{"id":13646,"date":"2013-01-08T06:00:07","date_gmt":"2013-01-08T11:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.geneveith.com\/?p=13646"},"modified":"2013-01-10T20:38:09","modified_gmt":"2013-01-11T01:38:09","slug":"atheist-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/2013\/01\/atheist-church\/","title":{"rendered":"Atheist church"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

An Atheist church has opened in London:<\/p>\n

Yesterday [January 6] saw the first \u2018service\u2019 of The Sunday Assembly, London\u2019s first atheist church.<\/p>\n

Priding itself on its tagline \u2018live better, help often, wonder more,\u2019 The Sunday Assembly is the brainchild of Sanderson Jones and musical comedian Pippa Evans, and aims to take the best things about religion and religious ceremonies, but to do it without all the god-talk. Or, as Sanderson himself has put it, it\u2019s \u201ca godless congregation that will meet on the first Sunday of every month to hear great talks, sing songs and generally celebrate the wonder of life.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first \u2018service\u2019 was held yesterday morning at the deconsecrated church The Nave in north London, and featured a talk by children\u2019s author Andy Stanton and was shaped around the theme \u2018Beginnings\u2019.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

via Comedian Sanderson Jones opens \u2018London\u2019s first atheist church\u2019 \u2013 TNT Magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Do atheists believe in \u201cthe wonder of life\u201d like religious people do?\u00a0 I thought atheists are scientific, materialist reductionists who think everything has a rational explanation.\u00a0 Anyway, it\u2019s touching, though somewhat inexplicable, that some people like church as long as God is left out of it.<\/p>\n

Here is their liturgy from the Sunday Assembly\u2019s website<\/a>:<\/p>\n