Sunday Assembly in Brighton

[chillzero]

In two weeks time the newest of the Sunday Assemblies in the UK opens its doors, in Brighton.

As part of the committee to help bring this about, I am interested in any discussion people might like to have on the topic (since the one who originally asked has got himself banned!!).

This thread is to discuss the concept of Sunday Assemblies - and not restricted to Brighton. I will open another in Community to discuss some different aspects.

https://www.facebook.com/sundayassemblybrighton
http://www.meetup.com/Sunday-Assembly-Brighton/

Hope to see you there!

 

[Myriad]

I was going to ask whether there would be tea and cake, but the second link includes that crucial info!

It sounds like a good idea. Going forward, I think you might want to broaden the range of topics you regard as "uplifting." Optimism is a good starting point, but it means more in a venue that also addresses the more difficult and painful aspects of life. There are plenty of classic songs that are not so "cheesy feel-good" that could be matched with such topics. The seasons of the year can make a convenient framework for a progression of such topics (spring for new beginnings and letting go of regrets, autumn for appreciating abundance and preparing for harder times ahead, and so forth).

I get that the goal is not to imitate religious services (or at least, not to do so just for the sake of doing so). But don't let that limit your vision of the wealth of cultures and traditions you can draw ideas from.

Respectfully,
Myriad

 

[chillzero]

There's a theme to each meeting, and the first one is always 'new beginnings'. We can diversify a bit more from there and we expect the Brighton one to take a very brightonian approach. For example, we in the committe think that the Brighton people might be more open to some less ... 'uplifting' topics; some things that might lead to some deeper thinking, or soul searching.

It's hard to not seem to be too close to many religious based meetings, but then again ... it's a formula tested over centuries!

The songs need to be easy for a crowd to join in and not worry too much about talent. Any suggestions for themse, songs etc would be really welcome in the Community thread.
http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=265035

 

[Professor Yaffle]

The Community thread doesn't seem to be there.

 

[chillzero]

?
Link works for me?

 

[Professor Yaffle]

I'm getting a "You do not have permission to access this page" notice.

ETA - odd your link seems to log me out, but only on the tab it sends me to, not this one... Have found the thread now though. Must just be a forum glitch.

 

[chillzero]

I've reported my post above with the link to the mods to see what's wrong.

 

[Locknar]

?
Link works for me?

I'm getting a "You do not have permission to access this page" notice.

ETA - odd your link seems to log me out, but only on the tab it sends me to, not this one... Have found the thread now though. Must just be a forum glitch.

I've reported my post above with the link to the mods to see what's wrong.

I've edited the link; it had a leading "www" that was sending members out of the forum and then back in (ie. you had to login again).

Posted By: Locknar

 

[Professor Yaffle]

I've edited the link; it had a leading "www" that was sending members out of the forum and then back in (ie. you had to login again).

Posted By: Locknar

Now I'm getting the logged in version of not being able to get there...

Professor Yaffle, you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:

Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.

Is it just me, or are others having problems?

Linking to the page myself to see what happens:

http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=265035

ETA: Ah, I have a different number after the t=...

 

[Locknar]

Sorry about that; would help if I edited it to the RIGHT link....fixed (again).

 

[chillzero]

Thank you Locknar!

 

[Democracy Simulator]

Hmm, I used to live in Brighton and Hove, back in the late 90s/early 00s. I also used be an atheist, before I had a yearning for something more...

Also wondering what you (chillzero etc.) know of the Unitarians? - I started going to Unitarian services, as part of my 'journey'. Brighton Unitarians:

http://www.brightonunitarian.org.uk/our-values.html

Sunday Assemblies seem like the 'gateway drug', to religion, be careful unbelievers...

 

[Humes fork]

Hmm, I used to live in Brighton and Hove, back in the late 90s/early 00s. I also used be an atheist, before I had a yearning for something more...

Also wondering what you (chillzero etc.) know of the Unitarians? - I started going to Unitarian services, as part of my 'journey'. Brighton Unitarians:

http://www.brightonunitarian.org.uk/our-values.html

Sunday Assemblies seem like the 'gateway drug', to religion, be careful unbelievers...

So you admit that you becoming religious had nothing to do with evidence, and everything to do with wishful thinking?

 

[chillzero]

Hmm, I used to live in Brighton and Hove, back in the late 90s/early 00s. I also used be an atheist, before I had a yearning for something more...

Also wondering what you (chillzero etc.) know of the Unitarians? - I started going to Unitarian services, as part of my 'journey'. Brighton Unitarians

Hi, yes, I am aware of the unitarians. I hope you will not derail this thread, but open a new one if that is what you wish to discuss.

Sunday Assemblies seem like the 'gateway drug', to religion, be careful unbelievers...

Well, since the Sunday Assemblies are less than a year old, I am not sure how you come to this conclusion.

 

[Democracy Simulator]

So you admit that you becoming religious had nothing to do with evidence, and everything to do with wishful thinking?

My 'becoming religious', had more to do with a gradual recognition of the hollowness I was feeling, after spending several hours a day writing, thinking and posting about why God didn't exist, and how Christianity was a mistake.

