Journalist writing about atheists who go to church

JournoNYC · Visitor Joined: 01 Apr 2008 Posts: 5 Local time: 5:02 PM

Hi everyone.

I'm writing a story for a national news service about atheists, agnostics and other secular thinkers who attend churches. It can be a church specifically for atheists (like the North Texas Church of Freethought) or a church that accepts atheists (like a humanist synagogue) or a straight-up traditional church (like a Catholic one).

I'm interested in hearing from people who have been to church as an atheist, who have made it a part of their lives, or who would never consider it. If you'd like to participate -- and it would be a great chance to get more atheist voices in the media -- then please reply to this thread or PM me.

Thanks!
Alex

Raskolnikov · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 11:36 am Post subject:

I went when I was 1, 7, and 12 years old. Haven't been to one since.
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Moloth · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 11:37 am Post subject:

Hmm. i know we have some here, but if you're looking for a more well-known type person, Robert Price ( http://www.robertmprice.mindvendor.com/ ) is an atheist and bible scholar who, last i heard, still enjoys going to church.
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JournoNYC · Visitor Joined: 01 Apr 2008 Posts: 5 Local time: 5:02 PM

Thanks, I'll try to get in touch with him.

So there are people here who attend churches?

Moloth · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 11:44 am Post subject:

caseagainstfaith · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 11:47 am Post subject:

I had considered checking out the "Houston Church of Freethought" as I live in Houston. But, never got around to it. I think there are closet atheists around here who attend church with their family. And I know an atheist that attends a Unitarian church. But for myself, I don't bother with that.
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JournoNYC · Visitor Joined: 01 Apr 2008 Posts: 5 Local time: 5:02 PM

Will do.

RyanDzundza · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 12:06 pm Post subject:

i used to get forced to go as a youngster untill me and my sister got older and basically told our parents enough was enough,

i still go to weddings and funerals of those closest to me, which be roman catholic ceremonies except my grandads funeral which was Ukrainian orthadox iirc Think

i get asked to go to things like christinings and baptisms but since i am strongly against the indoctrination of children i politely theres no way im going to them, some of my family think im being a tad pathetic about that but i couldnt care less what they think about it since i find all religions totally pathetic

we also went to mass a few times to get out of lessons in school but we never actually went we just darted off as soon as we could Very Happy

i once had to go get my dad out of a church because there was an emergency at his work, if that counts lol

im not sure how much detail you wanted so if you have any questions feel free to ask here or PM
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Mr_C · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 12:11 pm Post subject:

I'm a former Christian. My wife is still a Christian so I go to church quite a bit. We go to an evangelical, Bible-believing, non-denominational church.

Great topic, btw. I'm interested in participating if you would like, and I'm particularly interested in reading the story once it's done!
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JournoNYC · Visitor Joined: 01 Apr 2008 Posts: 5 Local time: 5:02 PM

Mr_C · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 12:16 pm Post subject:

Godless Red Scum · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 12:41 pm Post subject:

Outside of funerals and weddings I haven't been to church in a very long time, but for a while even as an "out-of-the-closet" atheist, I'd still go to Christmas services for tradition's sake. I don't come from a very religious family, but we'd always do the Christmas eve (at a nearby Presbyterian church) or midnight mass (at a Catholic church) thing.

JournoNYC · Visitor Joined: 01 Apr 2008 Posts: 5 Local time: 5:02 PM

BarkAtTheMoon · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 12:47 pm Post subject:

I grew up going to a fairly liberal Episcopal church. About the only time I go back to that church is for the Christmas Eve service with family, and I occasionally have gone to Methodist churches with other family. For the most part, I'm just as bored if not moreso than when I was a kid and "believed" * About the only positive thing about going back is seeing old friends I grew up with, and the Episcopal church is very old, built in the mid 1700's, so it looks pretty neat at night with all the candles and poinsettias all over the place, plus I do like some of the Christmas songs. In general, I've found both to be much more conservative than I remember, and I tend to be more critical in actually thinking about the readings and the sermons, and it usually makes me laugh inside at the absurdity of it.

* - Since I've been an atheist and really thought about it, I've come to the conclusion that I don't think I ever really believed. Church was just something we had to do on Sundays, but I never cared one way or the other enough to think it through. I was always skeptical and science minded and by high school I was calling myself agnostic with the only type of god I could entertain being a deistic, "Scholar's God" type of thing, that a just god wouldn't damn me for questioning and using the intellect "he gave me."

Edit: Oh yeah, I went to my cousin's wedding a couple years ago. They're very religious and were doing missionary work until she got pregnant, and the service (her uncle was the pastor no less) was constantly about how she and her husband were worthless, their relationship was worthless, everyone was worthless, and only a relationship with Jesus had any meaning....at her wedding. Fucking creepy. My dad made a comment afterwards about how preachy the service was.
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Godless Red Scum · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 12:59 pm Post subject:

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