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Leeds humanists aim for sense of community
It takes place on Sundays and they discuss the big issues in life.
But this isn't a church service, it's a non-religious group designed for those who don't follow any particular faith.
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The Humanist Community of Leeds meets once a month at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Leeds city centre.
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It aims to bring people together to create the community feeling that members of churches or other religious groups foster – but without the religious aspect.
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Leeds-based psychologist Dr Gijsbert Stoet is one of the founders of the community.
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He said: "It is for people like myself who want to be part of a community.
"With that in mind I am trying to set up something like a church, but non-religious."
Dr Stoet, who is Dutch, has teamed up with Chris Worfolk, founder of a Leeds-based humanist charity, and Dr Richard Parker.
"It's a secular, non-religious alternative," Dr Stoet added.
"But we do basically the same things."
The group meets every month and usually has three speakers, then afterwards members will have refreshments and go for lunch.
Dr Stoet said he had been inspired by the Humanist movement, which looks to address some of life's big questions without a belief in God.
A soup kitchen for homeless people in Leeds has been run for some time by the Humanist Action Group.
Dr Stoet added: "We focus very much on the positive aspects.
"Our focus is how we can make the world a better place.
"We believe there is only one life and we have to make the best of it – if everybody helps each other we can make the world a better place."
He said as a psychologist, he was very interested in the idea of how communities could be created to counter the common fear that society was fracturing.
Dr Stoet added that their meetings were not aiming to take people away from their own religions or convert anyone.
"People that we attract right now are not going to anything, anywhere," he said.
"Everybody is welcome, we are not converting. We actually have some members who are religious and that's not a problem.
"We have people from their early 20s to their late 60s, from four
different countries.
"There's a lack of bonding in society because people don't have places to go.
"If we can create something that fits in the 21st century, we can fulfil that function that the church has fulfilled in the past."
* For more information about the Sunday group, visit: www.leedshumanists.org
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