Comment

Comment by Don on April 29, 2012 at 12:14pm

Secular gatherings need not have anything to do with non-belief, of course, to be comforting, supportive, and invigorating emotionally and intellectually.  Sports--both watching and taking part in them--certainly have that effect.  Clubs for gardeners, book lovers, birders, canoeists, hikers, cyclists, and so on, as well as political parties, and social cause organizations, all help us stay engaged with the culture and with one another.  As a teacher, a writer, a sports lover, and a lifelong atheist, I have never needed a religion or a regular Sunday gathering to feel I am part of a valuable community.  To me the religious have always seemed drawn into a shallow and artificial affiliation, a tribal attachment that owes its persistence to indoctrination more than to sanguine, heartfelt interest.

Comment by Neal on April 29, 2012 at 11:56am

That's a great article doone. Secular gatherings I think would provide a function if they were at all interesting. I don't hang with my local atheists, who are having a meeting tonight, because I don't care for most of them. =(

Probably a personal problem I have. =)

I get tired of chinese buffets in dry restaurants; sorry, I like a glass of wine with my socializing. But I do still support what they do, since it is better than nothing. There are other small gatherings I have to check out, CFI's "Skeptics in the Pub" have interested me. I should go to a couple to see if they have that community feeling to them, and of, advertise AU. 

If we weren't so spread out, it would be great to be able to meet live; though then I probably wouldn't like anyone as well as I do now. (teasing). =)

Comment by doone on April 29, 2012 at 11:27am

From Epiphenom http://epiphenom.fieldofscience.com/2012/04/are-secular-alter

Are secular alternatives to religious gatherings any good?

Posted: 28 Apr 2012 01:41 PM PDT

It's often suggested that religion benefits people by bringing them together and helping to create and bind communities. Since most humans are highly social, having a mechanism to strengthen social groups could be expected to have psychological and even health benefits.

Indeed, this have often been shown to be the case. People who go to church more often seem to be happier on average, and any health benefits of religion are related to church going, rather than religious beliefs.

Now, there are complex cause and effect problems here – perhaps it’s simply that people go to church are happier and healthier to start with. These issues are hard to untangle.

However, given the controversy over Alain de Botton’s proposals in his recent book (that atheists should form secular ‘Churches’, to provide that social service provided currently by religion), it’s worth taking a look at whether secular alternatives to religion actually have any measurable impact on happiness.

The most obvious secular parallel to religion is organised sport – and in particular membership of clubs that support particular teams.

Comment by doone on April 28, 2012 at 8:12pm

Bill Maher Calls Romney's Charity "Bullshit," Mormonism A "Cult"

Liberal comedian Bill Maher has already come under attack by the Romney campaign for comments he made about Ann Romney. Now, the HBO host and million dollar donor to President Obama's SuperPAC may have done it again Friday saying Mitt Romney's charitable donations are “bullshit” and that “he gives to his cult.” posted Apr 28, 2012 2:53pm EDT

Via: newsbusters.org

Comment by doone on April 27, 2012 at 9:28am

Reincarnation

Apr. 26, 2012

REINCARNATION
Just because you’re no longer a five hundred pound killing machine, doesn’t mean you can’t still act like it

Comment by Chris on April 26, 2012 at 2:17am

This one pisses me off. The entire Faith Based initiative should be eliminated as Obama promised. Maybe in six more years we'll be able to vote for a progressive. As disgusted as I am with Obama, I'm still going to vote for him -(

Taxpayers Funding Employment Discrimination By Religious Groups

Listen to the Catholic Bishops and there’s an all out assault on religious liberty and freedom in this country. But if that’s the case, what’s with all the tax payer dollars going to support organizations that discriminate by hiring only Christians?

Crisis Pregnancy Centers can legally refuse to hire non-Christians if they are privately funded. But in some cases, they do so and  receive federal funds. And as Sophia Resnick reports, these are not isolated incidents.

Thanks to a Bush-era rule, and one that remains in place thanks to the Obama administration, recipients of federal funds can discriminate in hiring staff based on religion in a practice spun by supporters as “co-religionist hiring.” Candidate Obama had promised to do away with that rule but caved after political pressure from evangelical leaders.

Still think President Obama is anti-religion?

The attacks launched against Planned Parenthood and the contraception mandate depend on embracing an idea that taxpayer dollars should not go to support those programs even though funding streams are kept segregating. But crisis pregnancy centers, which offer spiritual counseling are entirely religious and do not segregate funding. And they promote an agenda that is squarely antagonist to democratic principles of equality of opportunity.

So that means that for the time being there is no way to guarantee that taxpayer dollars are not going to fund sectarian religious activity and that the rights of those who receive services from those taxpayer-funded organizations aren’t violated in the process.

Related Story: Crisis Pregnancy Centers Lie In Minnesota Too

Comment by doone on April 25, 2012 at 6:20am

From Epiphenom

Instinctive thinkers more likely to believe in a personal god – and less likely to be atheists

Posted: 24 Apr 2012 07:00 AM PDT

Late last year some fascinating research revealed that people who take a more deliberative approach to problem solving – rather than just going with their instincts – are also less religious. Now some independent research not only confirms those findings, but also extends them to show how there is a progressive link thinking style and decreasing religious beliefs.

Comment by doone on April 23, 2012 at 7:41pm

Comment by Dallas (on hiatus) on April 23, 2012 at 6:14pm

Heh!

Comment by doone on April 23, 2012 at 5:51pm

You Come Back Later

Apr. 23, 2012

No… no… Mr. Jesus no es here…

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