Atheist 'mega-churches' take root across US, world

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Atheist 'mega-churches' take root across US, world

AP foreign, Sunday November 10 2013

GILLIAN FLACCUS

Associated Press= LOS ANGELES (AP) - It looked like a typical Sunday morning at any mega-church. Hundreds packed in for more than an hour of rousing music, an inspirational sermon, a reading and some quiet reflection. The only thing missing was God.

Dozens of gatherings dubbed "atheist mega-churches" by supporters and detractors are springing up around the U.S. 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 more than 400 attendees, all 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 dozens of Sunday Assemblies. They hope to raise more than $800,000 that will help atheists launch their pop-up congregations around the world.

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/feedarticle/11060402

[rurallib]

1. Maybe they will next count all of us who stay at home on Sunday mornings

or better yet they could count us not going to church any day of the week - what a movement!

[cbayer]

2. Fascinating trend, but this particular group makes me suspicious.

Their fundraising goals and using the whole "mega-church" concept are particularly questionable.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. I can't see why 'mega' is being used

400 may be a good turn out, but not the numbers normally quoted for 'megchurches'. Wikipedia:

A megachurch is a church having 2,000[1] or more[2] in average weekend attendance.[3] The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000.[4] While 3,000 individual Catholic parishes (churches) have 2,000 or more attendants for an average Sunday Mass, these churches are not seen as part of the megachurch movement.[5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megachurch

And 400 may be from an initial burst of publicity and curiosity. It's the numbers after things have settled down that would indicate if this is actually something any significant number of people are going to spend time on.

[Goblinmonger]

5. Oh, I totally get why "mega" is being used.

That makes the atheists look bad. "See, they're just as bad as those mega-church assholes."

I have zero doubt that is what is going on.

[cbayer]

6. I think it's a reflection of their goals.

[TlalocW]

3. Interesting concept but I wonder... (I wah-wah-wonder)

Based on past experience with social clubs for childfree people, if they can keep the "churches" going. Both are based more on having "not having" something in common than having something in common like most groups - political, professional, hobby-wise, etc. So, yes, no belief in God unites them, but in every other way, they'll be all over the various spectra of beliefs, interests, etc. In the childfree clubs, that translates as being difficult to find activities to do together - oftentimes being very difficult to get even a third of a club to meet up. I do wish them luck though.

TlalocW

[cbayer]

7. It's going to be interesting to watch this develop.

I know some disagree with me, but I think for many atheism is more than just "not having" something. For many the separation issue and fighting anti-atheist discrimination are on their agendas. Belonging to groups in order to pursue those issues is important to them.

Perhaps that makes them different than childless couples, but we shall see.

[rug]

8. Damn earworm.

[TlalocW]

9. One of my more annoying hobbies

Is attempting to get songs stuck in people's heads.

I figure it's a more practical way of taking over the world instead of trying to find the worst movie in the world by showing it to a guy and his two robots stuck in space in order to monitor their reactions.

TlalocW