A religion for Atheists who want one

[MemeSmith]

Not that I would expect many Atheists to feel that there is a religion missing in their life, but hear me out.

By way of background, I'm a self-declared evangelical Atheist. (Strong type: There can be no god) These days, I've burned off all of my internet desires for debate, so I'm at peace now with the errors of electronic strangers, but if I get a knock on my front door, I'm not above having a little fun, for old times' sake. I don't go looking for an argument, but if it comes looking for me...

Anyway, my kids used to be registered in school as Humanists. It's a UK state school, so it should be secular, but national law requires that the morning assembly include an act of 'collective worship' of a broadly Christian nature. Most of the time, this is paid lip service by teachers, but in this school, their approach is particularly enthusiastic. There are a number of other excellent schools in town, with a different approach but we decided not to give the kids any upheaval, unless it was absolutely unavoidable.

The problem with that designation, however, was that the members of staff with a strong commitment to their faith seemed to read it as meaning 'candidate for conversion.'

Last year then, we changed their registered religion to Zen Pagan.

www.zenpagan.org

Theologically, it means exactly the same thing, but reflects a little more clearly that it is our practice to celebrate the key annual festivals popular in British culture, along with a few lesser known dates, drawn from the traditional pagan calendar, and related to an appreciation of the changing seasons.

The result has been more dramatic than we expected. The response was to provide the kids with instant respect and deference. The school asked us for more details, so that they could better understand their needs. The kids get days off on Equinoxes, Solstices, Mayday (Beltane), Halloween (Samhain) and GroundHog Day (Imbolc), for religious observance. (We don't just goof off on these days. We do seasonally related activities during the day and formally mark the day, in the evening, in the traditional way, with a fire.)

Also, since we explained all of this to the kids, rather than them being candidates for conversion, we have had to ask them to respect the beliefs of others and stop ramming Zen Paganism down everyone's throat at every opportunity. We did, however, have to smile, when we heard that during a session of collective worship, my six year old son successfully declared to the head teacher, 'I don't have to do that. I'm a Zen Pagan.'

I'm not expecting any believers to be swayed at all by this, but I thought that there may be some fellow godless savages around who might find this as appealing as we do.

All the best,

MemeSmith

[provis99]

1. Have you thought about worshipping hedgehogs?

I hear the British practically venerate the little creatures.

[MemeSmith]

2. If you knew us...

If you knew us Brits, you would understand why I'm noting that down for later reference...

"Hmmmm... Hedgehogs, eh? Sounds interesting."

Silly enough to meet our exacting national standards, for sure.

Many thanks.

[deacon_sephiroth]

12. as an American in the UK, let me say this

YOU HAVE to love em... hedgies I mean. I've seen dozens of them and NOT ONCE have I been able to pass by them without smiling and walking over to talk to em. Mostly this makes them curl up and get spikey, but some just continue to much bugs and be awesome/adorable.

[MemeSmith]

16. I'm confused

The description of 'their' response to your chatting to them could be describing hedgehogs, but it could just as easily be describing us.

Still, talking to hedgehogs... You're going native. :-)

[Nihil]

28. Oh well played sir!

:rofl:

:toast:

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. I find that pretty awesome!

So your "not expecting any believers to be swayed at all by this" comment seems rather, I don't know, fundamentalist.

[MemeSmith]

4. I'm afraid that I don't follow you.

Could you explain, please?

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. Becuase your absolute and utter surity that "believers" are unable to accept your thoughts.

that's how fundamentalists think.

[MemeSmith]

7. You misunderstand me

I'm not saying that believers would be unable to understand anything.

I'm saying that my OP is not claimed to be some compelling evangelical case for deconversion from theism to atheism.

I'm just being respectful of those who don't share my views, (including other atheists, by the way) saying that this is just my personal taste, but there may be others who might like it.

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. Then you wrote unclearly.

I am glad you did not intend to be insulting, but the way you worded your phrase implied that any person of faith would be incapable of understanding your superior logic, and that only certain atheists (or "godless savages") might be able to comprehend it, which also, of course, excludes the possibility that "god-having savages" might find it appealing.

Obviously, I misunderstood your intent - but also obviously you were not precise in your use of language.

[MemeSmith]

10. I'm sorry that you feel that way, but IMHO you're making that up

"but the way you worded your phrase implied that any person of faith would be incapable of understanding your superior logic"

That alleged implication exists only in your own mind.

The way that I worded my phrase implied (inside my own mind ) that if there is any logic in the OP or the link contained within it it is so far from superior that it could not be considered to be any theological challenge to a believer, and further, that this is not its intent.

It is a self-deprecating denigration of the OP as a case for atheism, not a denigration of believers.

[Rabrrrrrr]

22. I just shouldn't try to read things and respond at 3 in the morning.

My fault - even my first post was crap.

I know better than trying to converse at so late an hour after a long day...

[MemeSmith]

23. Elegantly done

Best wishes

[humblebum]

6. The Positivist Church of Brazil

http://www.igrejapositivistabrasil.org.br/english/

[Lunabelle]

8. I go the church of the closed bible/koran/torah

and of the open mind.

[no_hypocrisy]

11. I'm a Humanist and teach "Sunday School" at Ethical Culture.

You may want to look into that.

[MemeSmith]

15. Is that the one near Central Park?

If so, nice gig.

Looks wonderful.

[no_hypocrisy]

18. I wish! I'm in Bergen County, NJ. Ironically our Leader is also a Leader at the Central Park EC.

[MemeSmith]

20. Thanks for the info

It looks very impressive.

I wish you and your fellows all of the best.

[no_hypocrisy]

21. FYI about our Society.

http://www.ethicalfocus.org/

I recommend the "Ethical Kids" link.

And thank you.

[bananas]

13. They already have a religion, it's called "Atheism". nt

[MemeSmith]

14. Isn't religion a personal choice?

Are you really in a position to impose a religious affiliation on other people, without their consent?

Isn't it for the individual to say what their religion is?

[bananas]

17. wtf are you talking about, I didn't impose anything on anybody.

Are you seriously claiming that i forced people to be atheists?

[MemeSmith]

19. I didn't say that you did anything.

I asked three questions.

Were they uncomfortable questions?

[beam me up scottie]

24. Vegetarians have a religion too, it's called "vegetarianism". n/t

[NMMNG]

25. Still living up to your screen name, I see

[dmallind]

26. Non-golfers already have a sport, called "non-golf"?

[Deep13]

27. Bald is a hair color and health is a disease. nt