This church is no longer hallowed ground! Its holiness has been decommissioned!

I would disagree with this "weak/strong" atheism terminology for they fact that they can carry more baggage than necessary. If you don't believe any gods exist, you are an atheist by definition, regardless of why you're not convinced. This can also apply to an agnostic atheist. Gnostic atheism is the knowledge that there is no god. At this point you are not just stating what you believe, but you are stating that you know this as a matter of fact - which requires evidence.

Great

You should take that on the road to every town in North America (and beyond). It is a message that is desperately needed in today's technological/scientific world.

no comments on this?! or have they all been censored by west hill united church? to balance out their guest speaker's presentation, one might want to explore this site academic.oup.com/jmp/article/42/3/237/3817401 and then realize that in the ensuing 4 years since WHUC posted this, agah bahari is gearing up to run politically in the federal election.

I recommend us atheists stick to clear explanations for our beliefs. Any sensations of the 'presence' of an invisible person and feelings such as that someone is looking at us when there is no one around are explained by the fact that our minds project their concerns onto the world. We are not perfect interpretation machines and constantly make mistakes about what we are sensing. People are notoriously unreliable witnesses eg when they are asked what they saw when a crime is committed, different people report different things.

Gretta is a heretic who needs to repent!

The disembodied spirits of the giants,inhabit the mindless masses.Atheists/satanists/occultists/witches.FACT.

she is talking about nothing

Scientists are not out there to prove stuff wrong. Well in principle isn't it either or both? While scientists are there to further science and discover a large part of their job as far as I am aware is to make sure their theories aren't wrong or others theories aren't wrong so they prove stuff "wrong" in turn to consider them right if they stand.

I must admit - I used to be swayed by atheist propaganda - I was developing a scornful disdainful attitude to my Christian faith. I just feel now that these folks are blind to their own self deception. The message and sacrifice of Christ remains the defining moment in world history. I just feel pity for these atheist folks now. However it is important to have atheists challenge our faith . Some of them are indeed deep thinkers.

NO NO NO NO!!! Scientists can ONLY prove something wrong, they can NEVER prove something right, that IS the Theory of Science in a nutshell, ever since Popper. Richard would NEVER have said what you said, you misunderstood!!

Atheists don't have a belief in any super-naturalism??? I am confused... I don't believe in a GOD, but feel sometimes there is an intelligence in the Universe... So what am I? I have had supernatural experiences, ghosts, esp, etc... Why do you call GOD Supernatural? That has nothing to do with what I have experienced, some very mysterious things have happened to me... WHY do ATHEISTS label me a "Christian" when most Christians don't believe that things can happen, that I have experienced! In fact I have had arguments with them as to whether Astrology is Evil and Satanic.

I'm an atheist interested in joining - I live in nearby east york To share values fine...but to seek truth ?...when truth is so different between member's How can everyone co -exist with such a divide in world view's ? Is educating believer's common there ?

it's not bulling it's frustration that people dont' question their reality...they just go throught the world...take the fukn pill and wake up please. as long as law is higher than religion freedom of religion is okay. when ppl think religion should be law is the problem. we need to solve so many world problems and the books are not the answer it's going to take rule breakers and out side the box thinking to solve them.

who are they praying to?

if the story is not true, you are wasting your time!

the truth?......please explain.

scary how she tries to hijack the word Christians. smh........................the word atheist is a more proper term.

the words love & compassion without the TRUTH, come back hollow and void. just sayin'

*THIS IS WHAT PROGRESS LOOKS LIKE* These people are heroic. This could be THE starting point for a huge advancement where humanity gains the positive community structure historically provided by churches, but without the exclusion or requirement to not think critically about old models of understanding reality (god belief).

Rubbish

what the freak is she talking about? " lighter in the kitchen " ???!!!!! she's talking about hell, lol she's talking about society and what not how ridiculous. Hearing this knowing she has read the word of God sucks because she will be judged worse than anyone who doesn't teach and she will be classified as a false teacher.

Lots of regurgitated new age nonsense. The space between the Yes and the No is logically analogous to the space between your ears.

I can't watch this... The terms strong atheist and weak atheist are just ridiculous. There are already terms for the difference between an atheist who believes there is evidence that disproves gods and one who believes there is no evidence. It's a gnostic atheist who believes in evidence against gods, and an agnostic atheist believes there is no evidence. The strong and weak make it sound derogatory, and the lady who said it realizes that, and then called it "weak atheism" and then "positive atheism" which then makes her "strong atheism" sound negative. She can't even use those terms without realizing, herself, how stupid they sound... Then the other lady answers the question of if an atheist might believe in other supernatural things, or do they have to cast those aside as well, and she says that, yes, they have to. No, sorry, that's not how atheism works... You can be an atheist and believe in ghosts, aliens, whatever. All atheism means is that you do not believe in a god. Period. End of description. There are plenty of atheists that believe in the probability that we are not alone in the universe. There are atheists, like myself, who believe in what they see with there own eyes. And if they see something that falls within the realm of "supernatural", than they can believe in some supernatural things, while they still don't believe in gods. For "atheists" these two ladies don't seem to have the strongest grasp on what it really means.

Gretta Vosper says that there is no God. I say there is a God.

Do you have sheet music for this song?

