pelfdaddy wrote:Secular Sunday? I hate alliteration, but...

Perhaps something along the lines of "Meet the Neighbours Day" - deliberately avoiding any distinguishing labels, emphasising the common ground and shared interests whilst also referencing the "love your neighbour" ideal that Christians should appreciate.

pelfdaddy wrote:Secular Sunday? I hate alliteration, but...

I actually like the idea of "Meet the Infidels". This shows a gentle sense of humour and if a congregation would welcome that then it shows humour on their side as well.

I don't think we can call it Secular Sunday. That seems to imply that we're already imposing an agenda? (I know you didn't mean it that way.)

But this is your thing, pelfdaddy!

(I wrote this before I saw <PR's> post.)

Rabbi, I like where you are taking it with that phrase, but will it convey exactly who is showing up?

Nora,

OK, yeah... I like Meet the Infidels. But I want to avoid too much...what do the British say... cheekiness? And you're right about the obvious agenda thing.

pelfdaddy wrote:Rabbi, I like where you are taking it with that phrase, but will it convey exactly who is showing up?

No, probably not. I was trying to outline a tone but the specific name probably doesn't work very well practically.

I quite like the British cheekiness of Nora's "Meet the Infidels" - using humour to make light of the differences as an alternative strategy and also maybe raising a bit of intrigue in the believers. But, then, I am British. Might work less well if the idea were to roll it out to mosques too though, where the word infidel is more likely to be in common use as a quite sincere and serious insult.

Precambrian Rabbi wrote:

pelfdaddy wrote:Rabbi, I like where you are taking it with that phrase, but will it convey exactly who is showing up?

No, probably not. I was trying to outline a tone but the specific name probably doesn't work very well practically.

I quite like the British cheekiness of Nora's "Meet the Infidels" - using humour to make light of the differences as an alternative strategy and also maybe raising a bit of intrigue in the believers. But, then, I am British. Might work less well if the idea were to roll it out to mosques too though, where the word infidel is more likely to be in common use as a quite sincere and serious insult.

I don't know, I can think of some mosques where they'd laugh with you at it as well, and find it even more humorous that we'd chosen that particular phrase. I think it depends on who you approach. Of course it would be counter-productive to target places of any ilk where they were known as being extremist/fundamentalist/close-minded.

Meet the Infidels, coming from us, is warm and engaging, as well as gentle. Of course at their end they might want to call it something else. Really, I think the important thing is in the local contacts. There's a woman who is a friend of mine who goes to the Presbyterian Church round the corner. She's also been an RE teacher in Britain for years, and she knows all about my humanist ways. If I were to approach her with this idea she'd probably think it a great idea and would know how to sell it to her congregation to get the best response.

I also have Muslim friends that I could call upon to make similar introductions. I think this is what you need, people who will 'open the door' so to speak. I'm just saying...

sorry i find this a terrible idea,i doubt that atheists will be welcome by the majority of worshippers so it's invading their privacy to push our point,a bit like jehovas witnesses.
also i don't like going to churches or mosques etc in the first place,it would be hard for me to stay respectful during a service or not feeling nauseated in a mosque.

cherries wrote:sorry i find this a terrible idea,i doubt that atheists will be welcome by the majority of worshippers so it's invading their privacy to push our point,a bit like jehovas witnesses.

This is why I feel it's important to be invited. I mean obviously we'd have to make the first move, but I don't think any of us are suggesting an invasion.

cherries wrote: also i don't like going to churches or mosques etc in the first place,it would be hard for me to stay respectful during a service or not feeling nauseated in a mosque.

Which is why people like you, who have good reasons for feeling like this, shouldn't be involved.

I grew up in segregated 50s and 60s America. I can remember when it was a huge deal for members of a black church to visit a white church, and vice versa. But they did, and barriers came down.

I think what pelfdaddy has suggested is a similar thing and well worth pursuing. It's the logical next step after the Interfaith initiatives of the last decade.

Nora_Leonard wrote:

cherries wrote:sorry i find this a terrible idea,i doubt that atheists will be welcome by the majority of worshippers so it's invading their privacy to push our point,a bit like jehovas witnesses.

This is why I feel it's important to be invited. I mean obviously we'd have to make the first move, but I don't think any of us are suggesting an invasion.

what will be your message,that atheists are people too,i'd thought that this is obvious,what many religious people can't stand is that atheists don't believe in and respect and worship their god who has given life,food etc to you,so you are being ungrateful,that's one of the main reasons i think that they think atheists are wicked.
you going to church and sitting next to them wont wont change that,though they might take pity and try and convert you.
on the other hand if you people go ahead,good luck though i'd rather be exchanging marys and jebuses with statues of athena and zeus to raise awareness

Nora_Leonard wrote:

cherries wrote: also i don't like going to churches or mosques etc in the first place,it would be hard for me to stay respectful during a service or not feeling nauseated in a mosque.

Which is why people like you, who have good reasons for feeling like this, shouldn't be involved.

i'd very much enjoy giving out leaflets outside with an explanation from hitchens or such like of why atheists do not believe in deities in general

When i spent 6 weeks in an OF's community last year, it was a little odd to be constantly questioned about my disbelief. Atheism is really something strange in our society, especially because our government claims to be a secular one and tolerant of all religions. Especially when the sales started falling apart I had people "praying" for me and saying inanities like "when God closes a door, he opens a window" then they would get all shocked when I'd say, "yep, and kicked me out of it." They would all gather in the "lounge" on Wednesday mornings for "church" and go to "choir practice" and "Bible groups" on other days of the week and then their own choice of church on Sunday. It was like living in an evangelist camp. Not the men so much but all the old ladies were very concerned that I was a "heathen" unbeliever.

pelfdaddy wrote:Secular Sunday? I hate alliteration, but...

"The Day We Take Over"?


No, wait, wrong tone...

cherries,

I sympathize entirely with your position. I often feel the same way. I am feeling especially sunny and generous and thought this would be something different to try, not the one thing, but one possble approach among many. Most evangelical and protestant congregations in the States these days just want warm butts in the seats, the more the merrier, no matter who they are. With plenty of advance notice, they will go through a phase of being on guard, but then revert to hopitality.

Having not yet settled on the particulars, I am informing friends across the country that "some atheists are planning some kind of Go To Church Day in order to etc. etc...." Should prove interesting.

pelfdaddy wrote:cherries,

I sympathize entirely with your position. I often feel the same way. I am feeling especially sunny and generous and thought this would be something different to try, not the one thing, but one possble approach among many. Most evangelical and protestant congregations in the States these days just want warm butts in the seats, the more the merrier, no matter who they are. With plenty of advance notice, they will go through a phase of being on guard, but then revert to hopitality.

it's fine,all these things develop anyway and it's difficult to see the benefit or not of them

Usually unintended things develop which have unforeseen effects. The trick is to steer them toward the positive. That's what's hard.

Orpheus,

Thanks for the suggestion. I like The Day We Take Over. You're also right about it's having a bit of atonality.

Alright, how about june 24th? It's a Sunday of course, and it's the opposite of Christmas. Thoughts?

pelfdaddy wrote:Alright, how about june 24th? It's a Sunday of course, and it's the opposite of Christmas. Thoughts?

Great, and then you could call it the AntiChristMass.

Or, how about.
We walk amongst you; Infidels in the houses of gods week.

How about "Friendly Foes Visitation"?