Church without God

+ Tahoe avalanche; history of bar code designs US Edition - Today's top story: Church without God: How secular congregations fill a need for some nonreligious Americans [View in browser]( US Edition | 11 January 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [The value – and limits – of being open-minded]( - [The Gilded Age origins of the phrase ‘selling out’]( - [Fluid dynamics of beaver and otter fur]( Lead story An atheist church? It may sound like an oxymoron, but they’re real. Traditional religious congregations are about more than worship; they’re places to build community, explore ideas and get a glimpse of something transcendent. And as more Americans leave organized religion, some of them are looking for other places to meet those needs. That’s where groups like Sunday Assembly come in. These “secular congregations” adopt some of the familiar rhythms of church – like group singing or giving testimonies – for the nonreligious. Jacqui Frost, a sociologist of religion at Purdue University, explains [what makes atheist churches meaningful]( for members. With about 3 in 10 American adults having no religious affiliation, the trend is often talked about in negative terms: what people aren’t doing, believing or identifying with. Atheist churches are a reminder to think about the flip side – what people are doing to experience spirituality in new ways. [ [Miss us on Sundays? Get a selection of our best and most popular stories (or try our other weekly emails).]([]]( Molly Jackson Religion and Ethics Editor Sunday Assembly is one of the larger secular congregations aiming to provide community and ritual for nonreligious people. AP Photo/Jae C. Hong [Church without God: How secular congregations fill a need for some nonreligious Americans]( Jacqui Frost, Purdue University A sociologist of religion explains how atheist churches are helping people find meaning and community – serving many of the same purposes as religious churches. Economy + Business - [How we almost ended up with a bull’s-eye bar code]( Jordan Frith, Clemson University If history had taken another path, bar codes would look dramatically different today. Environment + Energy - [Tahoe avalanche: What causes seemingly safe snow slopes to collapse? A physicist and avid skier explains]( Nathalie Vriend, University of Colorado Boulder A deadly avalanche at Palisades Tahoe, home of the 1960 Winter Olympics, shows the risk as snow layers melt and new snow falls. - [Blizzards are inescapable − but the most expensive winter storm damage is largely preventable]( Michel Bruneau, University at Buffalo Costs quickly rise when things go wrong with roads, roofs and power lines. Many of those risks are also avoidable. - [To protect endangered sharks and rays, scientists are mapping these species’ most important locations]( David Shiffman, Arizona State University A new initiative is pinpointing areas in the world’s oceans that are key habitats for sharks and their relatives, so that governments can consider protecting these areas. Education - [7 strategies to help gifted autistic students succeed in college]( Joseph Madaus, University of Connecticut; Nicholas Gelbar, University of Connecticut; Sally Reis, University of Connecticut Self-advocacy and taking initiative have proven critical for autistic students who are also gifted, new research shows. International - [Iran terror blast highlights success – and growing risk – of ISIS-K regional strategy]( Amira Jadoon, Clemson University; Nakissa Jahanbani, United States Military Academy West Point The terrorist attack in Iran follows a concerted effort by the Islamic State affiliate to ‘internationalize’ its strategy. Ethics + Religion - [In the ‘big tent’ of free speech, can you be too open-minded?]( John Corvino, Wayne State University Intellectual humility doesn’t mean anyone can change your mind, a philosopher writes – but it might mean learning from the ‘other side’ in surprising ways. Science + Technology - [Otters, beavers and other semiaquatic mammals keep clean underwater, thanks to their flexible fur]( Andrew Dickerson, University of Tennessee The bottoms of boats and docks can accumulate lots of dirt, but semiaquatic animals like otters avoid having ‘fouled’ fur. Their secret could one day help keep underwater infrastructure clean. Arts + Culture - [Sellout! How political corruption shaped an American insult]( Ian Afflerbach, University of North Georgia Why do so many Americans share the concern that success and integrity are in conflict, as if one comes at the expense of the other? Politics + Society - [Martin Luther King Jr.’s moral stance against the Vietnam War offers lessons on how to fight for peace in the Middle East]( Hajar Yazdiha, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. knew the political consequences of speaking out against the Vietnam War − and he did it anyway. Trending on site - [I set out to investigate where silky sharks travel − and by chance documented a shark’s amazing power to regenerate its sabotaged fin]( - [As Zepbound dominates headlines as a new obesity-fighting drug, a nutritionist warns that weight loss shouldn’t be the only goal]( - [Pope Francis called surrogacy ‘deplorable’ – but the reasons why women and parents choose surrogacy are complex and defy simple labels]( Today's graphic 📈 [In the past two match cycles, the number of emergency medicine residencies available increased, but the number that went unfilled grew faster.]( From the story, [Emergency medicine residencies more likely to go unfilled at for-profit and newly accredited programs]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? 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