and turned into an atheist I felt very lonely, I didn't know a single other human who thought like I do, I felt surrounded by people who not only frowned upon what I thought, they rejected me for it.

Thankfully, I became immersed in the internet atheist community, and to say the very least, I no longer have that lonely feeling.

[shrewsbury]

but if you are an atheist why would a religious sermon bother you? if you like it go, and just blank out when the sermon comes.

and how do you deconvert? were you brainwashed, part of a cult, or what?
either you believe, don't believe, or don't care, pretty easy choices. and you can go back and forth between the three, no rules to stop you.

[JustAlex]

but if you are an atheist why would a religious sermon bother you? if you like it go, and just blank out when the sermon comes.

I don't go to church because I don't support what they're doing.

Even if many of my friends still go, even if my family still goes, even if my current gf goes....I will not.

Regardless if the sermon is to my liking or not, I do not accept what they're doing, and I think you know how strongly I feel towards religion in general.

and how do you deconvert? were you brainwashed, part of a cult, or what?

I'm going to be careful answering this question because I don't want to offend you, and I know you mean well with the questions you pose.

The truth is that I do believe I was brainwashed as a small child into believing things which I would never believe as an adult.

I don't blame my parents for doing this because they thought they were saving my "soul" from damnation.

When I finally began to research the "big questions" I saw that the things I had believed in for so long were either flawed or just straight up lies.


So, I can guess your next question....."How do you know you're not being brainwashed into believing what you currently believe"?

Well, for one thing, I accept that my current belief system COULD be wrong.......however, it is contingent on logic, evidence, and good argumentation.

either you believe, don't believe, or don't care, pretty easy choices. and you can go back and forth between the three, no rules to stop you.

I don't believe at the moment....

But it's NOT an easy choice (IMO).

I've said this before......I didn't wake up one day and said "I don't believe in god anymore, and I hate religion now".

It was a long process filled with research and constantly questioning various aspects of my conclusion.

And like I said, I fully admit even now, that I COULD be wrong.

My atheism is not an assertion, I don't know if god really doesn't exists, but I choose to not believe because of the absence of evidence, because of logic, and because of the more plausible theories to how I came to be and everything around me.