# 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:** 33
**Author:** ![pchaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/258eb7/32.png) [@pchaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pchaos)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/641 "2013-02-14T01:36:04Z")
> [@simster](#): > > Am I to take it that you think Atheists cannot be trusted, but somehow theists can? I’m not making that assumption because I don’t have that kind of bucks. These are atheists with big bucks that are deciding to donate to big churches or charitable organizations. They are making these donations instead of donating to atheist organizations. ---
**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 14, 2013, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/642 "2013-02-14T01:46:10Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > I’m not making that assumption because I don’t have that kind of bucks. > > These are atheists with big bucks that are deciding to donate to big churches or charitable organizations. They are making these donations instead of donating to atheist organizations. cite please? Break it down with facts - And you made the assumption in your post - or atleast assumed what the donor’s thought, which indicates your position on the matter - back it up or admit you’re pulling it out of your ass like everything else you’ve been posting. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/643 "2013-02-14T02:03:02Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > charitable organizations. They are making these donations instead of donating to atheist organizations. And most people who donate to charity are driven by their religions? What’s wrong with the religious people YOU know? My religious friends (and I) donate to charitable organizations that have no religious affiliation and not at the behest (I hope) of organized religion or under threat of eternal damnation. None of us donates to theistic organizations. Why should I expect atheists to behave differently? ---
**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 14, 2013, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/644 "2013-02-14T02:09:25Z")
I’m going to rescind a portion of my prior reply (too late to edit). I don’t know of any ‘overtly’ atheistic organizations that are seeking ‘charitable’ donations - there may be ‘athiestic’ orgs that want donations to help a cause or fight a legal battle - but as a rule - ‘atheistic org’ is not what folks see - they see generically named organizations with no hint as to the religion, or lack there of, of the folks running it. So, you are only correct in that in a list of organization that are being donated - very few or none of them are going to have ‘Atheist’ in the title or description of them. This, however, does not make you right in two assumptions - a) that they decided to donate to big ‘churches’ - or that the charitable orgs they did donate to were overtly theistic b) that they found ‘atheistic’ organizations untrustworthy. You, **pchaos** need to back up those two claims with cites - or admit your just assuming it without basis in fact. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/645 "2013-02-14T02:37:31Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > These are atheists with big bucks that are deciding to donate to big churches or charitable organizations. They’re not donating to big churches. I don’t know where you came up with this idea. > [@](#): > > They are making these donations instead of donating to atheist organizations. Good! People need polio shots more than they need Un-Bible Camps or whatever you are imagining. ---
**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 14, 2013, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/646 "2013-02-14T02:45:29Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > I’m not making that assumption because I don’t have that kind of bucks. And neither do I. Assuming you have a middle class job, let alone are a SoCal lawyer, as you claim, you make more discretionary pocket change in a day than I have to spend in a month. I’m poor. By federal rules and regs on welfare programs. And by Bill & Warren’s definition, too. Guess what. I’m still better off than other people, and I volunteer my time to make their lives better. And I ain’t doing it because God demands it. I do it because a) I can, and b) it’s the right thing to do. You have an extremely insulting view of people like me. Mainly because you compare me to yourself and your fellow pew-fillers. You only help others because god will send you to hell if you don’t. I do it for different reasons. Namely, because _life in this world_ will be hell, if we don’t care about each other, here-and-now, and give each other a hand. So I do what I can to make others’ lives better. “God don’t tell me what to do.” You’re actually a rather bad example of ‘loving your neighbor as yourself’, since you insist that a god rewards you for it, in the afterlife, before you’ll actually think about doing it. I do it because (see above) a) I can, and b) it’s the right thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/647 "2013-02-14T04:40:08Z")
> [@Cheshire\_Human](#): > > . . . I do it for different reasons. Namely, because _life in this world_ will be hell, if we don’t care about each other, here-and-now, and give each other a hand. So I do what I can to make others’ lives better. . . . Some time ago, a Christian tried to tell me what I think – happens a lot, eh? He said that I had no reason not to lie, cheat, steal, even murder. I explained to him, patiently, that I don’t engage in those actions, because they would diminish my self-esteem. I don’t want to be the kind of person who lies, cheats, steals, or murders. Even if I didn’t have a conscience (and, of course, I do) I would refuse to engage in those actions, because they would degrade my quality of life. We don’t need God to judge us; we’re moral agents of our own, and we judge ourselves. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/648 "2013-02-14T05:05:37Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > These are atheists with big bucks that are deciding to donate to big churches or charitable organizations. They are making these donations instead of donating to atheist organizations. Are you attempting to say that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which Gates founded himself of course, is not an atheist/non-religious charitable organization? If so, I’d like to hear your definition of “atheist organizations” and what would actually qualify. