I’ve been thinking about how churches provide something valuable that atheists often lack: a physical place to gather, socialize, volunteer, and build community. If there were a secular space designed for meetups, discussions, activities, debates, learning and mutual support — would that interest you? How far would you drive for something like this? Would you go weekly, monthly, or only for special events?
Edit: Thanks to all for your insights! I am catching up now, and very happy our community so vibrant.
It depends. But naming it ‘Community Center for Atheists’ wouldn't help.
LOL There is one organization called Sunday Assembly that is atheist and help people to open “new branches”. I think it’s a great name
Depending on where you are, look into Oasis too. Im in the Houston Chapter, but theyre in other cities too.
I'm in Houston. Unfortunately, I work 12 hour weekend shifts. It appears they meet on Sundays. That really sucks as I'd like to participate.
Update: I see there are dinners during the week. I'll go to those. Thanks for the info!
How is Oasis? I thought about checking it out a few years back. I probably would have by now if they met closer to my part of town. I follow them but I can't remember the last time I saw any updates.
I loved Oasis the few times I've been really wish there was a closer one to me
As someone who grew up in the church, my brain cannot grasp the idea of what atheists would do gathered on a sunday ... so what do they do?
Well Oasis is formatted like church somewhat. It will begin with coffee and name tags then there's someone that gives community and local news an volunteer info and the mission statement "Human hands solving human problems". Next a guest speaker of some prominence who gives a little ted talk on something interesting. They book local music talents who plays a few songs between and the last 10 min is for someone from the community who wants to talk about what's important to them. When it's over everyone is invited to lunch. Each week you know ahead of time what the talk will be and where lunch will be.
Thanks for your description. Looks amazing. I hope they also try to help young people who are facing hardship because of religious families, or perhaps people who are deconstructing.
Thank you thank you they have one in LA
Not a great name, it is just an atheist version church, I mean why even?
For community. Face to face interaction with folks who aren't there just to get biblical drivel pumped into their heads weekly.
Yeah, my first thought on reading the headline was "I don't want to gather all in one place where an angry christian whackadoodle can lock the doors and burn the place down because Jesus or something".
Those adical Christians take, "Thou Shalt Not Kill" with a grain of salt. It's OK to kill non-Christians, though.
Sounds oddly familiar to another religion that they claim is all about hate. Hmm 🤔
Yes I would. I miss having a community. Where I live now there are so many maga religious nuts. I feel like I can’t have a normal conversation with anyone. There is just no reasoning with them, and they want to insert their politics into absolutely everything. You could be talking about the weather and they will start ranting about Obama. It honestly makes me want to move.
I realized I didn’t answer the whole question. But I would love to go to a book club maybe monthly or every other week. And I would go if there was a blood drive, lecture or some other event. Every week? Maybe not, but if there are interesting things happening I would like to check it out. Our local Library has a day for yarn crafts, so you can go to learn to crochet or just hang out with other people and chat while crocheting your individual projects. But stuff like that is always during the day when I’m working. So I would enjoy things like that on the weekends or evenings. One thing I dont get to do as much as I used to is volunteer, it would be nice to accomplish something with like minded people.
Check Meetup online, almost every city has an atheist meetup group.
Ty. Just joined a group. Absolutely never thought of meetup.
Glad I could help!
Will do, thanks
At least you know a book club won't attract any MAGAts!
Not going to church is a huge part of the appeal.
Churches are really boring. My hope is that we can do better.
Isn't everything else that human beings do as a group a replacement for church? I have the most intense experience of my life with other like-minded people when I race motorcycles.
Many Unitarian Churches are just that.
I even went to one with an atheist minister.
I skip the sermons and participate in the outreach.
And, being atheist, the people are highly intelligent and fun to talk to.
This is the best thing for any former theist that misses that church vibe. All the same look and feel without the bullshit.
I enjoy being in the choir of my UU church so much - last month we sang Pink Pony Club and it was a hoot.
Lol that's awesome.
That's my community :) Just came from "church" tonight we had a get together. There's some cooky spirtualist types too but nice people, probably like 70% are atheist or some form of "I dunno something maybe out there"
I tried going to a UU church a couple times, but it's still just church. They sang lame songs and did other churchy things and I knew it wasn't for me. It's fine if people are into that, but it's just not my thing.
