Does atheism need a support system similar to religion?

I realize that many people may frown at the title of my post, but it is a legitimate question. Atheists are subjected to higher rates of depression, frustration, and anger. I think it was John Schumaker that argued atheists have removed all barriers between themselves and the cold reality of the universe, and that is that we really don't have an 'ultimate purpose' and the universe is meaningless. The earth could be annihilated tomorrow and our existence would not have mattered or had any purpose, the universe just 'is'. Religious people on the other hand have a warm blanket to wrap themselves in, when they are confused or troubled, they attribute it to being part of 'gods plan' and thus they feel satisfied because they are under the false impression that no matter what happens, it's part of something bigger, a more divine plan.

This cold reality for atheists can sometimes be saddening to the lonely, lost, and people going through a rough times. To paraphrase Richard Dawkins from one of his uncut interviews, he has said that if you're depressed then that's your fault, you should be happy and thankful that you have life at all considering the overwhelming odds that you have overcome. However, I tend to disagree. I think that atheists need some sort of personal support system. We are social creatures and religion unintentionally takes advantage of this because it provides fellowship and a place to go in times of need. Atheists generally don't have that. We may have social circles elsewhere, and there are some atheistic groups scattered around the country, but we need more then that.

Is it time to create some sort of 'church of atheism'?

A formal support system exists, but we by definition would and should shy far away from some organized dogma, rules and rulers.
For me it was and is a stuggle between the sad superstitions and rituals of religion vs rational thought. Education is our church.

My support system is my family. The one thing I have gotten to learn after I was finally clear of superstitious crap
was that although the universe is a cold unfeeling place, It can still have a meaning. FOr me its clear, survival of the species.
I also think humanity has added another dimension to the survival scheme. Not only can we be successful by procreation
and raising of the subsequent young. A person can be a success by becoming a specialist by production of necessities,
educator, scientists preserve and expand knowledge, even entertainment.

Over the last few years as I have cemented my unbelief, I have gotten all I need by beating my kids (at MW2) or spending time
with she who must be obeyed, or just grabbing a cat for some vitamin purrrr.

I don't think it's so much a question of atheism or atheists needing a support system as much as simply that different individuals need social interaction more than others. I'm sure everybody likes to have friends with whom they can share viewpoints and opinions. That is definitely one of the things that churches do very well. It's too bad that the common link for church-goers is an irrational belief in worship of magical beings.

When my kids were small they were all into competitive swimming. Many of the swimmers' parents were involved in club administration and fund-raising and most were involved in officiated at swim meets. We also used to do a lot of stuff together outside of attending swim meets, practices and officials' training seminars - it was more like a swim community than a swim club. Our kids had lots of friends and, as they got older, worked as swim instructors, coaches and life-guards, all of which was confidence and character building, etc. I doubt very much they would have benefited near as much from attending a church.

Until the age of 18 the catholic church was my only extra-curricular activity and I couldn't wait to ditch it. Nowadays I belong to an astronomy club and quite enjoy the company and camaraderie, whether we are doing/discussing astronomy-related stuff or not. While they might not provide as large a 'community' as a church, groups like bridge clubs, vintage car clubs, wine-tasting clubs, book clubs, service clubs (Kinsmen, Lions, etc) or even curling or golf & country clubs can all provide a lot of the social interaction that keeps us from turning into curmudgeonly introverts.

Of course one big advantage that churches have over many other social clubs is financial. Not all clubs can issue receipts for tax deductions and even those that can usually are not allowed to do so for membership fees. All tithes or contributions to churches are considered tax deductible donations and most church donations are optional.

I have a relative who goes to church regularly because it's a great 'network' for business connections. As far as I know he is not a believer though he is rather cryptic on the subject (sort of a Pascal's agnostic). I don't think I could do that. I would offend somebody sooner or later.

That is for social interaction, I have a sibling whom I or I guess we both just avoid religion
completely, I am sure he and his devout pray long for me, but we still interact. On the ski trails and the hill
religion never seems to come up.

Is there a need for every community or town to have an open place where unbelievers can
congregate?

The more I think about this I like the idea, veterans have a place, unions have a place,
but nothing as widespread as religious institutions. Why couldn't there be a small room
in a basement where I can go vent, meet new people where we know we do not have to dance around issues, etc.

I agree with the support system (but I don't think it should be confined to atheism).

There's a few things that people need that religion takes full monopoly on: "wise men", unconditional support, and personal guidance. They are invaluable resources for a strong, mature, and well-balanced community.

In north american society, we really have no "wise" people we can just go to for issues. If they do exist, they're not accessible. For issues like marriage, dating, life planning, and a whole number of personal subjects, there is a huge deficit. The only things available are family, friends, or self-help books, which are dubious at best.

