Atheist Churches, For Real?

Are you shocked?

Yes it seems that its true!

Atheists have their own churches complete with ordained for life ministers, all you need do is apply its all free!

'Atheist megachurch' arrives in San Diego





Sunday Assembly | The Atheist Church





Mega Church Money

So what are people supposed to think when they read that atheism is not a religion while at the same time see mega churches making multi-millions and pastors building 2 million dollar homes for themselves?

How can atheists continue to claim they are not a religion when we see atheist churches all over the world? I hope someone can shed some light on that phenomena?

Seems more like a 1000 pound gorilla on the table to me?

So is atheism a religion now?

 

I suppose most clubs could be consider atheist churches but seems more like group therapy.

 

Before I put any effort in explaining, are you just trolling or are you really confused?

 

Finally. Atheists are catching up to the more intelligent Gnostic Christian way of thinking. This bolsters my view that Gnostic Christianity is the only religion that can end the strife between believers and non-believers.

All religions are, at their roots, are places/institutions where people can appease their groupish instincts that push them into tribes so they can assuage their need for fellowship.



It is nice to see atheists smartening up as they have been stuck in a less intelligent place for a long time now.

Regards
DL

 

What do you mean now?

 

Neither. Feel free to offer your opinion, thats what the thread was created for.

 

at the time of this discussion, this posting.

 

Well, atheism is a religion--it requires a belief that God does not exist in any form. Since a negative can never be proved, it is a belief, not a fact.

Additionally, some atheists proselytize more intensively than many Christians, Muslims, or member of other denominations.

I have heard atheists say they feel lonely and wish to meet with others of similar beliefs.

 

Since people have such diverse religious views I would be surprised anything can truly reduce the strife between them but to respect everyones religion as long as they keep their rules to their own.

That said the government needs to get out of the religion business altogether, and stop converting peoples religion to bring it under the umbrella of commerical law, discrimination while a good end on paper, in practice cannot work because we have the government constantly favoring one religion over the other establishing their version (religion) as law then enforcing it.

That said where all religions, or shall we say greater than 50% agree that murder is a bad thing and should be dealt with and all the religions agree by referendum then the state can legitimately make a law that is null against murder, anything less is establishing a state religion.

Now that wont remove the arguments, arguments are fine, but it would remove the destruction of peoples life savings through deficient law.

 

Feigning autism...love it!

 

Great way to take advantage of the intransigently entrenched theist oxymoron "religion of atheism". why bother arguing when one can "incorporate" and get a "seat at the table" and even turn out legally ordained ministers of no faith that can legally marry people, bury them and provide chaplin services.

Who knew that one day there would be a "church" based on a single dogmatic principle with nothing to worship and no other dogma or any ritual to embrace.

Actually that sounds like the ideal kind of church for millions of us.

AS for becoming legally ordained for life for free. Why not get in on the scam just like these guys
http://www.ulc.org/

 

What a horrible ideology. As an esoteric ecumenist, I have no problem in not giving respect to thinks I do not respect.

That is why we Gnostic Christians have always called God's like Yahweh vile demiurges.

Both Christianity and Islam have basically developed into intolerant, homophobic and misogynous religions. Both religions have grown themselves by the sword instead of good deeds and continue with their immoral ways in spite of secular law showing them the moral ways.

Jesus said we would know his people by their works and deeds. That means Jesus would not recognize Christians and Muslims as his people, and neither do I. Jesus would call Christianity and Islam abominations.

Gnostic Christians did in the past, and I am proudly continuing that tradition and honest irrefutable evaluation based on morality.

If our forefathers had given your ---- "respect everyone's religion as long as they keep their rules to their own" ---- we would still have open slavery in the U.S. as the Civil War would never have been fought.

Do you see that?

Why would you want to give respect to an ideology that does not deserve it?

Regards
DL

 

One thing that jumps to mind, is that he focuses on 'religion as a group', religion as a group is the combining or incorporation of several individuals with similar or same religious views who bond together as a group.

There is huge problem brewing if the religion of an individual is not taken as seriously as the religion of a group.

