Some of us have moved on from atheism to post-theism. In part, because some atheists can be very annoying. (Thanks a lot, four horsemen of the dorkalypse).
To your point, I do sometimes miss the music, rituals, fellowship, and liturgy of my old church. It was a mostly wholesome experience, and many of the people were very good people. In particular I miss being a member of the choir.
It was interesting (and revealing) when I left the church to experience which of my old friends from that church were very accepting of my walking away, and which ones wanted nothing to do with me anymore.
Anyway, I have found that my table top gaming groups (mostly RPG games) have helped a lot with social needs. Not a full replacement for a church, of course. But it is an activity that creates interpersonal bonds and encourages folks to be vulnerable around each other at times. And, a little bit like churches and temples, the quality of the experience can vary greatly from one group to another.
Some of us have moved on from atheism to post-theism. In part, because some atheists can be very annoying. (Thanks a lot, four horsemen of the dorkalypse).
To your point, I do sometimes miss the music, rituals, fellowship, and liturgy of my old church. It was a mostly wholesome experience, and many of the people were very good people. In particular I miss being a member of the choir.
It was interesting (and revealing) when I left the church to experience which of my old friends from that church were very accepting of my walking away, and which ones wanted nothing to do with me anymore.
Anyway, I have found that my table top gaming groups (mostly RPG games) have helped a lot with social needs. Not a full replacement for a church, of course. But it is an activity that creates interpersonal bonds and encourages folks to be vulnerable around each other at times. And, a little bit like churches and temples, the quality of the experience can vary greatly from one group to another.