Atheists and others here:

[Tiburon]

I am on the Board of Directors of my local atheist non-profit. Tonight we are setting up a booth at our local farmers' market - the social center of the town, happens every Thursday, the downtown drag is closed off to vehicles and a small number of thousands of people stroll by, it's very cool - for outreach and to engage with the religious and the random heathen alike.

And nobody shows up with pitchforks and torches?

 

[Tiburon]

You know, I *tried* to join a Satanic temple in Boston several years ago. The website seemed legit, I filled out a questionnaire, sent it off - and never heard from them. I believe I sent a follow-up email, but still got no reply.

That was my only attempt to belong to a purely atheist organization. In general, I have no desire to organize around atheism.

How can that be Atheist?

 

[4tune8chance]

How many people here have ever belonged to an explicitly atheist organization?
Just curious. Myself, never.

(Addendum: if you are or were an atheist and never have, I'm interested in that too)

Not I.

 

[Temujin]

How many people here have ever belonged to an explicitly atheist organization?
Just curious. Myself, never.

(Addendum: if you are or were an atheist and never have, I'm interested in that too)

Never have. I cannot imagine why anyone would join an organisation where the only thing the members have in common is that they don't do something.

 

[Algor]

Never have. I cannot imagine why anyone would join an organisation where the only thing the members have in common is that they don't do something.

It isn't a thing with me either. But if we were all the same sort of atheist I suppose we'd play chess and swap brownie recipes or something.

Though the thought of hanging out with people like me is a bit daunting.

 

[Furion]

It isn't a thing with me either. But if we were all the same sort of atheist I suppose we'd play chess and swap brownie recipes or something.

Though the thought of hanging out with people like me is a bit daunting.

My understanding of the atheist organizations I hear about in the news is they are political entities, fighting for their ideas.

 

[Whateverman]

How can that be Atheist?

I don't want to discuss it because of the rules. Still, you can look it up for a confirmation.

 

[Temujin]

My understanding of the atheist organizations I hear about in the news is they are political entities, fighting for their ideas.

How can "I don't believe in God" be a political idea? I don't imply that you are mistaken, but that they are. If they are claiming that atheism stands for anything at all, other than scepticism over religious belief, then they are wrong. There may be particular political stances whose supporters are largely atheist, but that does not mean that atheists as whole support those positions.

 

[Algor]

My understanding of the atheist organizations I hear about in the news is they are political entities, fighting for their ideas.

Some are, but what Gus is describing isn't.

I'd say two things:
1. There is a lot of distrust of atheism, and the media plays into that.
2. I trust the news about as much as I trust.....hm.... Can't think of much I trust less off the top of my head. There's probably something.

 

[Furion]

Some are, but what Gus is describing isn't.

I'd say two things:
1. There is a lot of distrust of atheism, and the media plays into that.
2. I trust the news about as much as I trust.....hm.... Can't think of much I trust less off the top of my head. There's probably something.

I guess I was pointing out I've not heard of one not primarily focused on civil liberties, though I'm sure some are out there.

 

[Furion]

How can "I don't believe in God" be a political idea? I don't imply that you are mistaken, but that they are. If they are claiming that atheism stands for anything at all, other than scepticism over religious belief, then they are wrong. There may be particular political stances whose supporters are largely atheist, but that does not mean that atheists as whole support those positions.

In the US, groups can advocate to government about their issues, and some do that. I don't know their motivations.

 

[Gus Bovona]

And nobody shows up with pitchforks and torches?

We get our share of scowls and SHMs and looks of disbelief. Last night we also saw several people taking pictures of the booth, which is not at all uncommon. Our town gets a lot of tourists, and no doubt some of those picture-takers are tourists.

The usual types of people are

• drive-byes, those religious folk who, when walking down the middle of the street, booths on either side, come upon our booth and don't stop and engage with us but feel compelled nonetheless to say they'll pray for us, crack some attempt at a joke, or rattle off some other zinger that they are too cowardly to actually defend in conversation with us as they walk on by.
• religious folk who are truly curious merely want to ask us questions, and who we think are great. I remember one lady who told us she had never met an atheist before (!) but we told her, "Actually, you probably have, you just didn't know it."
• the religious who are clearly adversarial with us but merely ask questions, even though the conflict between them and us is visible even if it's below the waterline
• the religious who do not hide the conflict between them and us and who show it unabashedly
• the religious who have mental health issues (just like atheists can)
• atheists and other supporters. For every scowl or drive-bye, we also gets thumbs up from people walking by, and others who stop and tell us how happy they are to see atheists represented

 

[Gus Bovona]

Never have. I cannot imagine why anyone would join an organisation where the only thing the members have in common is that they don't do something.