I never thought a pastor could be this smart!

God damn these women are unnecessarily wordy

Unfortunately the audio quality in Un-listenable. :(

This youtube title is fraud. They didn't interview ATHEISTS in their stinking church. The youtube is fraud also in the claim that these two brainwashed Xians are pretending to be atheists and answer for them. WHAT FUCKING XIAN HOGWASH!! Go fuck yourself, westhillwebguy.

You woman are as heretical as the united "church", but at least they still acknowledge God. You're wanting humanism and atheism than join such a group! Christians believe in God, just because you and your community centre members consider yourselves "christians" doesn't mean you are! Your claim that your "christians" because you believe in the message that "kicked the whole thing off from the start" is a lie! Need I remind you what Christ said "repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" in other words we need to acknowledge our sins, accept the Lord Jesus Christ as the only way to be saved (John 3:16, 14:6, and other passages), love God and neighbour (according to Jesus these are the two greatest commandments), and make disciples and baptize them. You woman are more warped the the ucc (and they're pretty warped), you deserve to be defrocked.

You woman are as heretical as the united "church", but at least they still acknowledge God. You're wanting humanism and atheism than join such a group! Christians believe in God, just because you and your community centre members consider yourselves "christians" doesn't mean you are! Your claim that your "christians" because you believe in the message that "kicked the whole thing off from the start" is a lie! Need I remind you what Christ said "repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" in other words we need to acknowledge our sins, accept the Lord Jesus Christ as the only way to be saved (John 3:16, 14:6, and other passages), love God and neighbour (according to Jesus these are the two greatest commandments), and make disciples and baptize them. You woman are more warped the the ucc (and they're pretty warped), you deserve to be defrocked.

You woman are as heretical as the united "church", but at least they still acknowledge God. You're wanting humanism and atheism than join such a group! Christians believe in God, just because you and your community centre members consider yourselves "christians" doesn't mean you are! Your claim that your "christians" because you believe in the message that "kicked the whole thing off from the start" is a lie! Need I remind you what Christ said "repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" in other words we need to acknowledge our sins, accept the Lord Jesus Christ as the only way to be saved (John 3:16, 14:6, and other passages), love God and neighbour (according to Jesus these are the two greatest commandments), and make disciples and baptize them. You woman are more warped the the ucc (and they're pretty warped), you deserve to be defrocked.

I love the Clergy Project. It's such a needed service. I haven't researched this at all. Is part of their mission to integrate the ex-clergy into society openly as a nonbeliever? I would think a great avenue would be for the Clergy Project to also help with getting these ex-clergy jobs or some source of income since they just walked away (most of them I'm sure) from their day jobs.

Interesting ★★★★★

I still don't get why an atheist would want to stay as a 'Christian' minister in a Christian denomination that's so hooked into supernatural thinking and certain doctrines. I can see the idea of being some sort of trailblazer in the tradition but it seems a waste of time to me (I used to be Episcopalian, now UU) - a battle that could easily be left behind for better things. Also the congregation could continue with this radical thinking outside the United Church, probably with better success. It could also choose to cut out all the Christianity pretence and simply be a liberal religious and ethical congregation? Or become a Unitarian Universalist congregation? Are there other reasons to keep current affiliations, such as financial or historical?

24:23 - 24:43, paraphrased, It's not safe in some societies to admit to atheism or lack of belief in the norm. News flash; It was never safe to admit anything other than the belief of invading forces of Christianity during the dark ages or inquisitions. To refute meant instant death to self and possibly ones family and even whole villages. Rock on Christian soldier.

Flustered by a plethora of technical issues, I try to use notes to get back on track, but it doesn't work. So please, skip forward to 21 minutes to where I finally ditch the notes and speak about what I think this section really was about.

What she describes as weak atheism is really just agnosticism. If agnostics stopped calling themselves atheist, it might help some conversations be less confusing. Even so, those who use "appeal to ridicule" when talking about an atheist are probably a weak bully :-0)

No, Atheists do have faith, I exercise faith every single day, we all do.

so sad,, ='( no religion mean no faith no hope no moral no chances no conciliation.. god may forgive them

I think a lot of people still like the idea of the community that it provides. I wonder what the actual content of the (sermons?) is.

Still pissed the Sun doesn't revolve around the Earth?

I can easily allow a Christian without an active God. Why not a church?

They keep using the word Church to talk about the building and place they are at. The definition of church is: a building used for public Christian worship. It appears they do not understand the definition of this word, or they want to change it to something else, which it is not and cannot be. These words connected with religion and Gods have a load of baggage with them and it all has to be discarded.

The guy doing the interview of the two ladies appears to have an attitude problem. It appears he thinks because he is a believer that his position sets him in the position of "truth and righteousness", and the ladies position is less than that somehow. This is pretty typical of severely brainwashed Christians. They think that the skeptical or evidenced based position is somehow evil and their irrational and faith based position is best. If you are irrational what other position could you have.

A Christian church with Atheist congregants. That seems about as farfetched as the existence of a God...

Just another example of man trying to assert himself above God. The more things change the more they stay the same.

Let's have church and leave God outside the door, un freakin believable, we really have come full circle now. Well I headed off to the strip club where they now have baptismal on sunday night.