14 ms·

Like a church? A synagogue? A mosque? That fits the definition exactly. It seems like a substitute for a house of worship for people who do not believe in God.

huem0n 1y ago
Starbucks is my favorite place to worship
nemomarx 1y ago
You do things at a place of worship other than socializing and meeting people, so while a church is a third space not all third spaces are very church like. A bar doesn't really have worship analogues right
- williamdclt 1y ago
  I don't think that's true. All third spaces I can think of are based on some activity, around which some community (or individual social relationships) form which might or might not be so closely related to the activity. - Church/temple/mosque/etc: worship - Bar: drinking alcoholic drinks - Gym/sport: physical exercise - Volunteering: whatever you're volunteering for - Coffee shop: coffee? Reading, working? All these have "a thing you do other than socializing and meeting people". You could (and do) go there specifically for the activity without socializing and meeting people (just like church). Spaces that are "social-only" are pretty rare. Coffee shops are maybe closer to that as you're probably not going to consume many coffees, but people stay to read, work... it's a bit less structured than other third spaces (and personally I find that it makes it more difficult to socialise there)
  - graemep 1y ago
    > Bar: drinking alcoholic drinks Also a feature of some churches - parties in the church hall, the university chapel I used to go to that had a church run bar in the same building! More seriously, bars are primarily places to socialise that happen serve drinks so I think they are similar to coffee shops that way.
fipar 1y ago
But in a non-religious third place you may find people from any religion besides us atheists, which is not going to happen on places of worship. Your examples all seem more homogeneous to me. That may be good or bad depending on what you’re looking for, but my point is I don’t think they’re as comparable as you do.
- graemep 1y ago
  They are homogenous in terms of one shared belief. Places of religion can be just as varied in terms of most other things (industries, skills, politics apart from a few unacceptable things) and can be even more varied in some things (affluence of people there, and width of area they draw from).
  - fipar 1y ago
    Absolutely! I went to church as a kid and know what you mean. However, the shared belief usually implies a narrower heterogeneity, if that makes sense (in a way that’s proportional to how orthodox the beliefs are). In a secular shared space it’s far more common to be exposed to people with radically different beliefs, sexual orientation (or even preferences), and political views, to mention a few examples. I think it’s very important that people have places where they can be surrounded by others that, while different as you say, all share a very important core belief, but it’s also very important for a healthy society to have spaces where radically different people can coexist peacefully and even work towards some goal together (e.g., a “repair” meetup where people go get something fixed or help others fix things).
    - graemep 1y ago
      > sexual orientation (or even preferences), and political views, In the churches I have been to over the years (all Catholic or Anglican) I have met people with different sexual orientations and a very wide range of political views (everything except far right, as far left as outright communist). > I think it’s very important that people have places where they can be surrounded by others that, while different as you say, all share a very important core belief, but it’s also very important for a healthy society to have spaces where radically different people can coexist peacefully and even work towards some goal together I agree. It does happen at work anyway though so I put less importance on this as a requirement for third spaces.
dghlsakjg 1y ago
Do religious people go to church daily and hold business meetings in church? Do religious people go to a church to do a casual date or catch up with friends and associates on weekdays? I might be very misinformed about how church works, but I think that coffee shops fill a very different niche. History kinda supports this: coffee shops became valuable places of business and occupied the 'third place' role even in extremely religious places and times (I'm thinking of Lloyd's specifically, and 17th and 18th century coffee shop culture as a locus for business ventures in the Netherlands and England).
- graemep 1y ago
  > Do religious people go to church daily Some do. Do people people go to sufficiently sociable cafés daily? Most people go with and talk to people they already know. >and hold business meetings in church? Do religious people go to a church to do a casual date Not in church, but with people they meet in church. > or catch up with friends and associates A lot of churches do have some socialising after services. Just serving coffee or something afterwards Even without that people chat on the way out. > on weekdays? If you go to church on weekdays
  - worik 1y ago
    Yes, I am in agreement I would like to add what many non-religious people (and some "out to lunch" evangelicals) do ot understand about churches (I guess this applies to mosque and synagogue too). The role of a church is social, not religious. There are religious elements of course, but churches would not be required if it were not for the communities they foster
  - mbs159 1y ago
    > A lot of churches do have some socialising after services. Just serving coffee or something afterwards I assume this is referring to churches in the US? I have never encountered this in Europe
- nsxwolf 1y ago
  My church is also my kids' school. We also don't have bus service. During the school year a large portion of the parish is in constant contact and communication because of this.
rexpop 1y ago
I am devoutly religious, but you are making chauvinistic assertions. "House of worship" does not deserve the primacy you assign it. First came "third places" and human relations, and then came organized religion. You're putting the cart of Churches before the horse of human interaction.

