David B. Rowland

Lately I've been contemplating trying to start up an athiest's social group/club/organization sort of thing. Considering how large and conspicuous the religious organizations are on campus, I often feel a bit out of place (we'll say), and I doubt I'm the only one. I'm betting there are alot of other athiests about campus, but you know how it goes - while the religious folk can't keep quiet about their beliefs, you don't really run into many zealous athiest missionary types We're a bit more subdued and inconspicuous.

Anywho, I'm just curious what degree of athiest presence there is around here in the student body and how interested folks might be in some sort of social group or network. So, if this is something you're intruiged by, drop me a post here.

willwork4gas

Will you protest anything? Will you have weekly meetings? Will you have a hierarchy of men and women leading each region in the country? Will new members have to unaccept Jesus? Will there be a common text that someone wrote years ago that has been re-written by many people but is followed word-for-word? Will you have missionaries going door to door with pamplets saying "Do you want to not know God"? Will you vote according to your un-religiousness? Will you demand to keep the "President" in President's Day? Will you open private schools in the name of nothing? Will you break bread and say "Pretend this is nothing and eat it"?

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CMetzger42

Um... time to switch to something other than heroin there, willwork4gas.

Suggestion, Mr. Rowland: spell "atheist" correctly. Might help. Also, since there's nothing on campus as far as I know, I'd go to some of the national campus groups and get some materials and advice.

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VVO]2M

she's crushed atheism decisively with her relentless wave of questions.

You can keep your magic bread, cannibal.


And we will open private schools in the name of education.

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PurdueDoubleE

I think she was asking (in a smartass way) what exactly an atheist organization would DO.

VVO]2M

Promote atheism.
Maybe tend one of those little grass on-ramp oases, so they can get their name on a sign. 'This spot kept beautiful by godless pinkos...'

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Pete

Her question actually strikes me as interesting. Religions groups usually gather to perpetuate their particular faith and hold activities with the intent of strengthening the beliefs of their followers. I'm not sure what a (strong) atheist organization would do.

I guess in a cynical way you could have some kind of anti-religious retreat where instead of trying to strengthen the followers' faiths in $DEITY you could instead use similar rhetoric and techniques to strengthen doubt in the concept of spirituality and religion.

I get downright sick when I hear about fundamentalist preachers like that one whack-job who always stands outside ENAD once a semester, or when I hear about Fred Phelps' clan of homophobic bible thumpers. On the other hand, I'm also equally disturbed when I consider the opposite viewpoint--complete removal of any concept of sacredness of something, even if its just human life.

doga

Well, Sign me up. For all I care God Doesn't exist and all of the so called religious texts are a bunch of Hogwash mixed with Principles and Platitudes to live a good life which one should live by anyway.

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CMetzger42

You seem to be under the impression that atheism is a religion. It isn't. It's lack of it. The point of a club is simply for fellowship, because atheists are in the minority.

There's no need to enforce "lack of belief". In fact, I've heard of religious people who join atheist groups just because of the interesting people and discussions. I've found atheist clubs to not be nearly as discriminatory as churches or religious clubs. Also, it's not like all atheists are exactly the same and believe all the same things and have the same political bent. There's a wide variety of opinions and beliefs out there. A club would provide the place where atheists can get together and discuss tough subjects without a religious bias, or just hang out and burn time with people who won't tell them they're going to hell when the topic of religion is brought up.

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haljaber

I personally don't like to hear people telling me that I will go to hell if I do a sin, mind your own business.
And I don't like people who try to enforce their religion and come up to you and try to make you convert, mind your own business.
I strongly believe in God, and there is no way I can go on with thinking that he is not out there, but I believe that athiest have the right to express their opinions just as any other religion can. All religions and athiests or whoever you belong to have the right to do whatever as long as you don't interfer with the freedom of other people who do not belong to you.

willwork4gas

I'm glad some people got my sarcasm - too bad CMetzger42 didn't get the fact I was actually making fun of Christianity.

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DRock

I've heard of this same concept of straight people going to "drag night" at clubs/bars just for the same reason.


if anyone has ever told you that if you commit a sin you are going to hell - he/she is a retard. Everybody sins.

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BoilerBall24

And how does this make you better than those Bible Thumber Christians???

Pete

My bad, I should have put further emphasis on the "strong" in strong atheism. But yeah, I agree with your other points. I think as long as the approach doesn't have the same fanatical fervor of a fundamentalist religious organization it could indeed have some appeal.

Josh_Wu

chill forum police. Just a harmless joke.



yea I got that a few times from zealous Christians, but not a whole lot of them are like that.

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DRock

Nevermind.

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willwork4gas

Uh, did I say I was better? I don't get your point. Did you also mean "thumper"?

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haljaber

willwork4gas, since you were making fun of christianity, were you relating to the bible in the quoted sentence?? I am just curious.

willwork4gas

Yes - jeeze, relax people, just a joke.

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DRock

perhaps you're forgetting how serious the internet is

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