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[LordSlowpoke]

The garbage dumpster outside was taken away about a week and a half ago. They still haven't brought a new one.

somebody, somewhere, is still celebrating the heist of their life

[GlyphGryph]

Yeah Im thinking the difference is not so much a church thing as a community thing. How popular are non-church based community events in Europe? Block parties, big potlucks, public barbeques, community clambakes, community dances,town faires, etc.? Events that are based around interacting with the people who live around you and whatnot. All of these are staples of much of American Life and churches are one of the organizations responsible for providing venues and inviting people to come and getting the community not just attending but involved in setting things up and really feeling like they are part of the event.

[Graknorke]

Yeah Im thinking the difference is not so much a church thing as a community thing. How popular are non-church based community events in Europe? Block parties, big potlucks, public barbeques, community clambakes, community dances,town faires, etc.? Events that are based around interacting with the people who live around you and whatnot. All of these are staples of much of American Life and churches are one of the organizations responsible for providing venues and inviting people to come and getting the community not just attending but involved in setting things up and really feeling like they are part of the event.

I live in England where everyone hates everyone else implicitly, so it's only really old people into the whole "community" thing. Otherwise community centres are mostly unused. As are churches, to be honest.
If you want a party then you get together with people you know and like, or are at least related to rather than the people you were unfortunate enough to live near.

[LeoLeonardoIII]

I think Atheist churches are less about religion and more about just getting together and socializing.

I've know a few people who aren't religious go to church regularly just because they enjoy the services and singing and such.  Its probably essentially the same thing.

This sounds like a job for... MISTER PUB!

Ah, but that runs into problems in the U.S. with minors (and also with calling any alcohol dispensary in the U.S. a pub). It'd have to be a job for MISTER FAMILY RESTAURANT WITH BAR ANNEX AND OUTDOOR SMOKING AREA.

Wait, so it's a non-religious church where you can come in late, smoke, drink, don't have to listen to someone drone and/or harangue, and there are no children around? I can see why pubs are so popular.

[Dutchling]

Yeah Im thinking the difference is not so much a church thing as a community thing. How popular are non-church based community events in Europe? Block parties, big potlucks, public barbeques, community clambakes, community dances,town faires, etc.? Events that are based around interacting with the people who live around you and whatnot. All of these are staples of much of American Life and churches are one of the organizations responsible for providing venues and inviting people to come and getting the community not just attending but involved in setting things up and really feeling like they are part of the event.

I'd say friends and family are much more important here than random strangers who just happen to live next to you

[Iceblaster]

...

Old World Blues Fallout NV...

I think I just made a robot orgasm by breathing

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Now, now, they're not robots. They're perfectly human. Brains. Encased in robots.

[LeoLeonardoIII]

One step away from the Ship of Theseus means you're still good to go!

[GlyphGryph]

Dutchling, the point is that these people arent random strangers, they ARE friends and family.

[XXSockXX]

Yeah Im thinking the difference is not so much a church thing as a community thing. How popular are non-church based community events in Europe? Block parties, big potlucks, public barbeques, community clambakes, community dances,town faires, etc.? Events that are based around interacting with the people who live around you and whatnot. All of these are staples of much of American Life and churches are one of the organizations responsible for providing venues and inviting people to come and getting the community not just attending but involved in setting things up and really feeling like they are part of the event.

Hm. That's difficult to answer. Some of the stuff you describe I'm not that familiar with.
Might have to do with the fact that it's a lot more densely populated here, our "villages" can have a few thousand inhabitants and even small villages are not very isolated, but only a few miles away from the next bigger town. So a village festival will only be popular among part of the population since there are plenty of other things to do. There are local festivities that are extremely popular, most towns have at least one, in a medium sized town there are several every weekend in summer. There are towns, clubs and other associations organizing those, religious communities are just one among many.
Oh, and while sports are extremely popular, sports are not centered as much around schools as in the US, there are no school teams, but plenty of sports clubs, which are basically their own communities.
Then pubs and night clubs are extremely important in socializing.

I guess it's mostly the "how" that is different in the US, though I'm not sure if the community aspect, the being part of the event thing, is really important to many people. Especially younger people rather find their own ways to socialize, though of course many just organize their own events.

[Graknorke]

Dutchling, the point is that these people arent random strangers, they ARE friends and family.

Unless I'm missing what you're meaning, then they're not really. They're just people who live near you. Friends are people that you like and like you, and family are people more closely related to you than most.

[GlyphGryph]

It might just be effective to think of many American churches as clubs, honestly. Secular services are usually about inspirational messages and building shared values and community ties, and mostly (in my experience) serve as a core focus for each "meeting" that provides a launching point for the social interaction that happens afterwards. We really dont have the club and pub thing that much of europe has because its not like you can  bring your family to the pub (pubs are for dudes trying to get AWAY from their family) and clubs are almost exclusively for the wealthy (yachting cluns and equestrian clubs and rich people sport clubs are fairly common but quite exclusive). There arent really clubs around for families to attend, while church attendence is free.

Dutchling, you are missing the point, the point being that friends dont just happen, but are the product of interaction and shared experience. The point of these events is  to make it so "friends" and "people nearby" are groups with significant overlap, and when you look at the social web everyone who is "active in the  community" might not be friends but will at least be friends of friends or something.

The point is that these sort  of events exist to dispel the notion that your neighbours are strangers and replace it with the notion that they are at least associates in building a shared community.

[LeoLeonardoIII]

It's an assumed tribe. You can do the same with a pro football team, meetup group, or internet forum.

For example, if I were in a knife fight and I were standing beside Aqizzar, I know the dude would have my back 

[tahujdt]

I'm looking for something in this discussion at which to be offended, but I can't find anything. Curse you, tolerant atheists!

[Dutchling]

I think you meant Graknorke in that second paragraph of yours GG.

I think this will help you explain the situation here. Neighbours exist solely to be avoided .