Ask the Patriarch 115
Same old questions revisited....
from Ryan
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After browsing your site, I have basically one question. Why do you call yourself a "church"? Technically, the word church is derived from the Christians meaning of a place to congregate and worship god. I am agnostic and I see other websites on the internet for a church of agnostic/atheist beliefs. To have a church, you need a religion, congregation, and a belief in God. Saying that agnostic/atheism is a religion is like saying bald is a hair color. It just doesn’t make sense.
Being agnostic is a statement, "I don’t know if there is a god but i'm doubtful." That is it; nothing more then a constant search for the answers, the truth. Therefore, my question is, why call yourselves a church? There's no need to congregate, praise, worship, etc. There are no deacons, pastors, priests, bishops, clergy, etc.
You call yourselves Apathetic, meaning "lack of interest", and yet you’re trying to make being agnostic into a church and "spreading your faith". For having a "lack of interest" in being agnostic, you sure arn't showing it by making it into a church. Now I’m not trying to say unkind words about your site. I see the information you are trying to convey and that’s admirable. But trying to organize into a church? Having clergy? A church membership? I would just like to know why you’re trying to hard to take a statement of belief and turn it into a religion. Are you just trying to make a buck somehow? Tax breaks for churches? If so, then there are some serious moral issues to consider there. But I am in no place to judge, just curious as to why calling yourselves a church.
I look forward to your response to easy my inquisitiveness!
Thanks
The Patriarch replies:
Ryan:
You may have browsed the site, but apparently you were unable to find the multiple times your questions have been answered.
Here's a partial selection of the articles in which the issues of "church" and "apathetic" have been directly addressed:
- Meditation 14 - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Meditation 60 - Agnosticism as a Religion
- Ask the Patriarch 26 - "Apathetic" is just a joke, right?
- Ask the Patriarch 71 - Why are you called a "church."
- Ask the Patriarch 98 - Another Round of the Same Old Questions
As to your entirely unwarranted and what seem to be deliberately insulting assumptions about financial issues, you are entirely correct that you are in no place to judge; however if you had taken the time to read the Needs section, specifically point 5, you would have found the information required to make a judgement. If you had indeed "browsed" the site as you claim, then you must have noticed that not one of the pages you visited contained a request for money. Yet still you introduce the phrase "serious moral issues."
There are indeed serious moral issues involved when someone writes with unfounded accusations which it would appear were not given the slightest thought or research.