Harvard's New Chief Chaplain Is An Atheist

[Secret Chief]

As long as the person can fulfil the functions of the role, for the entire student body, it seems fine and appropriate to me. The two "worst" (eg got the name of the deceased wrong) funerals that I have attended were conducted by vicars, the two "best" were conducted by humanist celebrants. It's the talk, not the walk (or the dog collar).

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I don't see a problem. It is not uncommon here to have atheists pastors.
I think they have at least one in Canada, too --> Atheist pastor sparks debate by 'irritating the church into the 21st century'

Ciao

- viole

I see a huge problem with chaplaincy generally, even if it's being done by an atheist.

Counsellors should get their position based on actual qualifications to do the job, not based on their religious affiliation.

And legitimate counselling:

- is focused on the patient, not the counsellor.

- maintains a professional relationship between the counsellor and the patient.

If a counsellor's personal beliefs are a major factor in the counselling approach, they're doing counselling wrong.

The whole idea of chaplaincy is wrong-headed, IMO.

 

[Revoltingest]

I don't see a problem. It is not uncommon here to have atheists pastors.
I think they have at least one in Canada, too --> Atheist pastor sparks debate by 'irritating the church into the 21st century'

Ciao

- viole

He is a secular humanist. Humanist chaplains are quite common in USA and Europe

An atheist pastor just strikes me as an
emerging & oxymoronic use of the word.
(Change frightens me.)
Ref....
pastor

• n. A Christian minister or priest having spiritual charge over a congregation or other group.
• n. A layperson having spiritual charge over a person or group.
• n. A shepherd.

More at Wordnik from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th

 

[Harel13]

It's more of an exclusive
club.

What are you referring to here?

 

[Revoltingest]

What are you referring to here?

Post #20.
It's about my observations that this atheistic Jewish pastor
reflects what I observe in my acquaintances IRL. Id est, that
they belong to a religion that is very restrictive about entry,
that they don't believe the religion they ostensibly belong to,
& that this resembles a very exclusive club...in my observation.

Caution:
The above is not a claim of fact, or generalization outside
of personal acquaintances in real life, ie, not on the internet.
My observations & opinions are my own, & not portrayed as
factual. This is true of each & every statement, even if not
explicitly stated with each observation & opinion.

 

[Rival]

Ya know....it occurs to me that of all the Jews I know
IRL, not a one of them actually believes in Judaism.
They're all atheists who only identify as "Jew", &
practice some of the rituals. It's more of an exclusive
club.
This is just what I observe among people I know.
Weird. Very weird to me.

I just learnt a few days ago that my local MP converted to Judaism in 2017. He's the guy we go to with complaints we want forwarding to government etc. It was quite the shock.

 

[Revoltingest]

I just learnt a few days ago that my local MP converted to Judaism in 2017. He's the guy we go to with complaints we want forwarding to government etc. It was quite the shock.

I like our procedure for converting to atheism.
It's very informal.
One need only discover that one is.

 

[RabbiO]

I just learnt a few days ago that my local MP converted to Judaism in 2017. He's the guy we go to with complaints we want forwarding to government etc. It was quite the shock.

Andrew Percy?

 

[Rival]

Andrew Percy?

That's him. He's well liked here because 'Even though he's a Tory he's good, he does things we agree with', now it's possible I get why. He seems to stick to his guns.

 

[Colt]

An atheist is a chaplain. So by extension atheism is a religion.

(at this point I should leave RF until the fury dies down).

Oh dear they really stepped into that irony! Well done!

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

An atheist is a chaplain. So by extension atheism is a religion.

(at this point I should leave RF until the fury dies down).

Wait - are you saying that chaplaincy is inherently religious? They keep on saying that it's only about "spiritual care," not religion.

 

[Regiomontanus]

The New Chief Chaplain at Harvard? An Atheist.
Excerpted....
The Puritan colonists who settled in New England in the 1630s had a nagging concern about the churches they were building: How would they ensure that the clergymen would be literate? Their answer was Harvard University, a school that was established to educate the ministry and adopted the motto “Truth for Christ and the Church.” It was named after a pastor, John Harvard, and it would be more than 70 years before the school had a president who was not a clergyman.

