What do you expect from an atheist organization?

What sort of benefits would make you join an atheist organization? What issues do you want them to address? Any feedback would be appreciated.

Tags: atheism, feedback, organization

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Permalink Reply by Jezzy on April 1, 2012 at 2:02pm

This is a sensitive issue I know, so please just take a deep breath and hear me out with my "feminist bullshit" as other atheists have called it...

I'd love to see more inclusiveness. There have been certain events and general attitudes in the skeptical community lately that have been ostracizing to the feminists and women. (Elevatorgate, The Amazing Atheist, etc...) Most atheists I think are supportive of gender issues, but some are just ignorant on them (sure they believe in gender equality, but they believe that we have it and there are no more problems), and others are inflammatory and it's making y'all look bad. I have a lot of female atheist friends, probably around the same amount as male atheist friends. But when you look at most groupings of atheists, they tend to be 2/3 male. Possibly because there are a couple individuals who make the entire movement look insensitive... and sometimes they are powerful individuals. We've had a hard time swaying women to be a real part of this movement. Luckily I've not really seen that sort sexism on this website, but elsewhere online... there are many atheist groups that don't always come across as a safe place for women.

(To be clear: I don't think the atheist movement has more animosity towards females than other groups, I just think that too often, atheism doesn't make sexism go away, so we're stuck with those douchebags. As a group I think we need to shut that out. We need to be the group where people feel safe to gender identify however they like, and not feel like their biological sex is such a defining factor on how they are treated.)

On that note, I know that it is necessary and appropriate to correct erroneous beliefs, but we need to be careful to not sabotage our own cause with our famous atheist arrogance. Is it really about promoting reality, or is it about our giant egos and attacking people who are wrong? Many times if you attack someone, they will reinforce their beliefs that much harder, and that is not what we are looking for. Atheists are famous for being dicks. I'm a dick myself. I laugh whenever I hear the phrase "Creation Science". But I think we need to attempt to tread more carefully.

One of the tricky things about the atheist movement is that we only have one unifying factor, and it's not even a belief. It's a lack of a belief. But I think the general promotion of things that are logically sound or objectively true in general is fine. In fact, I think it should be done. Also promotion of the general good- donations to reputable charities, service work and the like.

I live in a pretty conservative, Mormon area and when I moved for college, to another conservative, Mormon area, I moved away from the few atheist friends I had. I didn't know anyone except for my great aunt and uncle, and I craved other skeptics. I finally managed to help start a group of us and now we'll have 8-18 people showing up every Sunday. I think that for whatever reason, meeting other people like yourself is intensely comforting. Starting up little groups like that is a good idea, I think. People, if they are completely alone, may be more likely to keep quiet and go with the crowd.

Atheists tend to be weird, egotistical, reclusive cat-people. But we gotta round up others and loosen up once in a while. :)

Permalink Reply by Brother Eduardo on April 1, 2012 at 4:20pm

Hi Jezzy. ,,Atheists tend to be weird, egotistical, reclusive cat-people.>> Not exactly. I know that I don't fall under the last two of those categories, and I'll leave it up to other people to decide if I'm weird. Over the past few years I've taken a couple of personality and psychological profile tests, and voila! I'm disgustingly normal in most respects. Oh, and I live in a cat-free environment, for which I'm very glad. (My ex was a cat person, and she got all the cats--I got the dog.)

However, I DO, for the most part, like to surround myself with people who are not afflicted with the mental disorder known as religious belief. People who, in the middle of a perfectly rational conversation, say things like, "Jesus is my lord and savior," or WORSE, tend to scare the hell out of me. And for those situations, I have a carefully selected series of questions that I like to spring on them about their beliefs...which, for all but the most afflicted, usually leaves them in total confusion. Oh lord, I apologize...I jus cain't hep it.

Permalink Reply by Spitter on April 5, 2012 at 8:41pm

Free beer, stem cells, loose women, abortion, lack of morals, inverted nipples, horns, hooves, snakes, virgin blood, nintendo w/game genie, cookies, juice, legos.

Permalink Reply by Jezzy on April 11, 2012 at 2:37pm

Inverted nipples? Is that a "thing"? Because if so, I suddenly just got really popular....

Permalink Reply by Spitter on April 18, 2012 at 8:30am

oh yeah, they're real.  Google it if you don't believe me.

Permalink Reply by Jezzy on April 24, 2012 at 1:03am

Oh, I know they're real. I have them. Well at least one. The other is kind of being weird and fence-sitting it. I just didn't realize people were into it. Although my ex thought they were cute apparently.

Permalink Reply by Sarah Walton on April 12, 2012 at 9:03pm

I am very concerned with church-state issues. Currently, I would only consider paying dues to an organization focused on that work. I would expect to be kept up-to-date in a professional manner and some form of voting rights to help steer the organization.

Permalink Reply by John J Kelly on April 13, 2012 at 7:09pm

One thing that churches supply is charities. Some are very good and in excess of 90% of money collected goes to the charitable cause (according to Charity Navigator).  In my area there are two Catholic based charities  One is the old reliable St Vincent DePaul Society which helps people with utility bills, house/rent payments, food and clothing.  The second provides social services and is a vital part of the community and has some statewide effect.  I contribute to both, especially the social services one.

I would like to see us godless creatures develop charitable services.  One might be for non-religious kids going to college - maybe a competitive scholarship program with accent on science and math.  CFI has a charitable component using existing secular charities as their outlet, i.e. Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam, Red Cross. 

