Dan Merica’s recent post, “Church without God – by design,” explores gatherings of the Humanist Community at Harvard University, which is the brainchild of the school’s Humanist chaplain: Greg Epstein. After meeting for the last several years in a “small three-floor walk-up off the bustling streets of Harvard Square,” the community will transition to “a nearly 3,000-square-foot community center with an event space for nearly 100 people.”
So What?
Epstein sees the transition in physical meeting space as a part of a larger and longer term vision for growth. This will likely include openness to godless rituals such as baby-naming ceremonies, weddings, and funerals. It also requires sensitivity to welcoming the religiously non-affiliated and to not becoming a group that is primarily about belief or disbelief.
- What is your first reaction to seeing the words “atheist” and “church” placed side by side?
- Do you think humanist communities and other non-theistic communities will be successful in attracting the “nones” (those who currently self-identify as being religiously non-affiliated)? Why or why not?