Comments on: Atheists need their own church http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/ A daily webzine and forum for discussion of news that arises at the intersection of religion and culture Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:53:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Spinoza http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/#comment-295624 Spinoza Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:33:27 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/#comment-295624 Also good with lots of overlap: http://stoney.sb.org/uujokes.html :) Also good with lots of overlap:

http://stoney.sb.org/uujokes.html

:)

]]> By: Spinoza http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/#comment-295616 Spinoza Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:18:15 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/#comment-295616 "I know my humor is outrageous when it makes the Unitarians so mad they burn a question mark on my front lawn." -- Lenny Bruce I originally heard this stuff on the Prairie Home Companion Joke Show - they always have Unitarian jokes - but just found a great online source: http://www.firstunitariantoronto.org/uu_humour.htm Check out the Gilbert & Sullivan re-write, "I am the Very Model of a Modern Unitarian" - Quite Good! “I know my humor is outrageous when it makes the Unitarians so mad they burn a question mark on my front lawn.” — Lenny Bruce

I originally heard this stuff on the Prairie Home Companion Joke Show - they always have Unitarian jokes - but just found a great online source: http://www.firstunitariantoronto.org/uu_humour.htm

Check out the Gilbert & Sullivan re-write, “I am the Very Model of a Modern Unitarian” - Quite Good!

]]> By: hrw http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/#comment-295611 hrw Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:07:28 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/#comment-295611 As an agnostic I wouldn't waste my time sitting in a chair or pew to discuss humanism, inspiration etc. Since all can be questioned why bother contemplate especially in a group. Group Think too closely resembles a Bush war planning meeting for my tastes. As for Harrison's post, someone didn't have enough fun in high school. As an agnostic I wouldn’t waste my time sitting in a chair or pew to discuss humanism, inspiration etc. Since all can be questioned why bother contemplate especially in a group. Group Think too closely resembles a Bush war planning meeting for my tastes.

As for Harrison’s post, someone didn’t have enough fun in high school.

]]> By: SteveG http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/#comment-295577 SteveG Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:03:33 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/#comment-295577 DCLawyer at #15: <i>The idea that atheists have “all the mainline denominations” is absurd and insulting. Evidently no one is Christian unless s/he subscribes to the world according to HSK. Throw out all the mainlines and Catholics and Christianity becomes very small indeed. </i> I am sure Harrison thought his dig was very, very clever. DCLawyer at #15: The idea that atheists have “all the mainline denominations” is absurd and insulting. Evidently no one is Christian unless s/he subscribes to the world according to HSK. Throw out all the mainlines and Catholics and Christianity becomes very small indeed.

I am sure Harrison thought his dig was very, very clever.

]]> By: SteveG http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/#comment-295574 SteveG Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:55:59 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/#comment-295574 Spinoza: <i>Well as I understand it, UU prefers the term “non-theist” - our local UU pastor is a “non-theist”.</i> UUs are no one thing. In most cases, when you walk into a UU church you'll encounter some Christians, Muslims, Pagans, Buddhists, non-specific theists, non-theistic spiritual people, agnostics and maybe occasionaly a materialist-atheist. What unites them isn't the vertical (man-to-God) belief but the horizontal (person-to-person) dimension of religious practice. They don't tell you what to believe; they encourage you to work for the good of humanity, inspired by whatever it is you believe. Serious George: That's a good one. Perhaps the best line I've heard about the UUs is: It's where you can go to have your answers questioned. Spinoza: Well as I understand it, UU prefers the term “non-theist” - our local UU pastor is a “non-theist”.

UUs are no one thing. In most cases, when you walk into a UU church you’ll encounter some Christians, Muslims, Pagans, Buddhists, non-specific theists, non-theistic spiritual people, agnostics and maybe occasionaly a materialist-atheist.

What unites them isn’t the vertical (man-to-God) belief but the horizontal (person-to-person) dimension of religious practice. They don’t tell you what to believe; they encourage you to work for the good of humanity, inspired by whatever it is you believe.

Serious George: That’s a good one.

Perhaps the best line I’ve heard about the UUs is: It’s where you can go to have your answers questioned.

]]> By: Serious George http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/#comment-295573 Serious George Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:49:30 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/#comment-295573 Sorry ... I can't resist. Q: What do you get when you cross a UU with a Jehovah's witness. A: Someone who knocks on your door to talk about nothing in particular. Sorry … I can’t resist.

Q: What do you get when you cross a UU with a Jehovah’s witness.

A: Someone who knocks on your door to talk about nothing in particular.

]]> By: Spinoza http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/#comment-295558 Spinoza Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:11:14 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/#comment-295558 What I like about UU (though I am not one) is that you are not <i>required</i> to be a theist or a non-theist. I think it's great to have human communities that appreciate the cultural value of religion-like meetings without the ideological nonsense that too-often goes with it. And I would rather be in this environment than in one where I was <i>required</i> to <b>not</b> believe! What I like about UU (though I am not one) is that you are not required to be a theist or a non-theist. I think it’s great to have human communities that appreciate the cultural value of religion-like meetings without the ideological nonsense that too-often goes with it. And I would rather be in this environment than in one where I was required to not believe!

]]> By: Spinoza http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/#comment-295556 Spinoza Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:08:55 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/#comment-295556 #14 Judging by the Expelled posts, Godwin's Law clearly doesn't apply at WOW! #14 Judging by the Expelled posts, Godwin’s Law clearly doesn’t apply at WOW!

]]> By: DC Lawyer http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/#comment-295525 DC Lawyer Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:42:05 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/#comment-295525 The key line of the article, which I found otherwise a waste of time, is this: "There’s a difference between building a community and building an atheist regime.” Churches provide many people a community. It's a social network, a volunteer outlet, a service center, etc. The atheist doesn't have that in a church. Now, yes, the atheist can get that volunteering for other organizations and social clubs. But I do think that even those who deny or question God's existence are interested in the "big questions" about ethics, morality, and how to live. Certainly, historically such questions have been part of Greco-Roman, Chinese, Indian, Native American heritage and that of many others irrespective of belief in god or gods. Now others have already bashed Harrison, and I should resist. But I can't. The idea that atheists have "all the mainline denominations" is absurd and insulting. Evidently no one is Christian unless s/he subscribes to the world according to HSK. Throw out all the mainlines and Catholics and Christianity becomes very small indeed. One might say, irrelevant. The key line of the article, which I found otherwise a waste of time, is this: “There’s a difference between building a community and building an atheist regime.”

Churches provide many people a community. It’s a social network, a volunteer outlet, a service center, etc. The atheist doesn’t have that in a church. Now, yes, the atheist can get that volunteering for other organizations and social clubs. But I do think that even those who deny or question God’s existence are interested in the “big questions” about ethics, morality, and how to live. Certainly, historically such questions have been part of Greco-Roman, Chinese, Indian, Native American heritage and that of many others irrespective of belief in god or gods.

Now others have already bashed Harrison, and I should resist. But I can’t. The idea that atheists have “all the mainline denominations” is absurd and insulting. Evidently no one is Christian unless s/he subscribes to the world according to HSK. Throw out all the mainlines and Catholics and Christianity becomes very small indeed. One might say, irrelevant.

]]> By: Make it Man http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/#comment-295515 Make it Man Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:27:10 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/23/atheists-need-their-own-church/#comment-295515 RE #12, Neo-Godwin's Law: Taliban = New Nazis RE #12,

Neo-Godwin’s Law:

Taliban = New Nazis

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