The World’s Largest Coalition of Nontheists and Nontheist Communities!

Atheist Town?

Last summer I was taking a trip down the west coast to camp with some friends on the border of Oregon and Califonia, something I would recommend for those who love star gazing and sand dunes.

On my way down, we passed a rural church that had a sign, bragging that it was a Christian town, and that 100% of it residence were church goers. This was of coarse was diminished by the fact that the town only had only 46 members and that the sign was accompanied with another note, desperately begging for money, under threat of being closed.

It occurs to me, statistically there are bound to be many small rural towns that consider themselves 100% Christian, but has anybody heard of any towns made up of atheists? Or communities? Planned or otherwise?

I've never been one to believe that any group should wall itself off, it smells too much of that weird Ayyan Rand conceptual community that Glen Beckers and other right wing nut jobs keep threatening, but I think it would be interesting seeing how a township, unwilling to bend to the needs of religion, might function. And I'll admit, there is a weird disfuctional part of me that would like to find one of the 50s style aluminum, 60 by 10 foot trailer and create a little atomic village with others?

So my question is, has anybody heard of any religion free zones? And will anybody else admit it might be fun to get up in the morning, and know that your neighbor was not going to judge you for not going to church?

On another note: has anybody found any camping groups setup by atheists?

1 member likes this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Idaho Spud on January 28, 2013 at 1:52pm

Haven't heard of any, but I'd like to try the concept. I'd like to go further, though. I'd like to try a community where no one believed any woo. A community of scientific thinkers.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Greg on January 28, 2013 at 2:03pm

I've never heard of such a community. Actually, I would be against the idea of creating a town for non-believers alone. While I do not believe the malarky, I'd prefer to live where everyone can, at the personal level, believe as they choose. I'm not sure how you would legislate community wide mind control and I know I would not like to be on the receiving end of the same. Here on planet earth, this is going to be a long process of letting go of myths and make believe. I'm all in favor of actively advocating reality but I don't think it helps the cause to force it upon others. Freedom of association is a beautiful thing, especially if you come from a place where it was verboten. It's not something we tolerate, it's something we should be proud of.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Humble Pie on January 28, 2013 at 5:34pm

I think he just means non-religious folk using their freedom of association to seek each other out and, well, associate! Nothing quite so sinister as saying no one in the group can change their minds. But really, have you ever known anyone who did?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by amer chohan on January 28, 2013 at 2:32pm

Living in a strongly religious society, being hated and isolated just because of atheism, I storngly desire sometimes for a place where ediots were looked down and become isolated.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Nathaniel Summers on January 28, 2013 at 6:57pm

If they don't exist, we can make them happen. It's simple really, and can actually be done for just about anything, not just Atheism. All you have to do is get involved and get vocal. Make your area known for Atheism. As such, it will attract Atheists who are looking for a place to belong. I have actually considered moving to Austin Texas simply because of how strong and vocal the Atheist Community of Austin is. It's the basic "if you build it, they will come" philosophy of attraction. If you make your community more inviting to Atheists, then more Atheists will want to move there, or at least your Atheist Retention Ratio would increase.