I have zero interest in joining a group to announce my lack of religion. In my childhood, I never joined a church.

Same for me. Since I don’t come from any religious background, I haven’t felt the need to seek out this sort of community as an adult. I’m not accustomed to getting together with like-minded people on a weekly basis, so I don’t feel the need to have it in my life. I rely on my family and friends for socialization instead. I’m glad that atheist groups exist for people who want them, but perhaps they have more appeal for former believers who grew up going to houses of worship and miss having that as part of their weekly routine. I imagine these groups are also more attractive to those who feel isolated as atheists. If I lived in the Bible Belt or had a religious family, I might be more likely to seek out an atheist group in order to feel some group solidarity.

Also:

Yet here we are reading and contributing to this blog (and others).

Big differences, Matt. I access at my convenience and I don’t have to get up at an ungodly (pun intended) hour and get all geeked up. Hemant does not exactly coming off like the pastor (he’s friendlier than that) and Jesse and Richard don’t exactly act like deacons.

Oh, yeah, and there’s this: I’m under absolutely no threat of being tortured forever and ever if I stop coming one fine day.

Meaning, all of us who are here are here because we like the place, not because we fear what will happen if we don’t.

Yes, we come because we like the companionship, because we don’t have to watch our tongues blasphemy wise or suffer the consequences. We come to talk openly but we come because it’s pleasant.

It’s definitely nothing like a religion.

(For anyone who noticed that, yes, it was on purpose.)

Still, odd to think that what binds us here is what we dont believe. or are the Xians closer to the truth than we want to admit when they say atheism is a religion?

Actually, no.

Imagine if most people stopped believing in undetectable and unknowable beings, and urging those beings’ immense importance in our daily lives, morality, politics, etc., and sometimes discriminating against, demonizing, or otherwise marginalizing or interfering with those who doubt.

If that happened, those of us who now converse on forums like this or join atheist organizations would have no need to do so. Both we and the erstwhile theists would simply focus on all the other things we value, and find much in common with each other.

But it is the overwhelming influence of religiosity, and its costs to humanity as a whole and also to atheists as a group, that artificially inflates the importance of religion to atheists.

If people of diverse interests find themselves on a plane with an unconscious pilot, they’ll all suddenly take a great interest in the knowledge of how to fly a plane. But prior to getting on the plane, they had little in common and no particular reason to associate.

Atheism is not a religion. But atheists are stirred to unity by a large and urgent concern imposed upon them by the influence of religion.

Once again Christianity is closer to the old pagan beliefs than many realize.

Bobbie says in the article that as a “group” we tend to go our own way.

I think most Xians go to church and do “works” purely out of fear of not passing judgement. The desire to do good is in response to the “stick” not the “carrot” (go to hell rather than good for good’s sake)

and how do you join a group where the only thing we have in common is an absence of belief?? It is almost oxymoronic – surely one common “un-belief” cant be the basis of any meaningful community.

Yet here we are reading and contributing to this blog (and others). Is our need to reach out, to understand, and be understood that much different to the religious person’s??

I guess my point is that even the lone wolf likes to know their’s is a shared view, even if they dont like to get together with the rest of the pack.

Still, odd to think that what binds us here is what we dont believe. or are the Xians closer to the truth than we want to admit when they say atheism is a religion?

On another note, atheists aren’t “required” to join any national groups, but there is a benefit for everyone if you do, and I find it hard to understand why so many don’t.

My personal view is that one of the main problems with religion is the “us and them” tribal mentality. Joining an atheist group would seem to exacerbate this.
Also, I don’t understand the point. What would you do at one? Sit around and discuss how everyone agrees that gods aren’t real?

That perhaps is why we’re not joiners. We like to define ourselves instead of having someone else tell us who we are. Large organizations are going to wind up that way.

Besides it’s stupid. Only definition of Atheist is without a belief in God. That may very well be the only thing I have in common with many nonbelievers.

That’s why I like FFRF. They’re warm and friendly and don’t try to tell me Atheists are this, Atheists are that even while they defend my civil liberties and do their best to educate that we are not stereotypes. Besides, I got involved with them in Denver and their chapter (at least 13 years ago when I moved back to NY) does consist of very friendly people who did somewhat do the social climate you find in church.

I have friends and family for social needs, however, and don’t need an organization. We have an UU locally but I’ve no desire to go. I hated church and don’t miss having to drag my tired ass out of bed on Sunday morning to make a proper appearance and listen to a boring sermon about what someone else’s interpretation of life is. I’ll pass, thank you. I’d rather stick to discussing it on-line and with my friends and family. Much more pleasant.

I also belong to Americans United and the ACLU. Obviously, for the politics, and not for a warm, fuzzy feeling.

I cannot get my daughter to take interest in anything of the sort. Even FFRF though she used to go to the meetings with me in Denver when she was 12 and 13 and the old guy who answered their phone delighted her with simple magic tricks every week. I do miss them.

I don’t have the energy or the guts to start a chapter locally but if anyone does, you’d probably be surprised who’d be interested. I’d been saying I wish there was some Atheist groups for years before there was a news story in Denver about some group of Atheists protesting some church-state violation with the rather intriguing name of The Freedom From Religion Foundation. I looked them up in the phone book and called and got some friendly, chatty man (the one with the magic tricks) who encouraged me to come to a meeting and sure I could bring my daughter. I’ve been a member ever since.

And moreover, I think it’s most important to them/us to belong in name only to say, “Hey, I’m here, too,” it might be enough for many.