I think of it as a vehicle for secular power.
Theistic religion is never going to relax its grip on the populace, and they are more effective in maintaining power than others. Even though membership is declining, it’s not fast, and something else really should replace it.
So we need to outcompete them. That means we need to change who we are in order to defeat it. Somewhat anyway. And tbh we can gain a lot from this, it’s not just us doing things for others.
We need a place to organize and grow, interpersonally and generationally. A place where decent people can go and learn life skills instead of divining them alone, get community support, find people of similar thought, and strategize.
That’s the important part. The singing is just alright compared to that.
Depends on the church, but you don't have to do churchey things. You can just volunteer with their outreach programs, such as Pride Week, for example.
I recently started attending a UU congregation. There are quite a few members that identify as atheist or agnostic.
I love that UU congregations do not have ANY tenants of faith. They have 7 core principles, all of which are quite reasonable. This means each person is free to decide what they do and do not believe.
They also tend to engage a lot in community service without preaching.
They have been involved in causes such as immigration, gun control, election monitoring, etc.
I don't go to listen to "sermons." I join in the service part of the outreach.
The UU are a lot like the Quakers, who are also pretty low key and into service.
Just came into the discussion to give Unitarian a shout out.
Probably not. We don’t have a lot in common with each other, but for the fact we don’t believe in gods.
Well, thats the same kind of stuff that make people get together because they believe in gods, or a football team, or horse races
I guess I’m just not a joiner
But people don't get together because they do not like horse races.
I do! It’s called Girl Skate at my local skatepark. Sunday mornings 10-12. The best.
My local skatepark is an open drug market.
And where is this skatepark specifically, so i can avoid it of course?
"That's disgusting! Where?"
No. But I’m antisocial.
No, it's too churchy for me.
No more than I would participate in a group of people who don't believe in a flat earth or the Tooth Fairy.
Not believing something is not much of a basis for community. Now if it was a community centre for humanists or secularists, I might consider it!
This. It can’t be atheism centric. There has to be a motivational aspect. Traditional churches are successful in part because they do an impressive job of meeting a number of needs in Maslow’s hierarchy. Many churches provide services like marriage counseling, summer camps for kids, fundraisers, etc. It’s about a whole life, not just a 60 minute singalong. Any secular alternative might aim to provide something similar.
As a bar owner I’ve considered how can I turn it into an atheists church so I can avoided taxes 🤷🏻♂️
Sounds right for the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. In some places they've managed to get governments to accept wearing a colander on your head as religious headwear and allowed them on govt IDs.
An atheist church that serves steak 🥩 would be my weekly ritual for sure.
Not sure. What would be the point?
It could be a safe space for young atheists in places with strong religious social pressure. They could see that there are other people who are not religious like them, and that it is normal and respectable.
Before long the organizers will want tithes or "donations for community funded activities" or "upkeep" no thanks
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I'm curious to hear your MENSA stories haha.
Me too
have you heard about people who assemble under the name MENSA Atheist
I have not heard of them. But if MENSA members are involved, I am staying away.
I think we will have to settle for all the regular community centers, sports centers, libraries, and social clubs. Atheism is not that much of a unifying concept.
I used to think that, but using reddit and listening to all stories, questions, and information that people share here, made me change that perception. I think we have a lot to offer, and we like to collaborate
People on this subreddit seem to like to deny any community or likeness between atheists, yet here we are. 🤷♂️
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Ooh! An atheist cat community! Sign me up!
Support your local live performance 🎭 theater.
No. I don’t define myself by disbelief in deities.
How do you define yourself?
As a person. I don’t think of myself in terms of gods.
I think you’re simply looking for community. The idea of an atheist community center is again focused on belief in gods, in the negative.
The whole idea of atheism is that you’re not defined by your belief, or lack thereof, in gods. For me, I don’t consider my lack of belief in gods on a daily basis. I don’t discuss atheism in general anywhere but here. The whole idea is that gods or absence of gods has no role in my life, and I specifically want to ignore them completely.