The reasons my atheist organization exists is to

• provide a group where people can meet other like-minded people (an affinity group, so to speak)
• educate atheists and theists about atheism (book group, guest speakers, debates, etc.)
• community service (highway clean-up, scholarship for HS students, donate books to the library, etc.)
• take action on local issues of separation of church and state

 

[Temujin]

The reasons my atheist organization exists is to

• provide a group where people can meet other like-minded people (an affinity group, so to speak)
• educate atheists and theists about atheism (book group, guest speakers, debates, etc.)
• community service (highway clean-up, scholarship for HS students, donate books to the library, etc.)
• take action on local issues of separation of church and state

I hope you didn't think that I was disparaging your group. Where I live, atheism is the expected default position. Or rather nobody cares and nobody asks about other people's beliefs. All the aims you mention, except #2 perhaps, would be done here by groups not specifically atheist. In any event, I would say that your groups represent a special class of atheists, not atheists as a whole.

 

[Furion]

Some are, but what Gus is describing isn't.

I'd say two things:
1. There is a lot of distrust of atheism, and the media plays into that.
2. I trust the news about as much as I trust.....hm.... Can't think of much I trust less off the top of my head. There's probably something.

Looking at what Gus' group does, I stand corrected. It's a fellowship of atheism. And now that I think about it there is a group in England that formed an atheist church, as I recall. You'll be a real religion some day, lol

 

[Gus Bovona]

I hope you didn't think that I was disparaging your group.

Not at all. I was just trying to show you what some goals could be for an atheist group.

Where I live, atheism is the expected default position. Or rather nobody cares and nobody asks about other people's beliefs. All the aims you mention, except #2 perhaps, would be done here by groups not specifically atheist. In any event, I would say that your groups represent a special class of atheists, not atheists as a whole.

In some places, there may be no need for an atheist group. In the U.S. in general the religious predominate and exercise power (cultural, social, as well as political) in the religious interest, so to promote atheism (another goal of our group, perhaps the most general one) is a necessary corrective and balances out what could and has become a more monolithic perspective.

I'm not so sure it matters if my group is in a special class or not. We see a real need, and seek to achieve goals we think are important.

 

[Torin]

We get our share of scowls and SHMs and looks of disbelief. Last night we also saw several people taking pictures of the booth, which is not at all uncommon. Our town gets a lot of tourists, and no doubt some of those picture-takers are tourists.

The usual types of people are

• drive-byes, those religious folk who, when walking down the middle of the street, booths on either side, come upon our booth and don't stop and engage with us but feel compelled nonetheless to say they'll pray for us, crack some attempt at a joke, or rattle off some other zinger that they are too cowardly to actually defend in conversation with us as they walk on by.
• religious folk who are truly curious merely want to ask us questions, and who we think are great. I remember one lady who told us she had never met an atheist before (!) but we told her, "Actually, you probably have, you just didn't know it."
• the religious who are clearly adversarial with us but merely ask questions, even though the conflict between them and us is visible even if it's below the waterline
• the religious who do not hide the conflict between them and us and who show it unabashedly
• the religious who have mental health issues (just like atheists can)
• atheists and other supporters. For every scowl or drive-bye, we also gets thumbs up from people walking by, and others who stop and tell us how happy they are to see atheists represented

You should say more about your activism here on CARM. There's clearly plenty of interest among the atheist userbase, as indicated by the number of "Likes" on your post. Also, it might give other unbelieving CARMites ideas for how to perform activism in their own communities.

 

[Electric Skeptic]

You should say more about your activism here on CARM. There's clearly plenty of interest among the atheist userbase, as indicated by the number of "Likes" on your post. Also, it might give other unbelieving CARMites ideas for how to perform activism in their own communities.

I have no interest in my community. I want it all to burn, because I hate everybody and only want to rape, kill and murder.

I'm an atheist...isn't that how I'm supposed to be?

 

[Torin]

I have no interest in my community. I want it all to burn, because I hate everybody and only want to rape, kill and murder.

I'm an atheist...isn't that how I'm supposed to be?

Lol.

As an aside: I wish this wasn't necessary, but given how misunderstood atheism and atheists are, your post is gravely in need of a "/s" or other explicit indicator of sarcasm.

 

[Gus Bovona]

. . . . You'll be a real religion some day, lol

Just like it, but without any supernatural, unsupported beliefs, which will make it not a religion.