# Atheist Churches, Good or Bad Idea. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 7, 2013, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579 "2013-02-07T12:10:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/241 "2013-02-09T18:17:11Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > You could but how would you be able to differentiate it from other community centers. Also, how would you be able to encourage other atheists to participate and contribute both time and money. It could also help dispel some of the negative images others have of Atheists. OK, here’s a question. If you, as a Christian, had a building labeled “Atheist Community Center” in your town, would you walk in the door? ---
**Author:** ![pchaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/258eb7/32.png) [@pchaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pchaos)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/242 "2013-02-09T18:23:00Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > OK, here’s a question. If you, as a Christian, had a building labeled “Atheist Community Center” in your town, would you walk in the door? If I was invited by someone I knew I would. Otherwise, if I had the time and was taking a stroll around the neighborhood and ran across it, what I would probably do is check out the community center’s bulletin board first. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/243 "2013-02-09T18:29:35Z")
Who’s going to invite you? Not being snarky. Picture somebody real and live, that you know, inviting you to an event at an “Atheist Community Center.” Why exactly would they do that? And, if you wouldn’t just walk uninvited into an “Atheist Community Center”, would you walk into a “Community Center”? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/244 "2013-02-09T18:29:37Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > If I was invited by someone I knew I would. Otherwise, if I had the time and was taking a stroll around the neighborhood and ran across it, what I would probably do is check out the community center’s bulletin board first. That’s reasonable. And maybe you would be more likely to walk in if it was called something like “Ethical Society,” a name that summarizes what the group is interested in instead of “Atheist Center,” which only identifies something the members _aren’t_ concerned with and makes it sound like non-atheists aren’t wanted. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/245 "2013-02-09T18:34:58Z")
I am not _quite_ an atheist but my worldview is consistent with an atheist’s one: The world is our responsibility. Meaning is ours to find working with each other. Meaning of life and of the universe and of our place within it. While I have a god concept of sort I do not need one to believe that my job is to try to leave the world a bit better than I found it in whatever ways I can and to not do to others as I would have them not do to me. I do not need the threat of eternal damnation nor the promise of eternal slavation to motivate me to do good acts; I do them because they are the right thing to do – no more motivation is required. I do not feel God or gods have abandoned me; in my god-concept there never was a god who gave a shit. No change. This place is our job. No miracles will save us or our children or generations after them. We do it. Us. That help? ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/246 "2013-02-09T18:36:18Z")
Exactly my point, but more concisely stated. “Atheist Community Center” isn’t likely to be seen as any more inviting than “[Muslim Community Center](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-fuchs-kreimer/proposed-muslim-community_b_583437.html).” ETA: this was in response to Marley. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/247 "2013-02-09T19:02:19Z")
There is a building I go to near me where I congregate with like minded individuals. Our discussions become pretty lively at times. This past Xmas we broke out in song. It’s a bar, and has a name already. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/248 "2013-02-09T19:32:20Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > If I was invited by someone I knew I would. Otherwise, if I had the time and was taking a stroll around the neighborhood and ran across it, what I would probably do is check out the community center’s bulletin board first. Would you be sure to hide your bible under your jacket? I also think you’re being dishonest here - from all of your other posts - you want to be sure who the ‘atheist scum’ are so that you can go to the other side of the street - very much like the samaritans of old. ---
**Author:** ![pchaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/258eb7/32.png) [@pchaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pchaos)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/249 "2013-02-09T20:02:34Z")
> [@simster](#): > > I also think you’re being dishonest here - from all of your other posts - you want to be sure who the ‘atheist scum’ are so that you can go to the other side of the street - very much like the samaritans of old. Only if I knew Czarcasm was a member of the Community Center.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/250 "2013-02-09T20:04:39Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > Only if I knew Czarcasm was a member of the Community Center.🙂 I don’t work at a community center. I spend my spare time working at the local food bank..that is run by the neighborhood Episcopal Church. ---
