Religion
Related: About this forumAn atheist goes to church
June 2, 2013
by PZ Myers
I've got this book finally coming out in August, The Happy Atheist, and I thought Id tease you with the opening paragraphs.
If I were really broad-minded, I also have a choice of the First Baptist Church, the Kingdom Hall of Jehovahs Witnesses, the Apostolic Christian Church, or the Morris Community Church, which meets in the local high school. I count 15 churches within walking distance of my house; there are no synagogues or mosques, probably because the believers they would prey upon are too thinly populated here to be profitable.
You can see Im taking a rather personal approach to this religion thing; Im kind of surrounded. Ive been to a few of these churches for special events usually when they bring a creationist into town to harangue the congregation with lies about science, but I havent actually attended their regular services. Yet here I am mentioning them in this book (dont worry, I dont say rude things about them sight unseen I only question the need for such excessive godliness), and Ive been feeling like maybe I ought to do a little more research.
So Ive decided to start attending church services, a different church each week, all of this summer while Im in town.
http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2013/06/02/an-atheist-goes-to-church/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+freethoughtblogs%2Fpharyngula+%28FTB%3A+Pharyngula%29
I look forward to his clinical, detached and unbiased conclusions. I hope he can restrain himself at Communion.
rvt1000rr
(40 posts)"..there are no synagogues or mosques, probably because the believers they would prey upon are too thinly populated here to be profitable."
Moonwalk
(2,322 posts)"Im not going to be confrontational, I wont be leaping up in the middle of a sermon and shouting, HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?, I wont be sneering at the congregation
Ill just be going to politely observe and take notes."
And having been to several Catholic services, I've always found myself able to restrain myself during communion--and during the rest of the prayers and rituals as well come to that. He may be able to handle it.
CrispyQ
(36,544 posts)Population when I first moved there, 1,200. Number of churches, 8. As the town grew, when a church got more wealthy, they would build a new church & there was always another church to move into the old church.
I look forward to reading this. Thanks for posting.
Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)dimbear
(6,271 posts)the significant other well oiled. You might be surprised.