Da British are Coming!!! Da British are Coming!!!

[Rakhel]

I don't know. I'm tired and can't sleep and have been wondering for days why no one has picked this, and a few other stories, up.

So is it now safe to call Atheism a religion? OR are these the nut jobs of the "faith"?

The British atheists are coming to Hell’s Kitchen!
After six months of packed houses at monthly services in London, an atheist congregation called The Sunday Assembly is bringing its movement to the U.S.
The co-founders will soon embark on a cross-country tour to decide which cities might support their own permanent Sunday Assembly franchise, and the first test run will be held in a Manhattan dive bar.


Read more: EXCLUSIVE: British atheist group looking to expand will host sermon at city dive bar - NY Daily News

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I don't know. I'm tired and can't sleep and have been wondering for days why no one has picked this, and a few other stories, up.

So is it now safe to call Atheism a religion? OR are these the nut jobs of the "faith"?

There are people who don't believe in God - atheists.

Then there are people who believe that they need to oppose religion for their lack of belief - idiots.

 

[xkatz]

Send them to Alabama or Mississippi, watch hilarity ensue.

 

[Rakhel]

Send them to Alabama or Mississippi, watch hilarity ensue.

Not too sure Mississippi would care. Ohio now...

 

[lewisnotmiller]

I don't know. I'm tired and can't sleep and have been wondering for days why no one has picked this, and a few other stories, up.

So is it now safe to call Atheism a religion? OR are these the nut jobs of the "faith"?

Please don't call atheism a religion. It's not in ANY sense of the word. This just shows that some atheists wish they had a religion.

Call them whatever you like. Fair to say I wouldn't attend their...erm...congregation.

Oh, and TSoA? After reading the article, I'm not convinced these particular atheists fall into the anti-theist category. Sounds more like they have theist-envy.

 

[Rakhel]

Please don't call atheism a religion. It's not in ANY sense of the word. This just shows that some atheists wish they had a religion.

Call them whatever you like. Fair to say I wouldn't attend their...erm...congregation.

Oh, and TSoA? After reading the article, I'm not convinced these particular atheists fall into the anti-theist category. Sounds more like they have theist-envy.

SO the nut jobs of the "faith." That's okay. Seems every group has them

 

[lewisnotmiller]

SO the nut jobs of the "faith." That's okay. Seems every group has them

Yeah, pretty much.
IN seriousness, though, there's no faith. Atheists can be pretty diverse, since there is no doctrine, idealogy, or belief system involved (or even unbelief system), although the atheists that get on tv generally have similarities.

It's not like comparing two Catholics, where you know not only that they believe in God and Jesus, but some basis for their morale outlook.

 

[Rakhel]

Yeah, pretty much.
IN seriousness, though, there's no faith. Atheists can be pretty diverse, since there is no doctrine, idealogy, or belief system involved (or even unbelief system), although the atheists that get on tv generally have similarities.
.

And I think that's where you guys(atheists) get stuck (bad word I know)
You got these guys who represent atheism in a general manner and that is what the world thinks atheism is. So, to some, it appears to be a form of religion.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

And I think that's where you guys(atheists) get stuck (bad word I know)
You got these guys who represent atheism in a general manner and that is what the world thinks atheism is. So, to some, it appears to be a form of religion.

Yeah...I can't disagree.
It's one of the reasons I'm always careful to refute the whole 'atheism is a religion' thing.
Ask a buddhist their opinion on atheism being a religion...lol

 

[Sha'irullah]

Jihad for atheism! Oh this so so impressive.
Anti-theists are like the radical jihadi of Atheism for some odd reason.
They will criticize mankind for not accepting the final non-prophet, Christopher Hitchens.

I just do not understand the appeal of being this aggressive with religion. This seems more along the lines of Ayn Rand's ideology

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Jihad for atheism! Oh this so so impressive.
Anti-theists are like the radical jihadi of Atheism for some odd reason.
They will criticize mankind for not accepting the final non-prophet, Christopher Hitchens.

