5 ms·

Go to some meet ups, join a church, coach something... Good luck!

derekp7 9y ago
I really wish there were good community organizations that bring people together like a church, but weren't religious based. I guess that's what organizations such as the Moose lodge, or Lions club attempt to fill?
- mythrwy 9y ago
  Agreed. Religion is a non starter for me but I would like to find some community groups doing good things with good people. I know about meetup.com etc but I'd like to have ties with something a little deeper. Preferably something without political and especially without supernatural overtones. I see there being a big need for this in the modern world.
  - geden 9y ago
    I find that sport fills this function for me. After being a very cerebral, non sporty child I was lucky enough to find sports I really enjoyed (badminton & tennis) in my late teens. When I've moved from city to city I've joined a good local badminton club and played in local leagues. With that has come vigorous exercise AND social interaction. Latterly its also brought the opportunity to contribute to local community through coaching my club's juniors. I find this challenging in a very rewarding way.
  - TuringTest 9y ago
    The local RPG and board games group fills that gap for me. You may vary it depending on your tastes about leisure activities, but there's a lot of social groups you can try.
  - jeffdavis 9y ago
    Even if you are not religious, you may want to reconsider church. It can be good for people and communities in many ways, and often for reasons you don't understand. Sometimes I feel like American culture is being sterilized. Just like white bread and a multivitamin, we only take what we understand and leave everything else behind. And then when we encounter social problems after eliminating church (or health problems when we eliminate natural foods), we are puzzled.
    - mythrwy 9y ago
      I see good in churches. And I see bad. But most importantly from my perspective I see the fundamental basis being at odds with what I understand to be reality. I'm not saying churches don't fulfill an important function, they do. But the order of things changes and even though change can bring a period of chaos we generally don't go back, we go forward. What we know as "churches" are not growing, they are dying. For whatever reason(s) and this trend probably isn't going to reverse. So for me the solution is to move on to something with equivalent functionality but with less dysfunctionality.
      - jeffdavis 9y ago
        Interesting point, thank you for answering. I wonder if the "next thing" is going to come from atheists constructing such an organization from scratch, or from religious people adapting churches to fit our new understandings?
        mythrwy 9y ago
        I think I see your point and it's a fair one, militant atheists are usually too busy being just that to be constructive but we aren't talking about cool electric guitars at the pulpit and admitting a few gays. What I see being different in evolution this time is that it isn't an issue of whether God and Jesus are the same being or different beings or whether the Pope is the mouthpiece of God or the King is or Jesus or Muhammad was the last messenger. It's a whole different understanding, one that doesn't generally accept the existence of supernatural forces. So it's a foundational issue this time. I just see the non acceptance of the supernatural continuing to grow in the world and don't think it will roll back (may be wrong but don't think so, at least in my lifetime). So some important things get lost. Meh, anyway, enough about that. I don't fault anyone for being religious, I just simply can't be.
        jeffdavis 9y ago
        Maybe religion could transition slowly away from supernatural to "living with forces outside of your control". And away from heaven and hell to some notion that being good is its own reward, and good for your descendants.
- Wildgoose 9y ago
  Join your local Go Club - they're always looking for new players. Mentally stimulating and in my experience Go players often work in an IT-related field. Play Go and you will find new friends worldwide.
  - arghimonmobile2 9y ago
    The fact that you'd meet many people in IT would be a turnoff for me, since i prefer a diverse friend group. But YMMV.
- CalRobert 9y ago
  I've never been, but I believe that's the idea behind https://www.sundayassembly.com/ https://www.sundayassembly.com/ .
- lentil_soup 9y ago
  Something like a Third Place (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_place https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_place) ... And yes, this kind of environment should be encouraged more!
  - crookshanked 9y ago
    Thanks for sharing this. Interesting to read and introspect on.
- maccard 9y ago
  Sports clubs fill that gap normally.

I really wish there were good community organizations that bring people together like a church, but weren't religious based. I guess that's what organizations such as the Moose lodge, or Lions club attempt to fill?

mythrwy 9y ago
Agreed. Religion is a non starter for me but I would like to find some community groups doing good things with good people. I know about meetup.com etc but I'd like to have ties with something a little deeper. Preferably something without political and especially without supernatural overtones. I see there being a big need for this in the modern world.
- geden 9y ago
  I find that sport fills this function for me. After being a very cerebral, non sporty child I was lucky enough to find sports I really enjoyed (badminton & tennis) in my late teens. When I've moved from city to city I've joined a good local badminton club and played in local leagues. With that has come vigorous exercise AND social interaction. Latterly its also brought the opportunity to contribute to local community through coaching my club's juniors. I find this challenging in a very rewarding way.
- TuringTest 9y ago
  The local RPG and board games group fills that gap for me. You may vary it depending on your tastes about leisure activities, but there's a lot of social groups you can try.
- jeffdavis 9y ago
  Even if you are not religious, you may want to reconsider church. It can be good for people and communities in many ways, and often for reasons you don't understand. Sometimes I feel like American culture is being sterilized. Just like white bread and a multivitamin, we only take what we understand and leave everything else behind. And then when we encounter social problems after eliminating church (or health problems when we eliminate natural foods), we are puzzled.
  - mythrwy 9y ago
    I see good in churches. And I see bad. But most importantly from my perspective I see the fundamental basis being at odds with what I understand to be reality. I'm not saying churches don't fulfill an important function, they do. But the order of things changes and even though change can bring a period of chaos we generally don't go back, we go forward. What we know as "churches" are not growing, they are dying. For whatever reason(s) and this trend probably isn't going to reverse. So for me the solution is to move on to something with equivalent functionality but with less dysfunctionality.
    - jeffdavis 9y ago
      Interesting point, thank you for answering. I wonder if the "next thing" is going to come from atheists constructing such an organization from scratch, or from religious people adapting churches to fit our new understandings?
      - mythrwy 9y ago
        I think I see your point and it's a fair one, militant atheists are usually too busy being just that to be constructive but we aren't talking about cool electric guitars at the pulpit and admitting a few gays. What I see being different in evolution this time is that it isn't an issue of whether God and Jesus are the same being or different beings or whether the Pope is the mouthpiece of God or the King is or Jesus or Muhammad was the last messenger. It's a whole different understanding, one that doesn't generally accept the existence of supernatural forces. So it's a foundational issue this time. I just see the non acceptance of the supernatural continuing to grow in the world and don't think it will roll back (may be wrong but don't think so, at least in my lifetime). So some important things get lost. Meh, anyway, enough about that. I don't fault anyone for being religious, I just simply can't be.
        jeffdavis 9y ago
        Maybe religion could transition slowly away from supernatural to "living with forces outside of your control". And away from heaven and hell to some notion that being good is its own reward, and good for your descendants.
Wildgoose 9y ago
Join your local Go Club - they're always looking for new players. Mentally stimulating and in my experience Go players often work in an IT-related field. Play Go and you will find new friends worldwide.
- arghimonmobile2 9y ago
  The fact that you'd meet many people in IT would be a turnoff for me, since i prefer a diverse friend group. But YMMV.
CalRobert 9y ago
I've never been, but I believe that's the idea behind https://www.sundayassembly.com/ https://www.sundayassembly.com/ .
lentil_soup 9y ago
Something like a Third Place (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_place https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_place) ... And yes, this kind of environment should be encouraged more!
- crookshanked 9y ago
  Thanks for sharing this. Interesting to read and introspect on.
maccard 9y ago
Sports clubs fill that gap normally.