Pastors & monks spend their whole lives helping people with personal & life issues. To be a pastor, you actually have to have a PhD. What do they study? The art of giving people guidance. Who else does this?

I think that this is a valuable service, and it's a shame people don't realize it's impact. The impact is that it develops a mature, comfortable, and purposeful communities.

Another thing the church offers is unconditional support. You might point at the hypocrisy of some fringe churches, but all normal churches offer good old old fashioned charity. It's a place that you can go to without them expecting something in return, or facing prejudice, or a feeling that you will be abandoned if you mess up.

Again, where is this in secular society?

The last thing is personal guidance. I think today's world is so liberal that we forget that some things really are good for everyone. It is good to "love your neighbor", and to be reminded of that every week. The church stands as a reminder to people to work towards being better people and to excel at being an outstanding citizen. Studies show that when you're reminded of morality, you tend to be more moral. It's important to have a place where morality is celebrated and cherished.

And again, where is this in secular society?

When you look at all these things, it's no wonder that religious people ask where we get our moral from. For an atheist, only the most vigilant can gain the same levels of morality, maturity, personal satisfaction, contentment and confidence in their lives as religious people. But, most people don't want to live a life of vigilance, which is why many people always come crawling back to religion.

There's really no shame in wanting to just be told what to do so that you can worry about other things. The only shame is trying to do everything yourself, or not questioning the credentials of the people you're trusting.

An interesting "discussion" erupted in my office this morning. A coworker mentioned this local news story:

CHURCH THEFT

A shed owned by Gateway Pentecostal Church on Marshall Avenue was broken into sometime during the past week, North Bay police reported Monday.

Three lawnmowers, a barbecue with two tanks and a pressure washer were stolen.

He was particularly appalled that anyone would stoop so low as to commit B&E at a church. I asked why it was any worse than breaking & entering any other private business or home. After all the online news source for the above was immediately followed by this:

SEVERAL BREAK-INS

North Bay police are investigating several recent break-ins.

Thieves broke into a business on the 300 block of Main Street East and stole a ACER 17-inch laptop computer on the weekend.

My coworker said, although he is not religious himself, he has a lot of respect for religious people and feels that churches deserve more consideration than businesses or individuals or families. I disagreed at which point he got fairly indignant. It kind of surprised me because he is usually a fairly intelligent guy. He said, "Well of course we all know you hate religious people and delight in seeing them suffer..."

I made it very clear that I was not the least bit pleased to see anybody's privacy invaded and belongings stolen but I just don't understand why it should be any more morally reprehensible when it happens in a church than when it happens anywhere else.

I won't bore you with the details of where the conversation went from there but I thought it was interesting that he was flabbergasted that I would express such a sentiment out loud. Despite my efforts to clarify the matter, he kept trying to equate my opinion (committing B&E in a church being as bad as any other B&E) with some kind of secret desire to see bad things happen to religious people.

This is not the first time I've encountered this kind of attitude. I find it interesting that even non-believers have "drunk the kool-aid" and buy into the "with us or agin us" mindset. No wonder people are unwilling to self-identify as atheists.

The reason I posted this here is because I think it illustrates why a community or support system like this forum or like some of the "Atheists in the Pub" groups do provide a useful kind of fellowship.

Originally Posted by Blondin

This is not the first time I've encountered this kind of attitude. I find it interesting that even non-believers have "drunk the kool-aid" and buy into the "with us or agin us" mindset. No wonder people are unwilling to self-identify as atheists.

The reason I posted this here is because I think it illustrates why a community or support system like this forum or like some of the "Atheists in the Pub" groups do provide a useful kind of fellowship.

A forum like this is I guess a great first step. But how does a diverse group of people who have stepped out (sortta)
online and perhaps in private get together. Our only link is a negative, what silly stuff we don't believe in.
I assume the people I associate with the most are secular, some share my taste in reading material. Recently during a staff meeting, one of the few religious co-workers was incensed because "I", pointing at me, was always leaving this dangerous and toxic stuff around. In his hand was Hitchens 'God is not Great', in its bright yellow glory. Before I could sputter that it wasn't mine, another co-worker stepped up and took it from him, saying thanks, was wondering where that went.
The manager attempted to resrict reading material, as he understood religious propoganda wasn't allowed, so neither should this. Again before I could sputter about literature and the watchtower yet another co-worker took over, He stated that literature was different from the bible as Hitchens book does not require obiedience nor claim to be divine. When I later asked why I was singled out, simple, I have prominantly placed atheist bus bumper stickers on my vehicles. This has never been spoken of again, it would feel odd somehow to approach these folks to start a local secular club. I really don't have the energy anymore to begin something like that, but it would be nice.