Permalink Reply by Ivy Bickl on April 27, 2012 at 2:24pm

101 Ideas for Small groups

  1. Sponsor a school or classroom
  2. Food Crisis center
  3. Family movie night
  4. Super Bowl party
  5. Resource center for senior programs, etc
  6. Host a music concert
  7. Block party
  8. community festival
  9. Halloween haunted house
  10. Community heroes
  11. Holiday tour
  12. community garden
  13. art show
  14. build a labyrinth
  15. free hotdog lunch
  16. school supplies
  17. parents’ night out
  18. mothers morning out
  19. partner to raise money for a local cause
  20. invite former members back — homecoming
  21. themed workshops
  22. recognize special groups
  23. joint events with other groups
  24. community
  25. community thanksgiving service
  26. thanksgiving for singles, seniors, and others
  27. trunk-or-treat
  28. day camps
  29. multi-generational groups
  30. crafting, scrapbooking, quilt-making groups
  31. Fundraiser for rental assistance
  32. day trips for senior and adult programs, lunch
  33. talent show
  34. yard sale
  35. crisis of the animals
  36. free carwash
  37. make a difference day
  38. martin luther king day events
  39. english as a second language
  40. computer access 
  41. computer training
  42. grief workshop
  43. grandparents day
  44. mothers day
  45. fathers day
  46. advent activities, booklet, devotion to yourself guide
  47. milestone celebrations — anniversary, debt-free, etc
  48. achievement recognition — ball teams, championships, etc
  49. election day activities
  50. county or state fair booth
  51. tradeshow booth
  52. tourism booth
  53. homebound help
  54. grief help
  55. nursing home help
  56. report card rewards
  57. skate park
  58. soundcheck like event
  59. lock in
  60. lock out
  61. youth service corps
  62. door-to-door food collection
  63. Holiday parties for seniors, kids, families, target groups
  64. school recognition
  65. college day
  66. financial peace courses
  67. driving courses that target very young groups
  68. election forums
  69. non-profit helping agency fair
  70. volunteer recognition and thanks
  71. social services, community action partnerships recognition
  72. literacy program
  73. addiction programs
  74. single adult programs
  75. single parent groups
  76. special needs events
  77. health screenings
  78. diet and cooking classes
  79. book discussions
  80. neighborhood inventories and assessments
  81. Green Group
  82. open sanctuary or meditation room
  83. daily charity office
  84. Bible Babble meetings
  85. community celebration events
  86. community unity events
  87. community newsletter or bulletin board
  88. newborn gifts
  89. newcomer welcome baskets
  90. graduate recognition
  91. community music program for children, seniors
  92. helping resource inventory and volunteer directory
  93. home get togethers
  94. weddings and funerals
  95. kids monkey club
  96. fellowships
  97. personalized invitations
  98. homelessness charity
  99. food, clothing, and cleaning supplies pantry
  100. civic club sunday
  101. family skate nights
Permalink Reply by Tracy A. Finney on June 2, 2012 at 6:56pm
I expect people to sound intelligent, unlike sone of the crap I just read on a few of the blogs here. I have been a member for about two days or so and I think I will be moving on. The only difference between what i have been reading here and what I see in churches is that y'all are a god short. So far, I am very unimpressed and pretty sure I am out of here. But, to answer the question:

1) I want open dialogue, but there is no reason to be psycho fundamentalist about the hatred you have for religion. Leave that to the religious.
2) Acceptance would be good. That has nothing to do with my above comment, just thought it would be good to have.
3) People with enough common scenes to keep walking when the people try to get you to help them find Jesus because they lost him again.
4) I don't want to feel like I need to go and bathe after talking to people on a site where they claim to be enlightened and intelligent.
5) Stop arguing about taking god off the money. Just spend the god and STFU! If you cant do that, and must cry about it, ENDLESSLY, then just send me your god money and I will spend him with no thought about it.

I could add more, but it is probably pointless.

Anyway, I am saddened by what I have read from the members on this site. Yes, I know that it is not everyone, but nearly everything I have seen so far is such..... crybaby bullshit. I am an Atheist, and more over, a realist. I call bullshit when I see it, which is why I do not have to go to church with my wife anymore. Not impressed with the Atheist groups I have met yet.

Maybe I will look elsewhere. Forgive any typos, I type fast on my iPad and it will sometimes have a stroke on me.
Permalink Reply by John J Kelly on June 3, 2012 at 3:32am

This is a forum.  You've stated your point of view, as hoped for.  Many of us are asea (crossword answer) about what to do.  Imitating religious activities won't work for everything but since we are supposed to be somewhat humanist we should look into concerted charitable and public service activity in the name of our local or national organization.

A couple of years ago an article on the CFI blog decried the fact that only about 2% of all atheists, et. al. belonged to a non-religious organization.  That's fertile ground. A marked increase in membership would also help direct our efforts toward standing out in a way that incorporates us into the public fabric.

Permalink Reply by FXR on June 3, 2012 at 10:00am

Some atheist organisations are already showing the seeds of the kind of group thinking that marks religious behaviour.

An atheist is simply an individual who does not believe in gods. It does not follow that all atheists profess that disbelief or spend any amount of time thinking about it or discussing it with others. At atheists conferences and in atheist umbrella groups it's appears it is automatically accepted that if an organisation has the term "Atheist" in the title then it fits the image professing atheists are so insistent on portraying to the world. If you're on "our" side, what you do after that is unquestioned. Atheism in the world today does not spend enough time questioning "atheism" as far as I can see.

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