huem0n 1y ago

Starbucks is my favorite place to worship

nemomarx 1y ago

You do things at a place of worship other than socializing and meeting people, so while a church is a third space not all third spaces are very church like. A bar doesn't really have worship analogues right

williamdclt 1y ago
I don't think that's true. All third spaces I can think of are based on some activity, around which some community (or individual social relationships) form which might or might not be so closely related to the activity. - Church/temple/mosque/etc: worship - Bar: drinking alcoholic drinks - Gym/sport: physical exercise - Volunteering: whatever you're volunteering for - Coffee shop: coffee? Reading, working? All these have "a thing you do other than socializing and meeting people". You could (and do) go there specifically for the activity without socializing and meeting people (just like church). Spaces that are "social-only" are pretty rare. Coffee shops are maybe closer to that as you're probably not going to consume many coffees, but people stay to read, work... it's a bit less structured than other third spaces (and personally I find that it makes it more difficult to socialise there)
- graemep 1y ago
  > Bar: drinking alcoholic drinks Also a feature of some churches - parties in the church hall, the university chapel I used to go to that had a church run bar in the same building! More seriously, bars are primarily places to socialise that happen serve drinks so I think they are similar to coffee shops that way.

fipar 1y ago

But in a non-religious third place you may find people from any religion besides us atheists, which is not going to happen on places of worship. Your examples all seem more homogeneous to me. That may be good or bad depending on what you’re looking for, but my point is I don’t think they’re as comparable as you do.

graemep 1y ago
They are homogenous in terms of one shared belief. Places of religion can be just as varied in terms of most other things (industries, skills, politics apart from a few unacceptable things) and can be even more varied in some things (affluence of people there, and width of area they draw from).
- fipar 1y ago
  Absolutely! I went to church as a kid and know what you mean. However, the shared belief usually implies a narrower heterogeneity, if that makes sense (in a way that’s proportional to how orthodox the beliefs are). In a secular shared space it’s far more common to be exposed to people with radically different beliefs, sexual orientation (or even preferences), and political views, to mention a few examples. I think it’s very important that people have places where they can be surrounded by others that, while different as you say, all share a very important core belief, but it’s also very important for a healthy society to have spaces where radically different people can coexist peacefully and even work towards some goal together (e.g., a “repair” meetup where people go get something fixed or help others fix things).
  - graemep 1y ago
    > sexual orientation (or even preferences), and political views, In the churches I have been to over the years (all Catholic or Anglican) I have met people with different sexual orientations and a very wide range of political views (everything except far right, as far left as outright communist). > I think it’s very important that people have places where they can be surrounded by others that, while different as you say, all share a very important core belief, but it’s also very important for a healthy society to have spaces where radically different people can coexist peacefully and even work towards some goal together I agree. It does happen at work anyway though so I put less importance on this as a requirement for third spaces.

dghlsakjg 1y ago

Do religious people go to church daily and hold business meetings in church? Do religious people go to a church to do a casual date or catch up with friends and associates on weekdays? I might be very misinformed about how church works, but I think that coffee shops fill a very different niche. History kinda supports this: coffee shops became valuable places of business and occupied the 'third place' role even in extremely religious places and times (I'm thinking of Lloyd's specifically, and 17th and 18th century coffee shop culture as a locus for business ventures in the Netherlands and England).

graemep 1y ago
> Do religious people go to church daily Some do. Do people people go to sufficiently sociable cafés daily? Most people go with and talk to people they already know. >and hold business meetings in church? Do religious people go to a church to do a casual date Not in church, but with people they meet in church. > or catch up with friends and associates A lot of churches do have some socialising after services. Just serving coffee or something afterwards Even without that people chat on the way out. > on weekdays? If you go to church on weekdays
- worik 1y ago
  Yes, I am in agreement I would like to add what many non-religious people (and some "out to lunch" evangelicals) do ot understand about churches (I guess this applies to mosque and synagogue too). The role of a church is social, not religious. There are religious elements of course, but churches would not be required if it were not for the communities they foster
- mbs159 1y ago
  > A lot of churches do have some socialising after services. Just serving coffee or something afterwards I assume this is referring to churches in the US? I have never encountered this in Europe
nsxwolf 1y ago
My church is also my kids' school. We also don't have bus service. During the school year a large portion of the parish is in constant contact and communication because of this.

rexpop 1y ago

I am devoutly religious, but you are making chauvinistic assertions. "House of worship" does not deserve the primacy you assign it. First came "third places" and human relations, and then came organized religion. You're putting the cart of Churches before the horse of human interaction.