Why I don't go to church - Jordan Peterson
Can we keep the traditional gathering without the Biblical stories?
Can we keep the gathering without the stories? Technically, no, because the stories provide a shared belief and experience to coalesce around. It seems that "humanity" or "humanism" is too varied to serve that purpose; it doesn't create a tribal connection. There is a human need to belong to a tribe, yet there is a humanistic need not to descend into tribalISM and all the otherizing and conflict that produces.
I don't have a good answer to this problem. In my view, the one thing religion (theoretically sometimes) actually provides that's beneficial is community / belonging and refuge. It's hard to get that to happen without a back-story, because we're story-telling, meaning and pattern-seeking, beings.
I know and accept the variety of Human experience and opinions - unless one accepts how WKD humans can be one is not going. to prepare yourself for life.
However there are common threads to each of us and actually studying these and the way to handle the problems with maximum effect in a very positive way should form the basis of cause for celebration which is what church services are about. Meetings called "Sunday Assemblies" in USA and UK attempt to
Religions have done some good work obviously and Non believers must match these in so many ways if we are to be listened to and alter society in ways which are so badly needed. Overall religions have suppressed humans into submissive attitudes in line with or regrettable 'adoration' of monarchs (and celebrities).
I do not see why Non believers could not run a series of meetings about "The man Jesus" starting with the difficulties of proving his actual existance and how he used the illusions of miracles mostly in good cause to influence society the way,if he existed , he did. Either Jesus or people like Paul were very clever manipulators.
@Mcflewster Yes I have heard about Sunday Assembly, there's one a little over an hour from me -- or was, last I looked. I just think atheism by itself is far too narrow a basis for sustainable community. Humanism and humanistic projects put forth by atheists, agnostics and liberal theists would probably be more like it.
Alain De Botton, he of "Atheism 2.0" fame, is trying to figure out how to do this kind of thing, too.
Another mechanism is the post-Christian Unitarian-Universalist congregations, which openly accept un-closeted atheists, but I find them to be very cliquish, hyper-politically-correct, activism oriented and frankly a bit hokey. Just does not appeal to me, as they appear to have replaced religious ideology with political ideology. Even though I'm a political liberal, they seem excessive to me.
I watched this about a week ago. I love Dr. Peterson. He is a wonderfully intelligent man. Though I do not completely agree with him on everything.