I live in a community with several good community centers. They’re busy! Kids come after school for homework club, the play basketball, to run around and play outside. They have rec employees who do projects with the kids. An artist led the painting of a mural. A dance show with kids doing dances. A lot of fun things to do!
In the old days, they used to have ice cream socials, dances, festivals, bonfires, community projects, all that. People came together not to worship but just to be together and have fun. That requires active planning, funding, supervision, and space. This is usually the sticking point.
Churches do a lot of that, to build community. For some folks, belief is gods is secondary to the community inclusion.
In my community, these kind of activities are frequent but not necessarily well attended. Some are. Free music festivals, block parties, spring clean-ups, etc.
The challenge with these gatherings is coming up with activities that are actually fun enough to draw attention and attendance.
So the town library?
Hey guys, I just invented this really cool idea. What if our town had a building with lots of books and meeting rooms? And what if we could just go spend time there for free and talk with one another? Maybe grab a coffee? Wouldn’t it be cool if they held events there too? Book clubs, DND games, etc.
😔
Came here to say this.
They already exist. They are called libraries.
I think that’s just a “community center”… I don’t think calling it “for atheists” adds much, just make sure it’s doing things other than being religious and it suddenly becomes atheist.
No
There are Ethical Societies and Humanist orgs around. They might suit your needs.
Yep and they need to grow!
I already do. Our area has a local chapter of Freethinkers and we meet once a month. We volunteer in our community and collect donations to support things like local food shelves, Planned Parenthood, local Trans youth organizations, early childhood education etc. Last month was a blood drive and this month is a food drive.
Check out the Freedom From Religion Foundation or Secular Coalition for America if you want to start something similar in your area.
Edit to add that we are a welcoming place for the many who are deconstructing their faith. We sometimes have speakers at our meetings bc we like to learn things but recently, we've had several exvangelicals share their story. Having a place to meet and share ideas is very helpful to those who are leaving their faith bc it's similar to church but different. Yes we gather, but it's more about building community and sharing ideas based in logic and not about submitting to the will of an imaginary deity.
I already do, it’s called a bar.
You are wrong. Most people in a bar are Christians, probably pastors LOL
I went to an atheist meet up group a few times. It was shit.
I'm currently on the board of an atheist non-profit group in my area. Our mission is to provide community for atheists and agnostics. So yes, I think community for atheists is extremely important.
The one thing that church does right is creating community for people. Humans are social animals. We all need one another.
I would strongly encourage all atheists to find their community. Check out the UU churches. Look for a local Facebook Group. Join a Meetup group.
If there are no local groups in your area, start one. Go on Meetup and set up a weekly event. I suggest a Saturday or Sunday coffee. I would suggest a sign for the table so people can find you, though some discretion is in order so that some religious zealot doesn't see it as a personal challenge to engage you.
When I joined my group, I was going through some trauma in my life. I knew that I couldn't just sit at home, staring at the walls and beating myself up. I needed other people. And when I started attending the group I'm currently in, I knew immediately that this was my tribe.
I'm part of a secular group, we have events in the area each week. We are getting more and more people involved.
I have mentioned this multiple times to friends and family. I think this would be a great idea and would go at minimum once a month and possibly more. Coming from a high control group situation I may be a bit skittish at first but I would definitely be interested.
Humanist Centre of insert town here?
You bet your balls I’ll be there. With bells on.
I don't think I would have much in common with those people. Not having a faith is not much of a talking point.
There are all kinds of secular organizations.
Our local Humanist Society does something similar but it’s not solely for the atheists.
Probably not. It's difficult to create a sense of belonging when the only common thread is lack of belief.
You might as well create a "Community Center for People That Don't Think Santa Is Real" because it holds the same impact.
Yes I'd give it a solid chance.
As much as I don't subscribe to atheists being a group, I think it would be rather nice for a bunch of them getting together to let off some steam about religion without censoring themselves for once.
Isn't a group of atheists called people just milling around?
Never had the need since I normally hung out with secularists, humanists, and atheists.
Same answer as organized religion, if you have such a strong belief in god why have man get between you other than confirmation bias.
I've got a great one, and I used to go when I lived close. They have speakers and volunteer events and music nights. I just moved far enough away (and started leading another group) that it's a pain in my ass to get there now.
