Here comes Non Belief System
From last three four years, I feel anguished to read newspaper headlines that how killing is taking place in the name of religion. I tried to read holy scriptures of almost all major religions and could not find substantial material which encourage it's followers to fight with people of other beliefs or religions. But still followers of every organised religion are fighting with the followers of other religions. Even if with not other religions then within their own faith but of a different sect. This is what exactly we are witnessing in Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Pakistan as well as other parts of globe. Is there any way out ? Many people have recently tried to find out an answer outside the ambit of organised religions. Sunday Assembly of London, Houston Oasis are few initiatives by people who have a dream to make this earth a better place to live and their tribe is growing very fast.
Sunday Assembly is largely top down movement, atheist churches are sprouting from the ground up. It has set up a target of opening up it's branches in top 100 cities across the globe.
The rise of atheist churches is a part of growing willingness by many atheists to adopt secular versions of religious practices. it is also a result of more everyday non believer, and even clergy. In US in the month of May this year, the Supreme Court in a decision upheld prayer before town-board meetings, non believers in several communities have delivered the public invocations after the court acknowledged atheists' right to do so. In US number of those who explicitly identify with atheism (lack of belief in God) and agnosticism ( the view that knowledge about God is unknowable) is on the rise within last five years, their percent os such people has increased.
However a good number of atheists are against the very idea of an atheist church. Says Bill Maher, US's best known non believer, ' it will undermine the whole point of atheism, because the reason why people need to get together in religion is because it is nonsensical'. His argument is very simple, people of faith need strength in numbers to support their belief systems. But in a sense, that is exactly why atheists are getting together. In a society that still tilts skyward, non believers need their own strength in numbers, even if that means imitating old time religion.
The weekly rituals of non believers are free from any pre determined belief, it is something they can all believe in.Probably this will provide enough space for people and open up with others with out any inhibition.
Sunday Assembly is largely top down movement, atheist churches are sprouting from the ground up. It has set up a target of opening up it's branches in top 100 cities across the globe.
The rise of atheist churches is a part of growing willingness by many atheists to adopt secular versions of religious practices. it is also a result of more everyday non believer, and even clergy. In US in the month of May this year, the Supreme Court in a decision upheld prayer before town-board meetings, non believers in several communities have delivered the public invocations after the court acknowledged atheists' right to do so. In US number of those who explicitly identify with atheism (lack of belief in God) and agnosticism ( the view that knowledge about God is unknowable) is on the rise within last five years, their percent os such people has increased.
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| sunday meetings : celebration of life |
However a good number of atheists are against the very idea of an atheist church. Says Bill Maher, US's best known non believer, ' it will undermine the whole point of atheism, because the reason why people need to get together in religion is because it is nonsensical'. His argument is very simple, people of faith need strength in numbers to support their belief systems. But in a sense, that is exactly why atheists are getting together. In a society that still tilts skyward, non believers need their own strength in numbers, even if that means imitating old time religion.
The weekly rituals of non believers are free from any pre determined belief, it is something they can all believe in.Probably this will provide enough space for people and open up with others with out any inhibition.
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