Best church for atheists (local DC)

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:St Marks Episcopal on Capitol Hill is full of atheists -- the former priest was a non-believer.

However, they do the regular Episcopalian service and now have a pastor who is a believer.

St. Columba's in Tenley DC also has a fair share of non-believers and no one cares what you believe -- and they have lots of activities.

I'm an Episcopalian, and have worshipped for many years at St. C's. It's true that nobody there would ask you what you believe and that you and your family would be welcome to participate in all activities, but I have to wonder whether an atheist would feel comfortable praying, singing -- or even listening to -- hymns of worship, reading the Bible, etc. I mean, these are liberal congregations and many of us engage quite openly with our questions and doubts, but most of the time, most of us believe there's a God.

+1. I’ve attended St. C’s on occasion. I wonder what pp is going on when she claims “many atheists” at any church. Does she go around coffee hour—at the multiple church she lists, no less—asking people?


It seems odd to me that somebody would want to spend their mornings praying and singing hymns and listening to homilies if they don’t believe. If it’s a sense of community and/or good works, take your family to volunteer at a soup kitchen. The homeless still need to eat on Sundays. Or sign the fam up to volunteer at a creek cleaning. So many group volunteer possibilities.

You don't necessarily have to ask people -- they will tell you.

Sure, many people (you said “full of atheists”) at each of these churches came up to you and told you they were atheists. Totally believable.

perhaps they told pp in the context of a conversation -- not that they just approached him/her with this info.

Sure

actually, I've heard of that sort of thing happening in liberal churches -- even with pastors. Not believing or doubting is considered perfectly OK. Some people are struggling with their beliefs, hoping to get them back. Others are accompanying their believing spouse. Still others may be going mainly to socialize and don't mind the god talk.

Maybe 1-2 people. The claim of churches “full of atheists” coming up to pp to declare their atheism stretches credulity.

It's been pointed out a couple of times, that people did not come up to "declare" being atheist, but mentioned it in conversation. And yes, one church is or was "full of atheists" -- St Mark's on Capitol Hill, when it had an openly non-believing pastor who welcomed non-believers.

non-believing pastor? for non-believers? I mean ok, but why bother?

Adams wasn’t an atheist. He did interpret miracles and various theological points like the resurrection as metaphors. So you could say he was pretty far outside traditional theology, but that didn’t make him an atheist.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/a-local-life-james-r-adams-77-episcopal-priest-with-an-innovative-touch/2011/09/20/gIQAypk5tK_story.html

Adams retired in 1996. How odd to keep posting about him under the guise of being “helpful” to OP.

Here’s a direct quote from Adams: “Once they discover that religious language is primarily figurative by nature, the experience of faith can open up for them.” He wasn’t talking about faith in the great pumpkin. The rest of the quote is clear he wanted to help people find faith in Jesus and God. He wasn’t an atheist.

Haven't checked back on the thread, but pretty sure Adams was not called an atheist. He called himself an agnostic and openly did not believe in God. Lots of current parishioners are non-believers, as is the case at other liberal protestant churches where there are no altar calls and not push to believe

You’re going to have to document these claims about Adams and “lots” of current parishioners not believing in God.

The quote from Adams above, about helping non-believers “open up to faith” when he tells them much in the Bible was metaphor, would appear to contradict you. Also, it’s unlikely you’re a current member of that church, so the stuff about people coming up to you at coffee hour to confess their atheism doesn’t ring true.

People here often express opinions and relate experiences that are not subject to documentation the way facts are. Readers can accept or reject such things as they like

So you can’t document your thoughts. Got it.

So pp expects documentation of a person's thoughts. got it.

If you want us to accept your thoughts as fact, especially when your thoughts contradict the WaPo, then yes.

It would be silly, IMO, to accept any person's - especially anonymous persons - thoughts as facts, or to accept some other poster's presentation of facts. Another thing -- no more from me on this increasingly silly topic.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:St Marks Episcopal on Capitol Hill is full of atheists -- the former priest was a non-believer.

However, they do the regular Episcopalian service and now have a pastor who is a believer.

St. Columba's in Tenley DC also has a fair share of non-believers and no one cares what you believe -- and they have lots of activities.

