Posted on 06/04/2013 1:20:15 AM PDT by AustralianConservative
Atheism is a closet religion – and there’s no shortage of field evidence.
Consider The Sunday Assembly, a group-identified “godless congregation” in London. There, the faithful meet on the first Sunday of every month.
As their evangelical pitch goes: “Come on down to hear inspirational speakers and to enjoy a morning that is part-foot stomping show, part-atheist church.”
Being secular apostles, the assembly’s members (disciples?) are keen on planting new assemblies (churches?). To wit, “Sunday Assembly Everywhere is a framework that allows everyone to create their own Assembly, while staying true to the spirit and values of The Sunday Assembly.”
Adherents have even adopted a hierarchal version of tithing. Or as their guidelines state, “The Sunday Assembly is run on donations and we ask you to send Sunday Assembly Everywhere 10% of your collection each month in order for us to provide ongoing support.”
But let’s dig a little deeper.
The religious-sounding “nonreligious” movement is apparently the brainchild of Pippa Evans and Sanderson Jones, two atheist comedians, with a knack for New-Age marketing techniques.
In one introductory You Tube video, for example, we see a room full of seekers in order to convey success. Most interestingly though, when Evans advertises the “life-affirming spirit” goals of her group, she sounds spiritual.
At least, I’ve thought about what social-scientists would make of this. Why meet on Sunday mornings of all days, a time associated with mainstream Christianity? Why choose the word assembly, with all of its deep, biblical associations? And, why – oh, why – settle on 10% giving? At least this looks like mirroring. I mean, “life-affirming spirit”? Collection?
(Excerpt) Read more at bpterpstra.blogspot.com.au ...
Maybe the founders were trying to see if anyone took them seriously.
Don’t we call them “Unitarians” here?
Here in the US, we have an atheist denomination that meets on Sundays and even has Sunday school. We call it “Unitarian Universalist.”
CC
Oh my.
Very funny. I like your sense of humour.
CC
“Here in the US, we have an atheist denomination that meets on Sundays and even has Sunday school...”
No, it meets 5X a week and is called the Public School.
That’s silly. One of the great things about being an atheist is I don’t have to go to church. Ever. That’s like losing weight and then wearing a fat suit so that your friends can still recognize you.
More insane nonsense from Britain.
****The religious-sounding “nonreligious” movement is apparently the brainchild of Pippa Evans and Sanderson Jones, two atheist comedians, with a knack for New-Age marketing techniques.****
Sounds similar to the church of satan organized by Anton Salazar Levey back in the 1960s.
Even he did not believe the crap he spewed out.
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