I just do not understand the appeal of being this aggressive with religion. This seems more along the lines of Ayn Rand's ideology

I understand the appeal. And I like Hitchens. I even agree with a lot of what he says, to a degree. My methodology would be quite different though. I'm less taken with Dawkins. Harris I like, I just don't find him as interesting as Hitchins...lol

If you want my pop-psychological take on it, it's kinda comforting for a human (any human) to have a voice of authority to look up to. If you're a follower of a religion, you have your local religious figures, who may be up to the task. You have other followers, who may be up to the task. And ultimately, you have your book of faith, or guru, or prayer, or whatever.

That's not the case for an atheist. I would say exactly ZERO of my friends meet the following criteria;

1) Close enough to have religious debates or in depth discussions with, realising we might disagree strongly.

2) Are well-read and articulate about religion (at least in relative terms)

3) Have a position of non-belief

I can have in depth religious discussions with my religious friends, although most of them will shy away because of point 2. But still, they understand their own religion at least. But it's not the same as having people with similar thoughts that you can refine your worldview with.

That all being the case, there is something to be said for having a voice which speaks with authority, wit and in an articulate and reasoned manner about the same lack of belief you share. I wouldn't describe myself as 'anti-theist' but if someone gave me a magic wand and let me either keep or remove all religion from the world instantly, I would remove it.

The problem is when people start accepting everything someone like Hitchins (or Dawkins, or Harris, etc) says, and treating it like some sort of gospel. That is NOT what they would want, interestingly. But there are those who do it, I understand that.

I've mentioned before, but not in this thread, I don't read much 'atheist' literature. I have literally 3 books in my library you could maybe count as atheist. Beyond Good and Evil is more general philosophy, I have a book called 'Does God Exist' which presents mixed chapters in a debate style, featuring an atheist and a theologian, and I have God is Not Great.

And, as a general point, I'm okay with criticism of anything, including religious, or non-religious beliefs. When criticism becomes violent action, or incitement to violent action, I think a line has been crossed. In that sense, I think the comparison of anti-theists to radical jihadists is pure hyperbole.

 

[sojourner]

Hook 'em up with the "cowboy church" crowd and see what twisted spawn results.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

British people crack me up. They're so looney.

 

[ChristineES]

Atheism is not a religion but at times there are people who are atheists who act as though it is. A few people who are atheists do what I call "anti-proselytizing" which is trying to get people to abandon their faith. Kind of silly since they are doing the same thing they complain about in that case (proselytizing, that is but at least they don't go door to door). It is nice to know that most atheists don't engage in that.

 

[Breathe]

Isn't that one of the perks about being an irreligious atheist? Staying in on Sundays?

As to them, they're just jealous. Nothing here that can't be covered by UUism or Humanism. A lot of religious-like church-like atheistic movements are cropping up recently. First Atheism+, and now this. So yeah, these are atheistic religious movements. (But not atheism itself. )

I already have religion. Feels good.

British people crack me up. They're so looney.

As a Brit, I can safely say a lot of British people are *********.

 

[Falvlun]

It seems to be assumed that this is an anti-theist movement. Could it simply be that atheists just want to have a sense of community? What's wrong with that?

 

[Titanic]

Yeah...I can't disagree.
It's one of the reasons I'm always careful to refute the whole 'atheism is a religion' thing.
Ask a buddhist their opinion on atheism being a religion...lol

There are some buddhist's who are theist's.

 

[ChristineES]

It seems to be assumed that this is an anti-theist movement. Could it simply be that atheists just want to have a sense of community? What's wrong with that?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

 

[ImmortalFlame]

I don't know. I'm tired and can't sleep and have been wondering for days why no one has picked this, and a few other stories, up.

So is it now safe to call Atheism a religion? OR are these the nut jobs of the "faith"?

I thought we'd already covered these guys. It's just a bunch of people - most of them atheists - congregating together on a regular basis for lectures, debates and live music. While I'm not personally a member of their group, they certainly don't sound like either a religion or "nut jobs of the faith".

The Sunday Assembly

It seems to be assumed that this is an anti-theist movement. Could it simply be that atheists just want to have a sense of community? What's wrong with that?

Yeah, basically this.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

It seems to be assumed that this is an anti-theist movement. Could it simply be that atheists just want to have a sense of community? What's wrong with that?

Yup...if I can quote myself...

Oh, and TSoA? After reading the article, I'm not convinced these particular atheists fall into the anti-theist category. Sounds more like they have theist-envy.