From the Huffington Post: On Sunday, Britain’s first atheist church held its very first meeting at The Nave, a former church-turned-performance space, in Islington, North London.
According to the Islington Gazette, stand-up comedians Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans founded the so-called godless church because they wanted a space where non-religious folks could commune and edify one another.
The Huffington Post UK explains that the church, dubbed “Sunday Assembly,” has been “championed as [a] chance for disillusioned former believers, nostalgic atheists and anybody searching for a sense of community, to meet and ‘turn good intentions into action.’”
According to the Independent, about 200 worshippers showed up to the service, held on Jan. 6. The congregation focused on the theme of “Beginnings,” deliberating over ways that success can be achieved by letting go of past failures and avoiding “mental booby traps.” Instead of a sermon, the church invited Andy Stanton, a popular children’s book author, to talk about overcoming the odds and achieving success; and instead of praying together, those gathered were encouraged at one point to close their eyes and meditate on their fears of inadequacy and failure. With Jones taking the stage as MC, the congregation was also treated to some stand-up comedy. A rendition of Oasis’ “Don’t Look Back In Anger” was even sung during the gathering.
Going forward, the “Sunday Assembly” is scheduled to meet on the first Sunday of every month.
Thoughts?
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I’m an atheist myself and I’m all for us meeting and discussing ideas. Not sure about calling it a church though. Buys into the myth that lack of belief in something is a religion.
Soon they will be applying for tax exempt status and 25 years from now members leaving because they don’t feel they belong and “the church” has let them down. It’s simply replacing one religion for another to fill that “God Shaped Hole”.