What is Atheism, Secularism, Humanism 8. Atheist/Secularist/Humanist - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

What is Atheism, Secularism, Humanism

• 8. Atheist/Secularist/Humanist

Organization and Community Today

Until the early 1800s, there were individual atheists and secularists but little or no organized atheism/secularism

• Although much of (at least American) atheism/secularism

persists as argument about/against god(s), it is also evolving into a social movement

• Critique → Community → Culture
• Like any social movement, the atheist/secularist movement

consists of organizations, leaders, symbols, resources, and all

• f the trappings of a culture

One of the oldest existing atheist

• rganizations is American Atheists
• Formed in 1963 by Madalyn Murray O’Hare, a plaintiff in
• ne of the school prayer court cases
• Active in legal cases about religious displays, religion in

schools, and the rights of atheists

• Tracks bills and laws regarding religion in all states
• Has state directors in most U.S. states
• Does not have local chapters but affiliate groups
• Holds an annual conference (on Easter weekend)
• Publishes American Atheist magazine

In 2014, American Atheists launched Atheist TV, the first atheist television broadcast

• In 2005 AA and several other groups united to hire the first

atheist/secularist lobbyist

• In 1978, several members split from AA to form the Freedom

from Religion Foundation

• Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor have been co-presidents for

decades

• The stated mission of FFRF is “to promote the constitutional

principle of separation of state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.”

FFRF claims over 30,000 members

• Publishes books by Barker, as well as

Freethought Today magazine/newspaper

• Organized into local chapters, holds a national

annual conference

• Runs Freethought Radio and Podcast
• Operates charitable foundation Nonbelief

Relief (which had its tax exempt status revoked after it demanded the same privilege as churches)

• Promotes “Atheists in Foxholes” initiative to

celebrate atheists in the military

• Holds a student scholarship essay contest

Secular Student Alliance

• “Empowers secular students to proudly express their identity,

build welcoming communities, promote secular values, and set a course for lifelong activism”

• Boasts 312 student organizations and 1,672 secular programs

at schools (including chapters at Auraria, UC Boulder, and CSU)

• There are also many atheist groups in other countries, plus

the coalition Atheist Alliance International

• “a global federation of atheist groups and individuals

committed to educating its members and the public about atheism and critical thinking, and to supporting atheists around the world who are discriminated against and

• criminalized. AAI was granted UN Special Consultative status

in 2013.”

Atheist Alliance International (founded 1991) promotes atheist/secularist rights around the world and opposes religious abuses

• Has campaigned against blasphemy laws in Greece, false god-

men in India, and religious establishment in Nigeria

• Supports the Kasese Humanist School in Uganda
• Publishes Secular World magazine
• Beyond atheism, there are many groups active in secularism,

humanism, and skepticism

American Humanist Association

• Founded in 1941 by two Unitarian ministers, Curtis Reese and

John Dietrich

• Some of its earliest issues were religion in public schools and

laws banning abortion

• In the 1970s promulgated “Humanist Manifesto II”
• Dismissed promises of immortal salvation and eternal

damnation as “illusory and harmful”

• Affirmed that “moral values derive their source from human

experience” and that “reason and intelligence are the most effective instruments that humankind possesses”

• Today identifies its key issues as defending nontheists and

promoting humanism, religion/state separation, social justice, scientific integrity, and peace

AHA maintains a wide variety of initiatives

• Appignani Humanist Legal Center, with a team of attorneys
• Center for Freethought Equality, for lobbying and political

advocacy

• Adjunct groups such as Black Humanist Alliance, Latinx

Humanist Alliance, Feminist Humanist Alliance, and LGBTQ Humanist Allliance

• Organizes local chapters, publishes The Humanist magazine

and Free Mind quarterly newsletter

Other major organizations include Council for Secular Humanism, Skeptic Society, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State

• But beyond the big national/international organizations, there

are many local efforts at building atheist/secularist community and culture

• Atheist Community of Austin: operates “Atheist Experience”
• nline TV show, sponsors Sunday brunch, participates in local

blood drive, program to build ramps for disabled people, and Adopt-a-Street beautification project

New York City Atheists holds social events, blood drives, stage and film events, author groups, and produces several local TV shows including Atheism in History, NYC Atheists, and My Road to Atheism

• Sunday Assembly (originated in London) as alternative to

Christian worship services

• Denver has its “Secular Hub,” a chapter of AHA that hosts

multiple groups and arranges its own events such as movie night, pancake breakfast, coffee gatherings, support group for substance abuse (Freethinkers in AA), and Recovering from Religion support group

There are innumerable local and private projects, from discussion groups to podcasts and YouTube channels

• The culture-creation/tradition-invention process has

gone much further

• Secular “holidays” like Darwin Day (2/12), National

Day of Reason (1st Thursday of May), Humanlight (12/23), and summer and winter solstice celebrations

• Programs for children, like Camp Quest, and books

for children

• Atheist/secularist life-event celebrations like

weddings and funerals

Atheism/Secularism in popular culture

• Movies
• Bill Maher “Religulous”
• Penn and Teller “Bullshit”
• Julia Sweeney “Letting Go of God”
• John Mendoza “Blasphemy: The Movie”
• Music
• Dan Barker “Friendly Neighborhood Atheist” album
• Matt Taylor “Tent Revival for Agnostics” musical
• Various attempts to create or adopt a secular anthem like

John Lennon “Imagine” or XTC “Dear God”

Public outreach campaigns, with billboards or bus posters

Invention of symbols and images

No social movement has ever succeeded by argument alone

• Like any social movement, atheism/secularism must be

inspiring, positive, and appealing

• It must be creative and diverse, addressing the full spectrum
• f human interests and needs
• It must be social as well as intellectual
• It must be political active and culturally visible, to combat

stereotypes of immorality and untrustworthiness