There’s no Unitarian Church in my area.
Community Union Near Togetherness. Trying a few names... what do we think?
Hmm just a community centre but why for atheists? Atheists can be all sorts of people
Humanist and Unitarian churches do not include a deity of any kind, Pastafarians have meetups, there are lots of ways to participate!
I tend to keep my atheism to myself unless asked about it.
Check out TST and see if there’s a local chapter and/or how you could start one.
The Satanic Temple = TST
No. If I want a sense of community, I go to the footy. Sausage in a bun is the superior communion wafer.
No. This is the only possible answer. Any other answer would be religion.
That'd be a stupid-ass thing to call it.
We have libraries? And community centres?
Libraries, art museums, theaters, sporting events, parks, farmers markets, artisan markets, botanical gardens….. there are so many ways for people to gather they just need to put an effort in.
I don’t want a space dedicated to atheism.
I’d love to have a community that does shit for other people and gathers to talk about what else can be done to help people with no agenda other than to be involved and contribute to society. However, religious fanatics are abundant in my area and I could 100% see one or more of them destroying the center and/or the people in it thinking they are doing “God’s work.”
Isn't the regular community center already secular? I mean I go to my library and rec centre and don't have jesus at the front door right?
It really depends. I have gotten used to not waking up at dawn to drive somewhere and spend a few hours with people I don't know very well. I could use some like-minded friends, though.
I've met people. No thanks.
No.
we do and I do.
Forming a group around something you don't believe would seem to make finding a unified purpose difficult.
"Whelp, we're all here... why are we here?"
Generally I think you'd be better off finding a purpose of the group and just doing that instead of making it explicitly about atheism.
Just a non Dom community center would work for me. Alot of those already exist. Doesn't have to be only atheists just non religious
Just another place for the planned parenthood nutters to gather out front and be douches.
I'd love something like this. Just to get together and mingle, let the kids play.. church minus the indoctrination.
look for a local makerspace or hackerspace. thats basically church for me lol
google "atheist organizations Albany" (or wherever you live). They're all over the place. Now, I don't belong to one. I always wonder, ...
The Meeting of the Albany Atheists will come to order. Is there anyone here that believes in God, Jehovah, Yahweh, Lord, Satan, life-after-death, or the Loch Ness Monster. Seeing no answer, I assume that we are all in agreement. Meeting adjourned.
They kind of exist - Unitarian churches are sort of churches in name only.
Yes
No
Made me think of the gaming communities like DND and Magic. Not what you have in mind but very much community oriented and inclusive and people get the opportunity to meet and develop friendships outside of the game.
I dunno... I think a "Community Center for Atheists" is just a regular civic "Community Center" for everyone. No?
Some folks might need this. It's not my thing.
Absolutely
I'm introverted, so that's a big fat no.
Maybe if I had someone I trusted with me, but yeah that’s not for me either. But I would try to support it in other ways.
UU churches! Very accepting of everyone
No. Because atheism isn't a belief system. You might have little in common necessarily aside from a lack of belief in any deity lol
No.
probably, depending on the activities.
No. I'm too introverted and too alcoholic.
This is why I’m a Unitarian. About half my congregation is Atheist.
I would, absolutely. We had a lady start one, but it was a sham, she was a sociology professional and thought she would use us as study group, ask us to only discuss certain topics she introduced. This group was 100% educated and aware of who they are, and what they think, we were not interested, it didn't last but two sessions. Turned out one of the attendees was a retired professor of sociology and a really great guy, enjoyed our conversations over coffee now and then after that.
Probably not.
Yes. I live in a wasteland full of xtians though.
I would totally check it out if it was within walking/cycling distance of home.
But probably only once because I'm an antisocial introvert.
Why!? Who the f cares!? Being an atheist is absolutely normal and needs no comunity center ffs. Where do you live that you need one!?
Definitely. Communities for nonreligious folks are dearly needed.
No. I do not want "a physical place to gather, socialize, volunteer, and build community". That sounds like a terrible idea.
Atheists don't crave fellowship simply because they do not believe in imaginary beings. So no.
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Not denying it. But common ground need not be found in the very silly argument over the existence of god or gods. Bond over cars, whiskey, pickleball, anything but bowing to a fictitious deity or contemplating its non-existence.
