Atheist group offers church-like gathering in Salt Lake City

[rug]

AP
Updated 1 hr ago

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A new Salt Lake City atheist group is offering non-believers a church-like service that offers music, readings and community for those who don't belong to the state's dominant religion, Mormonism, or other faith groups.

The Sunday Assembly hopes to use its weekly gatherings, started in 2016 in Salt Lake City, to build a community and change perceptions people have about atheists. It's modeled after a similar secular assembly launched by two London comedians almost four years ago. There's now more than 70 Sunday Assemblies in the U.S. and around the world.

The group promotes a three-pronged motto: Live better, help often, wonder more.

"We don't do supernatural, but we also won't tell you you're wrong if you do," Salt Lake City organizer Nichelle Reed said. "It's a place where you can find community that is not based on your religious beliefs, where you're from, your race, your orientation or your identity."

http://www.dailyprogress.com/atheist-group-offers-church-like-gathering-in-salt-lake-city/article_372e9584-dfb6-56a1-8608-d8b6b1b0d9bd.html

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. I've long thought that the essential appeal of religion,

any religion, is a sense of belonging to a special group. The actual religion (belief system) appears to be the important part, but I'd suggest that more often people go along with belonging, and that can override any doubts they may have.

I see that a lot with Catholics. They don't believe this or that (often birth control, abortion, divorce, just to name the Big Three) but remain practicing Catholics nonetheless. It's my opinion that they shouldn't stay in a church that has such fundamentally different teachings from what they believe or practice, but I've never convinced any such Catholic they should shop around and join another group, one more in sync with them.

[wcmagumba]

2. This is good...

Sounds somewhat like the Unitarian Universalist Congregation I occasionally attend.

[Laffy Kat]

3. We have something like that in my town.

But we call it the Unitarian Fellowship.

[nil desperandum]

4. Well there's this...