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/649 "2013-02-14T10:56:20Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > But within our separate churches there’s synergy, we have a diverse group with common values and the synergy allows us to support each other and accomplish significant achievements. In my experience what happens when religious types get together to act often doesn’t warrant the term, ‘achievement’. If you stuck to the feeding the poor stuff nd stopped sticking your noses into what other people do with their bodies it’d help. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/650 "2013-02-14T13:41:31Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > Monavis, how are you this morning. I doubt if anybody can open my mind to atheism. I’m simply one greedy b\_\_\_\_\_\_\_d, I just want to live my life to fullest and leave a legacy to the next generation, now your telling me that atheists have nothing more to offer than there’s no God. Give me a break I have no time for this. I believe I have given you the fact that you have every right to your beliefs, but they are just that..Beliefs. I don’t know anyone on this board that is trying to have you except Atheism. Just trying to get the fact that Your beliefs are not nesessarily facts, since you offer no proof, and seem to think Athiests should or do have a Church, which would make no sense. They only go by their personal beliefs, not non-beliefs which sadly, you do not seem to want to accept that when some one doesn’t believe something it is a belief! You don’t believe in unicorns(at least It doesn’t seem so) so your non-belief in unicorns is the same as Athiests not believing in a Supreme Being of some other dimension. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/651 "2013-02-14T13:52:19Z")
I am one of a large group of people who do not watch football. By **pchaos** ’s reasoning, the fact that all us non-football-watchers don’t all watch the same not-football TV show is indicative of a failing on our part to better co-ordinate the kind of not-football we watch and to persuade football watchers that our not-football show is better than their football show. ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/652 "2013-02-14T14:03:37Z")
And why haven’t we organised not-football matches yet!! We should build not-football fields for the next generation. And design our own not-team jersey. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/653 "2013-02-14T14:23:13Z")
> [@Latro](#): > > And why haven’t we organised not-football matches yet!! > > We should build not-football fields for the next generation. And design our own not-team jersey. Yeah, but not-hot dogs and not-burgers are so expensive, and not-beer just tastes like piss. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/654 "2013-02-14T14:24:54Z")
> [@hotflungwok](#): > > … not-beer just tastes like piss. Not-beer is Miller? Who knew? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pchaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/258eb7/32.png) [@pchaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pchaos)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/655 "2013-02-14T14:26:06Z")
> [@Latro](#): > > We should build not-football fields for the next generation. And design our own not-team jersey. I agree. Actually, I don’t. Do I have to explain everything to you guys. Do you want me to start this atheistic organization for you. Wouldn’t that be embarrassing an theist leading an atheist organization. ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/656 "2013-02-14T14:31:11Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > Wouldn’t that be embarrassing an theist leading an atheist organization. No problem. Why dont you go off and start with the jersey design. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/657 "2013-02-14T14:39:15Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > I agree. Actually, I don’t. Do I have to explain everything to you guys. Do you want me to start this atheistic organization for you. Wouldn’t that be embarrassing an theist leading an atheist organization. Is there money in it? Do you have a business plan? Aside from your disappointment that atheists do not have churches, and do not seem to be very open to the suggestion, what concrete ideas do you have for this hypothetical 'atheist organization"? Let me see a prospectus and I’ll run it past the Board. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/658 "2013-02-14T14:43:34Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > I agree. Actually, I don’t. Do I have to explain everything to you guys. Do you want me to start this atheistic organization for you. Wouldn’t that be embarrassing an theist leading an atheist organization. Make sure there are hookers and blow! Atheists all love hookers and blow! ---
**Author:** ![pchaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/258eb7/32.png) [@pchaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pchaos)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/659 "2013-02-14T14:44:18Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Is there money in it? Do you have a business plan? Aside from your disappointment that atheists do not have churches, and do not seem to be very open to the suggestion, what concrete ideas do you have for this hypothetical 'atheist organization"? > > Let me see a prospectus and I’ll run it past the Board. So who’s going to head up this organization. I’d be happy to volunteer, but you really don’t want a theist to run the organization, you should be able to find somebody better. ---
**Author:** ![Razncain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@Razncain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Razncain)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579/660 "2013-02-14T14:44:27Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > I agree. Actually, I don’t. Do I have to explain everything to you guys. Do you want me to start this atheistic organization for you. Wouldn’t that be embarrassing an theist leading an atheist organization. Why do you continually end your questions with periods? Not sure if that would be more embarrassing than finding hundreds of atheists known to have been [in the pulpit leading Christians.](http://www.clergyproject.org/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579.md?page=32) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-churches-good-or-bad-idea/649579.md?page=34)