And humans may have started as social creatures for survival sake, but we are continuing to evolve as self sufficient individuals, not subject to groupthink. Atheists fit right into that mold.
Again, no community center for me.
Theists aren’t gone. There are billions of them and they are extremely hellbent on making you one of them. Making everyone one of them. They’ll stop at nothing and they’re better at it than you are at resisting.
This last fifty year exception was a blip.
Maybe. Probably just once or twice. From my experience, Atheist/Free Thinker organizations form pretty quickly. But because of so many independent thinkers all in one group, it's like herding cats.
Maybe. But probably not. I don't have much use for community.
I would give it a shot. depending on things
Wish my schedule wasn't so hectic to devote time to go.
I’ve thought a lot about this as I also miss the community that churches provide.
The problem with it is that churches have an almost familial bond that ties everyone together. Church members are united by a common belief in something that is bigger than themselves. That provides both a common bond, and gives people a stronger reason to attend and devote their time and resources toward making the community thrive.
A group of atheists is just a group of people. What are you united together in, other than not wanting to be religious?
So what is the answer?
I think the answer is to find community in places where you do have a common bond. Running groups, cycling groups, gaming, playing or listening to live music, eating, etc are all things that can provide a bond for a group of people.
YES but nit on Sunday. There is one an hour from me. If it was closer I would be there all the time.
In a minute
Possibly, if I found people to go with.
Maybe! I am not too people-y these days but some community engagement and mutual aid would be great.
Nah, I just hang out with my friends, none of whom are religious. It's easy mode living on the California coast, hardly any religious fanatics. I made the mistake of criticizing Idaho due to lousier outcomes for pregnant women because obstetricians were leaving due to stringent anti-abortion laws. The women I was sitting next to mentioned that she was OK with abortion in the case of rape. Her husband then badmouthed AOC as a bartender and called Elizabeth Warren Pocahontas when a political ad came on the TV.
Christ, never mention politics in a bar. I knew that their kid went to the local Christian college, so I kind of knew where their sympathies lie.
Yes
I think it depends on how they're organized and what they do. I remember someone asked this in my city's sub and the person who ran the known one popped on to complain how it was like "wrangling cats" and that people just wanted to be entertained.
Regardless, I think it's a good idea if you're looking for like-minded people to connect with. If you're ambivalent about the religious/non-religious aspect, you could probably join any community based group of hobby.
It depends. If dogma was a core vibe of the community, then definitely no. Dogmatic people really rub me the wrong way, be they Christian, other theistic religions, atheists, vegan, etc. But if the vibe was different, then quite possibly yes.
Depends on what there is to do there. I’m not doing fucking bible study.
I have an online Sci Fi meetup boom club that is populated with our local atheists.
prob not. I don't want to join a group specifically because I don't want to join another group. also, I find that the more a group of atheists gathers around the concept of atheism, the faster it turns into a group of anti-theists.
while I share the sentiment, it always seems to turn as toxic as the religious groups that we didn't wanna join in the first place. even some of the posts on this sub are a bit much for me (not all or even a majority, but enough that I notice it).
I find that community at my local library. I know that is strange but the women at our public library have gone out of their way to open the door to everyone and anyone. The kids all congregate at the computers after school, there is a little free pantry, there are classes, everything from learning to paint, to herbal medicine, to stain glass, there are trivia nights, and get messy children's program, There are ESL courses, and they will watch people take exams, help with applications and resumes. So since my library card is free, the cost to take art classes nominal and the coffee machine in the reading nook not bad I will take it
On a morning like church, no. Every week, maybe, events, sure.
Yes!
Sure.
Probably not no.
You made me google what was in my area and there are a few already - Humanists Groups, One is called Atheist Republic and also a Secular group.
Have you searched you area to see if there is one already?
No, but I also don't tend to go outside except for work or groceries
I totally would, getting a community like that would be great
I think it should be a 'Community Center for Everyone.' One of the worst effects of religion is that people are needlessly divided over it.
No.
Religionists gather regularly because they're required to. Delusional belief in mythology requires regular reinforcement.
Atheism is the absence of belief in such myths. There is nothing to reinforce.
