ypsi~dixit

What boggles my mind is that most of these megachurches are non-denominational.

In other words, it's largely up to the senior minister to just make up whatever vaguely Jesusy gibberish he wants to.

There are 45 megachurches in Michigan, according to this, and an astonishing number of them are in Detroit and its suburbs.

The largest one, also according to that page, is the World of Faith International Christian Center in Southfield, with 21,000 congregants, according to its website. That's the size of a city. Ypsi's population is around 26,000.

The head pastor of Word (not World) of Faith in Southfield is Keith Butler, who ran against and lost to Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard in the Republican primary for the US Senate seat currently held by Debby Stabenow.

Oops, typo, thank you, Tom. Word of Faith.

The church website says that among the illogical beliefs held by the church is a belief in bodily resurrection, though it's perfectly plain that, bluntly, things decompose and return to the Earth.

I personally do not want someone in office who actually believes in such completely illogical superstitions as these.

(That's my logical Virgo side talking).

Laura

Have you checked out the point of inquiry podcast yet? You can find it at http://www.pointofinquiry.org/. It's a weekly program and they have some great interviews with people like Paul Kurtz, James Randi, Sam harris and many others. It is produced by the Center for Inquiry. You should also check out Skepticality at http://www.skepticality.com/. They just re-started their podcast this week after a hiatus of several months. I recently sent away for and recieved a packet from CFI about CFI on Campus. I want to try and get a chapter of CFI on Campus started at Ypsi High this year. If anyone is interested in helping out with this effort let me know.

Sam: Wow. Cool. Some heavy hitters, there. Thanks also for the Skepticality podcast info.

I am interested in helping out with this effort to take over young minds with a creeping plague of logic and truth.

I want to work behind the scenes, though, with writing or sending envelopes or silkscreening T-shirts or something like that. Meeting with kids? Eh, maybe. Anyways, I'll help. Count me in, Sam.

I've discovered my own typo: it's Debbie, not Debby, Stabenow.

(pondering non-denominationality)...

Y'know, there are distinct attributes particular to denominations. They extend even into the patterns of thought and inquiry of congregants. Time was when you told someone you were a Methodist or a Catholic or a Presbyterian it really meant something about the manner in which you lived your life, thought about the world, and conducted life in general.

So...what does it mean to belong to a nondenominational megachurch?

Once the staff are back at school I'm going to get in touch with someone there and find out what the procedure is to start a new student group. I'll let you know what happens. Thanks for fixing the tag on the link in previous comment.

Esteemed Y.,

...congregational communities sponsor a startling range of activities [...] It's been estimated that 25 percent of all Americans now belong to at least one such church-based group.

Table 3 in the article refers to things like Youth Groups, softball teams, music camps, and many many others. The (notably unsourced) statistic says that 25% of Americans belong to one of THOSE groups in any church... not just mega-churches.

Still scary (says the fellow atheist/humanist), but maybe a tad less so than imagining 1,200 mega-churches with AVERAGE membership of 60,000 sheep!

Good article, and THANK YOU for pointing out this publication! I'm subscribing!

(double-checks original article in magazine)

Steve, thank you for the clarification. You are right. I misspoke (or maybe misread, a little sleepily, on the bus this a.m.)

You're subscribing?

(unseen by blog-readers, raises fist in gesture of victory)

<irony> Heavens, yes! </irony> :-)

(snort)

Well, God bless you!

(The good thing about atheism is that nobody cares if you take Richard Dawkins's [swoon!] name in vain).

Oopsie, misspoke again. It's not "most" megachurches that are nondenominational--it's a third of them.

Sam - maybe we can get the high schoolers to help us work on our freethinker float for the next Ypsi 4th of July Parade.

Stacey: Ooh! Not to barge in, but may I please help on the float, too?

I'm good at tissue paper flowers!And I can hang a streamer like nobody's business.

Wow--what a rich theme for a float--there's so much you can do with it! And the creation of a float implies a community of freethinkers in Ypsilanti! This is exciting news! Are there any group meetings? I definitely want to meet these people! Details, details, please! :)

The float sounds like a brilliant idea! Count me in.

Yes. All the float-riders could get James Randi masks at Fantasy Attic, for a slightly surreal yet striking touch.

Esteemed Y., several of us have been tossing around ideas for a freethinker float after witnessing a number of Christian-themed floats go by at the last 4th of July parade. We're just talk so far, no action yet, but we really want to do it. Yes, join us! Right now, I'm helping to plan this fundraiser for Rutherford Pool, which will happen on Thursday: http://www.myspace.com/rutherfordpool. After that's done, I can think about a float meeting.

Stacey: Thank you for inviting me, a humble stranger, to help with the float. I'd love to, and to meet other freethinking-float people. That would be major fun, and my privilege.

Jeez, it's hard to think of a good visual symbol for freethinking.

At first I envisioned a giant animatronic papier-mache figure of Richard Dawkins, whose animated foot raised and lowered, systematically stomping a partially-destroyed model of a church beneath it.

But I don't think that'd go over too well.

I second the podcast review. It can seem a bit "preachy" in audio form (asking for support and such).

The float idea is a good one, you could use the "4%" symbol for atheists.

Count me in for a free-thinking float, student organization, anything really. The magazine sounds like a good one, I'll have to check it out. I usually spend most of my time in this realm checking out what the crazies are saying (focus on the family, anyone?) rather than directly examining my own beliefs.
Somewhat related, I heard on NPR this afternoon that Focus on the Family has selected Michigan as one of 7 states to focus on "get out the vote" efforts this fall. You heard it here first, I'm predicting a de Vos win. Dobson doesn't play.

... on a positive, that news may spur me to get a bit more active for the other side. Granholm is no prize, but I'd kiss her stinky feet if it meant we could avoid 4+ years of sir Amway.

Katy: I really like how this particular post flushed all the freethinkers out of the woodwork. :) I got to see a new side of several kind readers.

The magazine is outstanding. My copy is currently with the AF, who is also a freethinker. Well worth the cheap subscription price.

"Sir Amway"? (snort!)