There are some atheist/agnostic gatherings that are similar to church... designed to meet the need for community. I've hear of one called "Oasis."
Rebuilding my personal community after I left the church has been slow. Have any of you tried some of the nonreligious gatherings? What do you think of them?
Closest I’ve come is having attended a few Unitarian/Universalist serbices, which were “churchlike” but more concerned with valuation of certain broad principles (love, charity, comradeship, justice, peace) rather than anything theological. People were very nice and thoughtful, service was OK, but - all in all - I’d rather he hiking ...
I know what you mean. I've been to the UU and they are nice but I wouldn't wanna get obligated.
I have said several times on this site that the only positive thing religion provides is tha tsense of community and belonging. Humans are "herd animals" that tend to group together. In our evolutionary past it was for safety, but in toay's society we still have the animal instincts to gather in groups and communities, and it does generally make us feel more safe and scure.
It is th eloss of community that is the hardest to deal with when a person leaves religion.
I myself have jouned social groups of one kind or another, and lately use meetup.com groups to help fill tht commuinity need. However as i have gotten older I have also become mor esolitary and ra bit eclusive, where I liek beign alone more than I like to be in the company of others. I still do things with people once in a while, but I no longer feel lonely or feel a need to be around other people.
I was a minister and needed desperately to get away from a constant barrage of people. But two years later, I have more isolation than I like an I would enjoy more company. However, it has to be intelligent company, that celebrates individual thought (namely, mine)
@Damercer1961 For those who absolutely need that once a week community, I usually suggest the Unitarians. They welcome atheists and all faiths. They re more about building a better society than saving souls or judging others.