Presently in america, we have been programmed into group think, if is not acknowledged by a group its not a religion. This is the next battle on the horizon right around the corner.

 

This is an excellent example of people taking a successful business model and making money out of it. Why not?

 

Not Christians.

Genocide is killing and murder on the highest scale, yet Christians love their God all the more for using it even though God can cure as easily as kill.

Christians do not care that Yahweh took the satanic low moral ground instead of the godly moral high ground. They often see evil as good and good as evil.

Regards
DL

 

How technical would you like to get? Americans and rapidly most of the world is becoming, 'free range slaves', we dont have physical chains any longer, we have debt passed from one generation to the next, and when a child has to pay the debts of the parent that is slavery. What we do not have is servitude under yoke which is the way its interpreted, slavery was never abolished, just given a face lift.

Who am I to say which ideology deserves what? The second I do am I not enforcing my religious views upon them, is that not precisely what the problem is, enforcing one religion on another?

Oh and actually thats not true, slavery was on its way out, the civil war was not about slavery you can find that in lincoln quotes, it was a land grab, in violation of states rights to secede and several other reasons, just not slavery.

So what you said will put you on one side of the fence dug in and fighting with ideologies that dont deserve your respect and the others digging in fighting against your imposition of your morals upon them.

 

I think its awesome, nothing better to show sleight of hand salesmanship and they have only been established as a church for what 5 years maybe?

 

I agree. Jesus is way ahead of us on that issue and his solution is more like the French are proposing which is to rid the public place of all signs of religiosity and pray as Jesus recommended, in private.

Don't hold your breath though as even Christians do not do as Jesus bid them to do so I doubt if the rest of the populations will either.

Few are as bright as Jesus and us French.

Regards
DL

 

Indeed.

If the priests, preachers and imams can do it with lies, atheists should be able to do a lot better as they would be using the truth while condemning delusional and supernatural thinking.

Regards
DL

 

yes it can, but I think they did themselves a disservice using that particular noun to describe the model. it has a lot of baggage, they have have worked hard to weigh.

 

Join me here if you like to discus our slavery.

http://www.politicalforum.com/index...nts-just-protection-rackets-for-the-1.515770/

Who are you not to voice your opinion. Did your owner cut out your mind and tongue and tell you to use his opinions?

Think A & E. --- Who told you you were naked?
I ask you the same but with more anger as I hate to see someone reject his responsibility to let his opinion be known.

We are still friends so far though even if you p ed me off a bit.

Words cannot and do not enforce anything. They can only persuade.

I cannot do so except with words that they take to heart.

To go the other route and use violence would make me no better than a Christian or Muslim.

Both Christianity and Islam have basically developed into intolerant, homophobic and misogynous religions. Both religions have grown themselves by the sword instead of good deeds and continue with their immoral ways in spite of secular law showing them the moral ways.

Jesus said we would know his people by their works and deeds. That means Jesus would not recognize Christians and Muslims as his people, and neither do I. Jesus would call Christianity and Islam abominations.

Gnostic Christians did in the past, and I am proudly continuing that tradition and honest irrefutable evaluation based on morality.

Regards
DL

 

Of course atheism can be a religion. Sounds like the above is an example. This isn't exactly new news. IIRC, they started at least one atheist church in Texas a few yeras ago. I think it's the same group.

 

True, but some will always break rank in pursuit of money, power and influence.

 

One of the best talks I have seen on the issues here is in this link.

You will note how he speaks a lot like a Gnostic Christian speaks.



Regards
DL

 

The use of the word "church" on their part is a bit confusing to me, but I can see the point, given that they aspire to do many of the things that churches traditionally have done.

Atheists often criticise the fact that religion seems to have hogged a few things which are not fundamentally religious, like community building, certain aspects of child rearing, charity and so on. You don't need religion to do those things, yet religious organisations have included them. If one rejects the church, it's not surprising that one tries to find some other way of doing those things secularly.

I'm not a big fan of the commercialisation though. That being said, my world view is not so black and white. I have no problem criticising this commercialisation without thus rejecting the non-religious and indeed community building ideas in the foundation, just like I have no problem criticising religion without rejecting religious people as persons.