**Author:** ![pchaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/258eb7/32.png) [@pchaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pchaos)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/251 "2013-02-09T20:31:49Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I don’t work at a community center. I spend my spare time working at the local food bank..that is run by the neighborhood Episcopal Church. I’m glad that you can be civil…I’m a great believer that people actually have a lot more in common than they think. So, even if you think I don’t “get it.” I’m still trying. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/252 "2013-02-09T20:48:06Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > You have said,_in this very thread_, that you understand and accept the dictionary definition of “atheist”. Considering what you just posted why should anyone believe a word you say from here on in? His problem is not with the dictionary definition of ‘atheist’, it’s with the dictionary definitions of ‘logic’ and ‘reason’ (see that other thread). As a result, he’s incapable of using _actual_ logic and reason to examine the _implications_ of the ‘atheist’ definition, and so he keeps trying to shoe-horn atheism into the religion model he already has. Until he gets ‘logic’ and ‘reason’ right, ‘atheist’ is a hopeless cause. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/253 "2013-02-09T20:48:39Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > I’m glad that you can be civil…I’m a great believer that people actually have a lot more in common than they think. So, even if you think I don’t “get it.” I’m still trying. Show that you ‘are trying’ to get it - what is your current definition of what an atheist thinks/believes? would they need to join a ‘group’ dedicated to nothing but atheism? ---
**Author:** ![SirGalahad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71c47a/32.png) [@SirGalahad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirGalahad)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/254 "2013-02-09T21:14:03Z")
> [@simster](#): > > Show that you ‘are trying’ to get it - > > what is your current definition of what an atheist thinks/believes? > > would they need to join a ‘group’ dedicated to nothing but atheism? A family member is, I guess, what you would call a “militant” or “radical” atheist. I can’t remember the names of the atheist organizations to which he belongs, but they are active on Facebook and they email each other and post on blogs to the effect that God must be taken off our money, billboards should be erected slamming Christianity, proactive measures need to be instituted to attack religious beliefs. Now, I’m not googling the subject to find which atheist groups look familiar and may be the ones that participate in these behaviors, because I simply don’t care what they do. Anyone can find that sort of activity on Facebook and the internet fairly easily. My only point is … there are groups with anti-religious bents, and if they want to assemble to plan the removal of any religious references from government or schools, or publicly challenge religion via billboards, T-shirts, or blogs, I have no problem with that. And, if some of them want to do it once a week on Sunday morning and call it a church, I have no problem with that. I don’t see a down-side for the atheists or for any religious folks who may observe said church. ---
**Author:** ![pchaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/258eb7/32.png) [@pchaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pchaos)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/255 "2013-02-09T21:49:24Z")
> [@Cheshire\_Human](#): > > His problem is not with the dictionary definition of ‘atheist’, it’s with the dictionary definitions of ‘logic’ and ‘reason’ (see that other thread). As a result, he’s incapable of using _actual_ logic and reason to examine the _implications_ of the ‘atheist’ definition, and so he keeps trying to shoe-horn atheism into the religion model he already has. Until he gets ‘logic’ and ‘reason’ right, ‘atheist’ is a hopeless cause. Once again, I don’t expect people to follow my definitions. I use them solely to help me understand where they’re coming from. As far as I’m concerned life is not logical. So, I started thinking that most people were just rational, but thought they were logical. Then there’s a fringe group that is irrational. Initially, I believed that atheists were part of this fringe group, but clearly I’m mistaken. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/256 "2013-02-09T22:43:35Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > but clearly I’m mistaken. Let’s just use that as the default assumption here and go from there. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/257 "2013-02-09T22:53:47Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > Once again, I don’t expect people to follow my definitions. Then don’t use them here. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/258 "2013-02-09T23:10:19Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > Once again, I don’t expect people to follow my definitions. I use them solely to help me understand where they’re coming from. If I say to you I’m coming from the west coast of North America and you say, “Oh you mean, west coast of Africa. Yeah, I get it.” You don’t get it. Get it? ---
**Author:** ![pchaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/258eb7/32.png) [@pchaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pchaos)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/259 "2013-02-10T02:11:32Z")
Yes. ---
**Author:** ![pchaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/258eb7/32.png) [@pchaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pchaos)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/260 "2013-02-10T02:41:32Z")
> [@simster](#): > > would they need to join a ‘group’ dedicated to nothing but atheism? No…but some have and that’s why there are atheist churches. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579.md?page=14)