Unitarian Universalist churches are accepting of atheism. You could go there.
I'd consider going once, but it really depends on the vibe.
Secular bar and grill. Maybe.
Yeah
Not if it was named that.
I want nothing to do with organizations whatsoever like that.
But, if it was a social meet & greet kinda thing without some leader and fees, I might be persuaded. Maybe. Depends on what the purpose was for that meeting.
I e been thinking about how to start one.
Why does religion or lack of religion have to be the center of everything? Why can’t it just be a meet up or community gathering without the mention of it?
Just like there are people who meet up for biking, hiking, softball or whatever sport tickles their fancy. There are meet ups for artistic hobbies or nerdy hobbies as well.
There are some organizations that provide support to people without it being religious. I’m talking financial, food, shelter, counseling, volunteering, etc. Although I will admit a lot of religious organizations also offer this.
I guess I just don’t understand why everyone wants to center everything around either being religious or being atheist. I’m an atheist but I don’t go around shouting it to everyone and I don’t constantly bring it up around family or friends. It doesn’t have to be my entire personality. People can get along without all that bs.
Probably not. I'm not atheist because I want to being to some in-group. I'm just a guy with enough self-respect to demand evidence. I don't talk about it as a hobby.
Not really because what would we be meeting up for? If you don't believe in something you don't need to group up and talk about it since it doesn't exist.
Other hobby groups already exist and I can attend those. But I live in a large urban center that's very multicultural so generally the topic of religion doesn't really come up.... If I lived in a highly religious area than maybe I can see a need.
I usually don't like to commute more than 30 mins one way to a regular event (by car). I attend my hobby group every 2 weeks or so (every week or so when I was younger)
I'd probably follow it on social media and pop in if there's something going on that interests me, but I wouldn't attend regular meetings or anything.
There are some Anglican priests, and some bishops, who dont believe in God. I’d be curious to attend one of their services
Probably not. I'm not good in crowds.
I would love a community of like minded folks like this!
No. In Australia it would be a target for Christians to try and evgalisism to. They would be at the front of the building offering Bibles or something.
You mean a bar? Yeah, sure.
Unlikely.
No. Much like there is no god to pretend care about what I do, I am not interested in performative community interaction. There should be a secular space like this already unrelated to there not being a god.
I think those are just called "Community Centers".
Don’t pubs fill this role nicely?
I can't think of a bigger target for cults.
No. I'm a bigger introvert than an atheist.
Not really I wouldn't, I don't need a community of people 'assuring' me that my atheism is correct. As for socializing I don't see the need for a specific place designed for atheists, as for me, I have plenty of places to socialize I am not looking for people I socialise with to be atheist. And for social work/volunteer work you need such place either.
Overall I just don't think Athiesm is that big of a part in my life, that I would attend such a community center.
I play in a pool league. Community doesn't need to have anything to do with religion (or the smarter option, no religion)
Frankly: if the only thing I have in common with these people is a lack of faith... that's not much to build a community around.
I'd much rather find a book club or gardening society or a bunch of quilters or some other such community of people that share my interests and hobbies.
Which could include neighborhood socials, potluck meals, and sing-alongs as part of the major activities that church communities provide.
Or volunteering in food banks or as a candy-striper (volunteer hospital work).
I mean, even LGBTQIA2S+ community groups have more in common than most atheists do.
"Lack of belief" is such a weak idea to build community on.
And frankly: I'd be leary of a group that sponsored a "Community Center for Atheists" being a very thinly disguised "bait & switch" for Christians to proselytize, or worse, to target individuals for blacklisting.
So nope, not interested.
No. Because the "Atheist Centre" would ask me to tithe 10% just to provide this service. Then it might as well be called a "Church of the latter day Atheists".
I do. They're not called "community center for atheists" but most of the places I go, most of the people are atheists. Most of my friends are.
I would
No, I'm not into organized anything.
i'm a member of a humanist organization, and regularly join their boardgame&drinks meetups. they recently started planning ''humanistic hikes'' as well, where you go on a walk and talk about a topic(or honestly just talk about anything that strikes your fancy).
but i'll be honest. i love this as a humanist thing, but i'm not sure if i would do it as an ''atheist' thing.