Nearly four centuries later, Harvard’s organization of chaplains has elected as its next president an atheist named Greg Epstein, who takes on the job this week.

Happy birthday, brother.

 

[Martin]

Don't Kid your self, all churchs are stuffed to the rafters with private atheists and heretics.
Whose prime reasons to be there are social, conformity and personal benefit.

Anglican may have got there first but who knows.

I don't know, but I wouldn't think there are many atheist Catholics.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

I just learnt a few days ago that my local MP converted to Judaism in 2017. He's the guy we go to with complaints we want forwarding to government etc. It was quite the shock.

Why would that be a shock. There are quite a few Jews in parliament.
My MP is both Jewish female and socialist.

 

[Rival]

Why would that be a shock. There are quite a few Jews in parliament.
My MP is both Jewish female and socialist.

It's unusual for anyone where I live or in and around where I live to convert to Judaism. It's strange to be religious full stop in this country, per my experience. Atheism is the default and Judaism is still niche in the UK, relatively speaking.

 

[Father Heathen]

Are they? I've never heard of them. It seems a little ridiculous.

Atheists might still be in need of the same support provided by theistic chaplains.

 

[PruePhillip]

The New Chief Chaplain at Harvard? An Atheist.
Excerpted....
The Puritan colonists who settled in New England in the 1630s had a nagging concern about the churches they were building: How would they ensure that the clergymen would be literate? Their answer was Harvard University, a school that was established to educate the ministry and adopted the motto “Truth for Christ and the Church.” It was named after a pastor, John Harvard, and it would be more than 70 years before the school had a president who was not a clergyman.

Nearly four centuries later, Harvard’s organization of chaplains has elected as its next president an atheist named Greg Epstein, who takes on the job this week.

Belief does strange things - so too does disbelief.
A nation that disbelieves doesn't have the vitality and self-confidence
of believing nations. Witness Europe verses Islam - both Islam outside
of Europe and Islam growing within Europe.
And disbelief in the almighty leads to disbelief in children - religious
people have more children.
And disbelief seems to lead to dismissal of your own nation. Witness
America today.
It's true as someone put it - we are living off the smell of an empty
vase.

 

[Revoltingest]

Belief does strange things - so too does disbelief.
A nation that disbelieves doesn't have the vitality and self-confidence
of believing nations. Witness Europe verses Islam - both Islam outside
of Europe and Islam growing within Europe.
And disbelief in the almighty leads to disbelief in children - religious
people have more children.
And disbelief seems to lead to dismissal of your own nation. Witness
America today.
It's true as someone put it - we are living off the small of an empty
vase.

Look at Islamic countries vs non-believing countries.
Which are the ****holes?
I rest my case.
But I will allow that belief has some advantages. If a country
wants to turn a person into a military tool...a weapon as it were,
then nothing beats a fundamentalist religion that offers a simplistic
deadly morality, & promises the tool eternal paradise in heaven.
(You'd never find this atheist in a foxhole.)

Disclaimer:
The above is all just my opinion.
I'm attacking no particular religion in my criticism
of the possible dysfunction to be found in some.

 

[firedragon]

The New Chief Chaplain at Harvard? An Atheist.
Excerpted....
The Puritan colonists who settled in New England in the 1630s had a nagging concern about the churches they were building: How would they ensure that the clergymen would be literate? Their answer was Harvard University, a school that was established to educate the ministry and adopted the motto “Truth for Christ and the Church.” It was named after a pastor, John Harvard, and it would be more than 70 years before the school had a president who was not a clergyman.

Nearly four centuries later, Harvard’s organization of chaplains has elected as its next president an atheist named Greg Epstein, who takes on the job this week.

But you seem as excited as a seminary sophomore who's head honcho clergy man became some big shot in some big university. Same difference.

 

[Revoltingest]

But you seem as excited as a seminary sophomore who's head honcho clergy man became some big shot in some big university. Same difference.

I'm always excited.
(Lingering effects of dark chocolate covered espresso beans.)