Atheist "Mega-Churches", Really?

If you were to travel back in time to the days of the early church, what would you observe?   The book of Acts gives us plenty of information about the nature of the worship and community, and we see a number of components of the church in Acts 2:

42And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.43Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.44Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,45and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.46So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

The word of God was taught to the early believers, and we're told that they continued steadfastly in it.   They were in one accord, and I believe that resulted from an adherence to the teaching of the Scriptures.   So a careful and consistent study of God's word is important in a growing Christian's life and in the making of a strong church.   And, there was a sense of community - they were willing to engage in fellowship with one another and to share with one another.   And, in their generosity, they became a witness to those around them, and people were coming to Christ.   It works - love the Lord, love others - and as we lift Jesus up in this way, people will be drawn to Him.

In Hebrews chapter 10, we see a snapshot of the church at work, in its purest form, exalting Christ and encouraging one another:
23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.24And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,25not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

The word is spreading - there are atheist "mega-churches" that have begun to spring up in major cities across America and around the world.   In Los Angeles recently, there was a high-profile meeting of what is called the "Sunday Assembly" founded by 2 British comedians.   Did it draw what was called the minimum standard for attendance for a Christian mega-church?   No - nowhere close.   As Bobby Ross, Jr. points out on the Patheos.com website, the Religion Newswriters Association Stylebook defines a megachurch as having 2000 or more in attendance weekly.   The L.A. gathering - about 400.

So what was the content of the so-called "service" or "meeting" or "gathering" of this (not) mega-church?   CBN.com reports that, "The so-called churches look like typical Sunday morning worship services, complete with music, hand clapping, and inspiration."

As it points out, the missing element is God.

Phil Zuckerman, with Pitzer College points out that, "When we think about religion in America, we talk about, oh, belief in God, belief in Jesus. But for a lot of people, it's the community. It's the sunday school, it's the seeing people afterwards in the foyer or in the courtyard, it's the having coffee."   He says that those who do not profess to believe in God "...want that kind of moral community that is about connecting with others and is about celebrating life, celebrating morals, and ethics in a non-supernatural context."

So, what do you make of all this?   I dare say that there's nothing "mega" about Sunday Assembly, but one day, I suppose there could be.   After all, when you see the polling data about the so-called, "nones", who are shunning organized religion, you have to think there are a lot of people out there that are wanting something more in their lives, some sort of community, something to believe in, or to not believe in.  I think there are many great takeaways for us as Christians, if we take them to heart.

For one thing, with this 1-in-5 of people who do not embrace organized religion, I would say there is not necessarily an impending sweeping wave of atheism or agnosticism.   As I wrote in River Region's Journey:

...out of some 46 million people that are unaffiliated, more than 13 million, or 6% of the American public, are self-described atheists and agnostics. There are nearly 33 million people, or 14%, who say they have no particular religious affiliation.

Out of the unaffiliated, one-third of them say religion is at least somewhat important in their lives. Two-thirds believe in God, though less than half say they are absolutely certain of God’s existence.

Even though there is attention being focused on these comparatively small atheist or humanist "congregations", you still have to wonder about the appeal of people gathering together to acknowledge or celebrate what they don't believe in.   It sounds like a rather flimsy foundation to me.   And, I question what "morals" are being celebrated here.   Whose set of morals reign?   You cannot have a truly moral culture without an absolute source of that morality - and we believe that God is that absolute source. Otherwise, we get into dueling truth and comparative perception, which lacks any sort of anchor or foundation.   And, even among atheists, it seems, there is some sort of moral code, which oddly enough, is rooted in Biblical morality - for instance, if an atheist is truly godless, then why does their demographic not have an epidemic of criminal behavior.   What's the restraint?   I believe, like Larry Taunton of the Fixed Point Foundation, that where there is a common grace that is based on Biblical principles, that life is better for the culture at large.   Even though this "Grace Effect" is stronger in some cultures than other, yet the influence of Christianity and Biblical principles extends to those who do not embrace Christ.

Finally, I want to address this issue of community, because it is important for all of us regarding the way we relate to others.   People do have a sense of wanting to belong.   And, Christ has come for all - He is no respecter of persons, and no matter how sinful one's life might be, no one is beyond redeeming.    So, our churches, our communities, are made up of people who are faulty and in need of a Savior.   If we take a Christ-centered view of other people, then we will extend a welcoming attitude to them and attempt to incorporate them into our communities.   Our problem is that we adopt an "us four and no more"-type of perspective that repels, rather than showing love and compassion, with the hope that they will experience the life-saving, life-giving presence of Jesus and find true joy and belonging.   We don't tolerate sinful behavior, but we also must be aware that one's faults do not disqualify them from being candidates for the kingdom.