Believe it or not: Atheist mega-churches are the new craze in US

[pwaldo]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...lier-year.html

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 sermon, a reading 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, Calif. 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 like-minded people, engage in the community and make their presence more visible in a landscape dominated by faith.

Jones got the first inkling for the idea while leaving a Christmas carol concert six years ago.

'There was so much about it that I loved, but it's a shame because at the heart of it, it's something I don't believe in,' Jones said. 'If you think about church, there's very little that's bad. It's singing awesome songs, hearing interesting talks, thinking about improving yourself and helping other people - and doing that in a community with wonderful relationships. What part of that is not to like?'

The movement dovetails with new studies that show an increasing number of Americans are drifting from any religious affiliation.

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life released a study last year that found 20 percent of Americans say they have no religious affiliation, an increase from 15 percent in the last five years. Pew researchers stressed, however, that the category also encompassed majorities of people who said they believed in God but had no ties with organized religion and people who consider themselves 'spiritual' but not 'religious.'

[Wickabee]

Cue an atheist claiming "This doesn't mean atheism is a religion!"

[JustAlex]

LOL, "New Craze".

Hardly.

The majority of atheists don't participate in this stuff.

And obviously, calling these things a "church" is a huge misnomer.

Can someone tell me what they do in these "churches"?

Do they sing songs dedicated to worshiping a being? No. They're singing songs, but they're not meant to worship anyone.

Do they pray to a god or other being? Absolutely not.

Do they preach in a religious manner? The article uses another misnomer "sermon", but there is certainly no religious preaching going on.

Do they worship in any way? No.




By definition a church is defined as such:

Church: A public place of worship.

Calling this a church is not exactly the correct term.

With all that being said....I personally am 100% AGAINST this sort of action.

If these fine people want to waste their day in a place with other like minded individuals having their version of "fun".....all power to them, but I can think of about 100 different places I'd rather be with a friend, loved one, or even by myself.

[gsj68]

Cue an atheist claiming "This doesn't mean atheism is a religion!"

nice play,sir

did tom cruise show you how to access your super-powers?

or are you licking batteries again?

[JustAlex]

Cue an atheist claiming "This doesn't mean atheism is a religion!"

Of course we're going to claim this isn't a religion.....because it's NOT.

If all you need is a "Place with like minded individuals getting together to do an activity" to be a "church" and to be "religious"....

Then every stadium in this nation is now a church, and every sports fan is actually in a religion.

I guess I'm in the Miami Heat religion because I "congregate" every so often in a big place filled with other like minded individuals to give "praise" to the Miami Heat.


And I thought I wasn't religious or went to church....silly me.

[centrehice]

The daily Daily Mail Newspaper is the biggest TABLOID newspaper in Britain, and akin to this paper below in the USA.


National Enquirer.


The only difference in British tabloids is that they are harsher, and more unbelievable than US tabloids.

"Bat Child, Found in Cave" is one of their greatest efforts.


Sorry waldo, you should pay a little more attention to your sources. TMZ looks more like Popular Science compared to the Daily Mail.

[Wickabee]

Of course we're going to claim this isn't a religion.....because it's NOT.

If all you need is a "Place with like minded individuals getting together to do an activity" to be a "church" and to be "religious"....

Then every stadium in this nation is now a church, and every sports fan is actually in a religion.

I guess I'm in the Miami Heat religion because I "congregate" every so often in a big place filled with other like minded individuals to give "praise" to the Miami Heat.


And I thought I wasn't religious or went to church....silly me.

I was unaware sports fans gathered because of their similar beliefs regarding God.

Oh, or are people in churches gathering based on what sport they like?

I guess it isn't a Liberal or Conservative thing. Everyone will ignore facts which are inconvenient to them. Like WHY these people are gathering.

[GroundSupport]

So can you consider this a cult?

[Wickabee]

Call it a cult or religion, the fact is it has become one. The funny part is now "agnostic atheist" will technically mean "non practicing atheist".

[GroundSupport]

And what was the founder doing at a Christmas Carol?

lol

So he celebrates Christmas? I'm sure Alex celebrates Christmas as well. lol