Daniel Dennett Explores Secular Solace.

Question: What is a better alternative to religious solace?

Dennett:    Well, I think that the community and the loving and the care that you can get from religion are very good things of course and if only there were more pure sect or groups that provided not only the good works but also the community I think that would be a good thing.  I’ve been talking with various people about the need to provide that structure in sect or organizations and I think it’s possible and I think we should work at it because you’re absolutely right.  People sometimes when there’s nobody around to love you and take care of you.  It’s great to have a group that you can be welcome into.

Question: What kinds of structures should atheists build?

Dennett:    Well, I suppose the simplest answer is it will be good if there were and there are already churches that are dogmas and in fact more and more churches downplay dogma to the point of evaporation and concentrate on providing draft to sort of community of care, mutual care and helping the world and so I think it’s entirely possible that churches will evolve into sort of cribless organizations that do a lot of good work and that would be wonderful.