I'm an Episcopalian, and have worshipped for many years at St. C's. It's true that nobody there would ask you what you believe and that you and your family would be welcome to participate in all activities, but I have to wonder whether an atheist would feel comfortable praying, singing -- or even listening to -- hymns of worship, reading the Bible, etc. I mean, these are liberal congregations and many of us engage quite openly with our questions and doubts, but most of the time, most of us believe there's a God.

+1. I’ve attended St. C’s on occasion. I wonder what pp is going on when she claims “many atheists” at any church. Does she go around coffee hour—at the multiple church she lists, no less—asking people?


It seems odd to me that somebody would want to spend their mornings praying and singing hymns and listening to homilies if they don’t believe. If it’s a sense of community and/or good works, take your family to volunteer at a soup kitchen. The homeless still need to eat on Sundays. Or sign the fam up to volunteer at a creek cleaning. So many group volunteer possibilities.

You don't necessarily have to ask people -- they will tell you.

Sure, many people (you said “full of atheists”) at each of these churches came up to you and told you they were atheists. Totally believable.

perhaps they told pp in the context of a conversation -- not that they just approached him/her with this info.

Sure

actually, I've heard of that sort of thing happening in liberal churches -- even with pastors. Not believing or doubting is considered perfectly OK. Some people are struggling with their beliefs, hoping to get them back. Others are accompanying their believing spouse. Still others may be going mainly to socialize and don't mind the god talk.

Maybe 1-2 people. The claim of churches “full of atheists” coming up to pp to declare their atheism stretches credulity.

It's been pointed out a couple of times, that people did not come up to "declare" being atheist, but mentioned it in conversation. And yes, one church is or was "full of atheists" -- St Mark's on Capitol Hill, when it had an openly non-believing pastor who welcomed non-believers.

non-believing pastor? for non-believers? I mean ok, but why bother?

Adams wasn’t an atheist. He did interpret miracles and various theological points like the resurrection as metaphors. So you could say he was pretty far outside traditional theology, but that didn’t make him an atheist.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/a-local-life-james-r-adams-77-episcopal-priest-with-an-innovative-touch/2011/09/20/gIQAypk5tK_story.html

Adams retired in 1996. How odd to keep posting about him under the guise of being “helpful” to OP.

Here’s a direct quote from Adams: “Once they discover that religious language is primarily figurative by nature, the experience of faith can open up for them.” He wasn’t talking about faith in the great pumpkin. The rest of the quote is clear he wanted to help people find faith in Jesus and God. He wasn’t an atheist.

Haven't checked back on the thread, but pretty sure Adams was not called an atheist. He called himself an agnostic and openly did not believe in God. Lots of current parishioners are non-believers, as is the case at other liberal protestant churches where there are no altar calls and not push to believe

You’re going to have to document these claims about Adams and “lots” of current parishioners not believing in God.

The quote from Adams above, about helping non-believers “open up to faith” when he tells them much in the Bible was metaphor, would appear to contradict you. Also, it’s unlikely you’re a current member of that church, so the stuff about people coming up to you at coffee hour to confess their atheism doesn’t ring true.

People here often express opinions and relate experiences that are not subject to documentation the way facts are. Readers can accept or reject such things as they like

So you can’t document your thoughts. Got it.

So pp expects documentation of a person's thoughts. got it.

If you want us to accept your thoughts as fact, especially when your thoughts contradict the WaPo, then yes.

It would be silly, IMO, to accept any person's - especially anonymous persons - thoughts as facts, or to accept some other poster's presentation of facts. Another thing -- no more from me on this increasingly silly topic.

Facts are real. We can probably trust the Washington Post, which says Rev. Adams was a believer not an atheist, over somebody’s “thoughts.” It seems strange for a believer to have to lecture an atheist about this.

[Anonymous]

There are two common choices in NW DC

1. Unitarian (All Souls https://all-souls.org/) or (Universalist http://www.universalist.org/about-us/)
2. Ethical Society (WES): https://ethicalsociety.org/

There are also options like 6th and I (jewish: https://www.sixthandi.org/) and quakers (friends: http://quakersdc.org/), which are pretty light on belief of an active god.


If you look at the DC area, there are obviously more options