 

[Democracy Simulator]

Hi, yes, I am aware of the unitarians. I hope you will not derail this thread, but open a new one if that is what you wish to discuss.

I certainly don't wish to derail your thread, but as the thread was putatively about the 'concept' of Sunday Assemblies, I thought that it was worth mentioning that it was a very similar concept to Unitarianism, except the spiritual content that is present in some Unitarian churches. Although, at the Unitarian services I have attended, there have always been several self-proclaimed Atheists in attendance, and a lack of 'spiritual' content in the service/assembly/gathering.

Well, since the Sunday Assemblies are less than a year old, I am not sure how you come to this conclusion

Well, it was less a 'conclusion', than a playful attempt at humour, given my own 'story'. Hence the wink. And not that I've got anything against these assemblies. From what I can gather from the article in the Guardian is that some of the pioneers of this movement acknowledge the good that religion can do in soceity, and seek to emulate it:

Balkham says he has envied churches the sense of community they can offer, and thinks atheists can learn from the social good that many churches do. "It's naive to deny that there's a lot of good that comes out of organised religion, and I think helping in the community is another thing that Sunday Assemblies should be aspiring to unashamedly copy."

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/14/atheist-sunday-assembly-branches-out

A question I would have, is do you have to be an atheist to attend? Are non-atheists welcome?

 

[chillzero]

Well, it was less a 'conclusion', than a playful attempt at humour, given my own 'story'. Hence the wink. And not that I've got anything against these assemblies. From what I can gather from the article in the Guardian is that some of the pioneers of this movement acknowledge the good that religion can do in soceity, and seek to emulate it:


http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/14/atheist-sunday-assembly-branches-out

Not religion ... but organised religion. The point being that communities are important to us as a species, and churches have set up a fraemwork for that. Many people who leave religion miss the community aspects, and some other aspects - but these need not be specific to 'religion', it is just that religions have been the main areas where they can be observed.

A question I would have, is do you have to be an atheist to attend? Are non-atheists welcome?

No you don't, and yes they are. All are welcome.
It is a godless congregation.

Now, I know it is being described as an 'atheist church'. We in the Brighton setup have shied away from this a bit. At least two of our committee do not consider themselves atheist - one is a christian.

The concept is simply to celebrate life, and wonder more.

 

[Democracy Simulator]

Not religion ... but organised religion. The point being that communities are important to us as a species, and churches have set up a fraemwork for that. Many people who leave religion miss the community aspects, and some other aspects - but these need not be specific to 'religion', it is just that religions have been the main areas where they can be observed.

No you don't, and yes they are. All are welcome.
It is a godless congregation.

Now, I know it is being described as an 'atheist church'. We in the Brighton setup have shied away from this a bit. At least two of our committee do not consider themselves atheist - one is a christian.

The concept is simply to celebrate life, and wonder more.

Do you feel a bit misrepresented then, when the Argus reports that 'atheists' set up Brighton's first Godless church? It makes it seem that Godless = atheist, when you seem to be suggesting that Godless simply means that the congregation is not aligned to any particular God ideas, and not that all present have rejected God.

It's funny really, if I were still in Hove, I'd probably be jumping all aboard this. One thing I'd want from a church though, is a recognition that life is not only about celebration and wonder, but also significantly about suffering and alienation. Perhaps you can throw that in the ring for your next planning meeting, if you haven't already?

 

[chillzero]

Do you feel a bit misrepresented then, when the Argus reports that 'atheists' set up Brighton's first Godless church?

A bit, yeah. As I said, we have a christian on the committee. The focus is meant to be on the community aspect. A godless congregation, not a godless church.

It makes it seem that Godless = atheist, when you seem to be suggesting that Godless simply means that the congregation is not aligned to any particular God ideas, and not that all present have rejected God.

It's a congregation gathering without the god element. When I have talked about it to people in shops (asking them to take flyers, etc) I called it a community gathering.

It's funny really, if I were still in Hove, I'd probably be jumping all aboard this. One thing I'd want from a church though, is a recognition that life is not only about celebration and wonder, but also significantly about suffering and alienation. Perhaps you can throw that in the ring for your next planning meeting, if you haven't already?

I think we have something to that effect on the agenda. In Brighton particularly, the aspect of alienation is not a new topic to the general community, and as I mentioned earlier, we hope to address some of the less nice and fluffy things - things to consider more deeply.

Thank you for your comments.

Two days to go!!

 

[Democracy Simulator]

Also, just looked at the 'Public Charter' for Sunday Assemblies.

Item 1 says that 'we are born from nothing and go to nothing'.

Item 2 says that Sunday Assemblies 'have no doctrine'

Item 3 says that Sunday Assemblies 'don't do supernatural but we also won't tell you you're wrong if you do.'

Well, the first item sounds like 'doctrine' to me. It also sounds like I'm being told that I'm wrong if I have the belief that we come from something and go to something.

If you ask me, the Unitarians have done this much better:

There are seven principles which Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote:

The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Sorry to put the UUs for comparison again, but hopefully this is constructive criticism.

ETA: thanks for your responses to my earlier comments and all the best for your assembly