So "Secular Churches" are Actually Becoming a Thing?

In the whimsical world of today's headlines, the Milwaukee Independent shines a spotlight on what might be the ultimate oxymoron of the 21st century: atheist churches. Imagine, if you will, congregations gathering with all the trappings of religion—sans the pesky involvement of any deity. It's as if they're playing dress-up with the very idea of spirituality, crafting a God-free zone where they can seek connection, meaning, and purpose. It's a bit like trying to bake a cake without flour—sure, you can stir up something, but can you really call the result a cake?

Here's a snippet from the Milwaukee Independent article:

Secular congregations often mimic religious organizations by using the language and structure of a “church,” such as meeting on Sundays or hearing a member’s “testimony,” or by adapting religious language or practices in other ways. For example, there are a growing number of psychedelic churches, which cater to people looking to experience spirituality and ritual through drug use.

There are also secular organizations that promote the idea that people can live forever, such as the Church of Perpetual Life. Members believe they can achieve immortality on Earth through radical life-extension technologies such as gene editing or cryonic preservation – freezing bodies after death in hopes that they can someday be resuscitated.

These secular congregations often appeal to atheists and other secular people, but their main purpose is not promoting atheism.

Great. So here we are, in the great American wide-open, crafting a spiritual "Potemkin village" where we erect facades of religious institutions, minus the heart and soul of belief. It’s as though society, in a staggering display of irony, decides to mimic the exact thing it often criticizes. This raises a cosmic-sized eyebrow at the lengths to which humans will go to fill the "God-shaped hole" in their hearts with anything but God. It's akin to insisting on sailing the ocean without a compass, celebrating the journey while being fundamentally lost.