Friendly Atheist: Atheists Have to Address the Social and Emotional Needs of People

[Alex]

Atheists Have to Address the Social and Emotional Needs of People (or the Church Wins)
Hemant Mehta, 18 August 2012, Friendly Atheist
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2012/08/18/atheists-have-to-address-the-social-and-emotional-needs-of-people-or-the-church-wins/



Alex's comment:  This is what UU, Ethical Culture, and the Harvard Humanist Chaplain are doing.

Ethical Culture http://aeu.org
Harvard Humanist Chaplain http://harvardhumanist.org

[Alex]

Atheists can appreciate the natural world without a nod to God
Hemant Mehta
October 19, 2013
The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/atheists-can-appreciate-the-natural-world-without-a-nod-to-god/2013/10/18/e0643f5c-377b-11e3-ae46-e4248e75c8ea_story.html

"...those of us who find beauty in plants and animals and the universe itself can’t possibly be godless. That’s a common stereotype atheists face and it’s an incredibly pernicious one..."

"Are atheists capable of feeling awe about our world?
Absolutely.
Atheist musicians experience that feeling when playing or listening to a beautiful composition.
Atheist scientists experience that feeling when they gaze at the stars or look through a microscope.
Atheist parents experience that feeling when they first lay eyes on their newborn child.

There’s nothing religious about it. It’s just nature: elusive, expansive and enveloping. You don’t need to look for a higher power to give thanks."

"Religious people don’t have a monopoly on appreciating the world we live in"

Hemant Mehta is the author of The Young Atheist’s Survival Guide and a blogger at FriendlyAtheist.com. He wrote this piece for On Faith.