The harder you search for god, the more you realize he isn’t there!

"Or, it refutes their claims that we are amoral and anti-social. Let’s face it, atheists have an image problem. The worst one, in fact. I love checking in on Facebook that I’m at church."

Their claims of our immorality is a reflection on them. I choose to refute that through my personal actions, rather than joining them in church , which lends to legitimizing their claim that one must be a church goer to have morals. For me, posting that I'm in church on a specific day of worship would undermine my core values. I refuse to appease them by joining in their delusion.

"Going to church certainly isn’t the only way to contribute to a community, but it is one way."

That will take some explaining. Sitting in god's house communing and praying with agnostics and deists doesn't seem to be a contribution at all. I much prefer going to meetups at the pub or restaurant simply for the friendship. My contributions to the community are in feeding the needy (even by contribution to the ministry food-bank) and "raising barns" when neighbors need a helping hand. I mingle with all my xtian neighbors at community yard sales, funerals, weddings and the like. I don't separate myself simply because I think differently. They learn that I am more trustworthy and have a higher moral code then most through my interactions and they learn the truth about atheists through that exposure. But they also know they will never see me in the pew next them on Sunday.

Like I said, live-and-let-live. If that floats your boat then it meets my highest and most important aspect of life itself; Do what it is that makes you happy, as long as it causes no harm. one of the many harms here, as I see it, is the monetary commitment to keep a church afloat, which could be put to far greater use.

UUs definitely have a Christian heritage, but the membership is the real story. Lots of real atheists. You could say we’ve infiltrated it and are changing it from within.

There is more than one way to handle the “Atheism is a religion” charge. The easiest is to accept it but deny that supernaturalism and faith are necessary parts of religion. This is my view. Atheists don’t really have problems with ritual, community or service, so why fight against religion as a whole?

Sounds like you have a lot of issues to work out! Chill brother, how about I just say “Your right” and you should keep representing. All I’m sayin’ is, it ain’t for me. You don’t need to proselytize nor defend.

"I think the things you’ve mentioned (morality, ethics, meaning, purpose and knowledge) don’t necessarily have to be addressed from a religious point of view; they can be addressed from a secular point of view."

Well put Ani Sharmin.

That's the rub for me. I don't think a legitimate definition of religion is any community based club with previously agreed upon axioms. Then republican is a religion and we will have to refer to most of ourselves as a-sewing circle-ists. Unless supernatural and truth claims lay somewhere in the definition, everything is a religion.

So I would define religion as a community of people who profess to share the same belief system and that belief system both makes a truth claim about the way the world works and involves the supernatural; or makes the claim that truth about the universe is inherently subjective or a personal matter, a la UU churches.

The definition of religion here is too broad; secular communities are much better defined as just that, communities. Adding the church and religion tags just muddy the waters and confuse others.

I’m getting some feedback that I’m guilty of obscurantism in my use of ‘religion’ when I say it doesn’t have to include supernaturalism. I think people have a point when they say its meaning should include the supernatural and that it’s just confusing to say ‘religious atheist’.

We can use whatever word we like if we are clear about what we mean. But in a soundbite world, we invite misunderstanding if we do. I titled my piece ‘Religious Atheist’ to grab readers, then I offered my views. My real aim was to explore together what it means to be religious. I can see both sides in this case.

I forgot to thank you for writing this piece! Gyah, where are my manners?

I really appreciate atheist writing about the importance of community and about the distinction between religious and secular because I think it's very important for atheists and the atheism movement. Keep up the good work; and who knows? Maybe someday when the stigma of religion being what it is has faded, it will be easier to call ourselves religious atheists without the problems there are now.

Well done, sir.

I failed to mention humanism. Many humanists identify as ‘religious humanists’: “To establish such a religion is a major necessity of the present. It is a responsibility which rests upon this generation.”

http://www.americanhumanist.org/Who_We_Are/About_Humanism/Humanist_Manifesto_I

“There is great danger of a final, and we believe fatal, identification of the word religion with doctrines and methods which have lost their significance and which are powerless to solve the problem of human living in the Twentieth Century. Religions have always been means for realizing the highest values of life. Their end has been accomplished through the interpretation of the total environing situation (theology or world view), the sense of values resulting therefrom (goal or ideal), and the technique (cult), established for realizing the satisfactory life. A change in any of these factors results in alteration of the outward forms of religion. This fact explains the changefulness of religions through the centuries. But through all changes religion itself remains constant in its quest for abiding values, an inseparable feature of human life.

Today man’s larger understanding of the universe, his scientific achievements, and deeper appreciation of brotherhood, have created a situation which requires a new statement of the means and purposes of religion. Such a vital, fearless, and frank religion capable of furnishing adequate social goals and personal satisfactions may appear to many people as a complete break with the past. While this age does owe a vast debt to the traditional religions, it is none the less obvious that any religion that can hope to be a synthesizing and dynamic force for today must be shaped for the needs of this age. To establish such a religion is a major necessity of the present. It is a responsibility which rests upon this generation. “

I agree that moderate religious people smuggle bad ideas. No argument there. But avoiding them accomplishes nothing. I prefer to engage them. Cultivating the areas we agree on creates a relationship, a channel through which we can discuss areas of disagreement.

As I said above: UUs definitely have a Christian heritage, but the membership is the real story. Lots of real atheists. You could say we’ve infiltrated it and are changing it from within.

Atheists shouldn't avoid religion any more than we should avoid politics. What influence can we have if we don't show up?