An increasingly popular London-based atheist church announced recently that it will be going on a “global missionary tour” over the next couple months as cities across the nation have apparently been requesting information on how they can set up their own branches.
The founders of “The Sunday Assembly”--Pippa Evans and Sanderson Jones--are two comedians who say there’s more to church than just believing in God, including bettering your life and feeling a sense of community.
There’s been some negative feedback from atheists who say atheism shouldn’t be portrayed as a religion in any way.
Does this church go against what atheism stands for or is it reasonable for people to want the sense of community church can offer without it having ties to God? What do people who do believe in God think of atheist churches? Does having a community like this and calling it a church take away some of the negativity some associate with being atheist?
Guests:
Sanderson Jones, co-founder of Sunday Assembly; London-based comedian
Ryan T. Cragun, Ph.D., associate professor of Sociology at the University of Tampa, FL who specializes in religious studies; research associate at The Center for Atheist Research
The Sunday Assembly is going on tour and will be in Los Angeles on November 10th. For more information, click here.