Posted on 11/11/2013 1:55:11 PM PST by DallasBiff
LOS ANGELES (AP) 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 talk 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 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 likeminded 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
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
An atheist non-Christmas carol.
Dude hey you merry gentleman, let nothing you dismay
For our dudest dude was born, was born on this dudest day
George Orwell was a prophet.
“Random Chance, Rest Ye Merry Gentlepersons”
I wouldn't want to an athiest when Judgement Day comes around.
God will be saying to them: who are you?
That would be an intersting sermon. What do they talk about? Nothing?
Sounds dumb, one big advantage of being an Atheist is you can sleep late Sunday mornings
Already exists. It is the modern Democrat party.
The absurdity of it is astounding.
People who get so exercised about a God they insist isn’t there.
They think that “reason” (in the way they conceive it, which is a tight little knot of almost contentless tautologies) is enough for a good life on earth. Like surely bookkeeping will solve your problem with being broke!
Oh an atheist knows God’s there and hates Him. And will stoop to almost any depth to get his or her no-God world.
agitprop
Atheists are idiots.
Nature abhors a vacuum.
The non-belief will get filled with something in a ready-made nasty machine.
I’m a Catholic and have a slightly different view of “end times” than the common Protestant belief, but this kind of crap fits both theories.
Or a 7th day Adventist could do so :-)
When I read a couple Brit comics were involved, I instantly thought of Billy Connolly, as he can be absolutely hilarious, but is a RABID atheist.
That was the dude who went ape shit over Jerusalem being the capital of Israel.
Well I believe you and crazy-evangelical I can agree on the Garden. Satan cooked up an illusory scheme and sold it to mankind.
All that's missing is the Kool-Aid.
The World's First "Atheist" Church.
Oh good. A country club.
Next comes the pool.
if a few hundred in attendance qualifies atheists to say they have a “mega church” affirmative action must have been applied.
Haha People need church - now if they could just realize they need Jesus to go along with it!
I can imagine this rubbish really taking off - from what I see on Facebook people will buy any pseudo spiritual feel good nonsense as long as it is not Christian or fromal religion. If you’re looking for a great example try looking up video of Eckhart Tolle - he speaks absolute tripe but people worship this crap!
Mel
Mel
And the coolest thing is - YOU GET TO MAKE UP YOUR OWN MORALITY!
No more of this submission to a higher power.
Just think of what you want to do...
then CREATE an arbitrary ethical system which justifies what you want!
Just think...you can be AGAINST it when its done to you, but still JUSTIFY the same act when you do it to others!
And it will help you keep you mind off of your accountability to the LIVING GOD on the Dies Iraes!
Atheism: the ultimate denial.
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