Bumped into a random asshole atheist today.

[conuly]

I hate asshole atheists more than any other assholes, because I want atheists to be better than that.

This one went a step further than "sky daddy" and "imaginary friend" straight into "witch doctors" and "shamans". Yay bonus racism :(

(He now is doubling down into "totes not racism!!!" territory, but he knows what he did. Asshole.)

Comments

[siderea]

Alain de Botton, yes, I think he was the one advocating for atheists to have "churches".

If I'm remembering correctly, his idea was that it was beneficial in a host of ways for people to gather regularly together, like on every Sunday morning, for fellowship, cameraderie, and affirming shared values.

Is the Natural History Museum holding congregational services?

[oursin]

I don't know if they still have them, but there used to be humanist gatherings at Conway Hall (South Place Ethical Society) in Holborn on Sundays. It is a building steeped in history but not perhaps cathedral-like.

They do have public events of various kinds at the NHM (I spoke at one once myself) but I've no idea whether they are what de Botton had in mind - they are certainly engaged in what one might consider the 'works' aspect, i.e. public engagement with science, if not actual communal worship and affirmation of faith.