Hubble head

I've been wondering why there are so few Atheist/Agnostic groups out there. Most are our only chance to magnify our voice and concerns with society. As large a number as atheists represent, (approximately the same percentage as African Americans -14%? according to American Atheists) we should get a lot more consideration.

That 14% for the African-American community is huge when politicians go campaigning...why can't our group get the same consideration?

If you belong to a cool group or activist organization please feel free to explain, promote, or throw in a link.

Comquirk

I want to join one, I do, but I know of none in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick. Anyone know of any?

Hubble head

I knew some Atheists are highly independant so I included the "I belong to nothing and no one" answer. Not long ago this would have applied to me.

I'm a member of the American Atheists (founded by Madalyn Murray O'Hare) but do not see them as the loud, national voice for non theists I had hoped. I'm not dissapointed, just want to see more activism out there.

From the media I get the idea we don't count as voters or valid input to our society.

Anyone care to elaborate why they do not want to join some type of secular organization, political or social?

Anyone from a country where Atheists make up enough of the population to challange the religionists head-on?

Rhea

"I belong to nothing" Not because I "stand alone", but because I don't belong to any ATHEIST organizations. I belong to quite a few SECULAR organizations. I do like groups of like-minded people and companionship and community, I just have a zillion opportunities that are secular. If I joined an ATHEIST group, I would probably want to do exaclty the same things I seek from my secular orgs, but it would be harder to get a critical mass on topic.

So, for example, I have a knitting group, an auto racing group, town government, local education, health volunteer, conservationism.

I would not be able to find a critical mass of machine knitters at an atheist gathering, so I go to the machine knitters club instead.

So while I answered "I beling to nothing" that is only true in the sense of no ATHEIST orgs (aside from the II which is a group and also a non-profit 501c3 charity - make your donations today!) because as long as I can get SECULAR enjoyment, I don't need ATHEIST enjoyment.

beth

I only belong to the PTA.

Secular Pinoy

I'm a card carrying skeptic. Does that count?

Shake

... and I only belong to the EAC!!! MUWAHAHAHA!

Seeker630

for Hubblehead:

I belong to a Unitarian Universalist congregation. Through them I have become active in things like the upcoming campaign for the local Democratic candidate for this congressional district in the 2004 elections. Now the church per se is NOT endorsing any party or candidate, but quite a number of our members are active in different things and they tend to be left of center most of the time, and it is through some of those individuals that I have finally gotten active. They form a vote block that the candidates here will at least listen to, especially when they consider that ther are more than one UUA group in the same district. Although I am not yet a member, I have attended meetings of the Humanist group in my area, as well as the Atheists of Florida.

And therein lies the crux of the matter. In order for any purely secular/atheist/agnostic group to be effective, to achieve real world results, you have to play the game called politics. Distasteful as it may be it's how shit gets done in this country. And you're most often going to get the candidate which seems likely to do you the least damage even if you succeed.

I attended 2 meetings of the Michigan American Atheists organization when I still lived up there. There were no more than 25-30 people at either one, even though there are as many atheists in that state as anywhere else.

I suspect that the same is true for all of the other smaller secular groups around the country. It seems to me that American Atheists is the best-known of any of them, and yet their official membership (last I heard) is only around 3500-4000 people for the entire country. I think there are some dynamics around any group that apply here:

1) There is a certain negative stigma with openly identifying oneself in U.S. society as an atheist, and sometimes even negative effects like social ostracizing, job discrimination, and even in family relationships.

2) Most people are just not joiners. As many people in the U.S. as there are that identify themselves with a politcal party/philosophy, only a tiny minority are actually members of those organizations. Most people lead busy lives trying to make ends meet and are not willing to sacrifice time and money to such an outside activity. I suspect it's the same for a lot of those who identify as atheists or agnostics. But for the most part, I think most non-believers who don't spend a lot of time thinking about their beliefs really haven't considered themselves as disadvantaged or discriminated against because most are not open about it with other people and so it seldom has any impact on them directly. They just don't care really, or they do and figure it's not worth the effort to try and change anything.

3) The example of blacks has been used as a comparison, but there is a difference between atheists/agnostics as a minority and blacks, hispanics or gays. They all have the advantage of concentration of numbers in places where they can form formidable voting blocks and so effectively use their power sometimes. Atheists are nowhere so concentrated in this country. Any politician in the SanFrancisco area who would ignore the gay vote is playing with fire. The same applies with hispanic voters in Miami or blacks in D.C.

4) Most atheists/agnostics, when they vote, tend to vote on issues they consider more immediate than church/state separation. Like most Americans they probably vote their wallet 1st and everything else second. I'll go one step further and say that most people who are non-believers really don't know much about the present state of CSS issues. They don't pay attention to conservative judge appointments, or what the current regime in D.C. is doing to undermine the wall. They don't read the things that more informed people like those in these (and other) forums have read.

In the information department most non-believers are not much different than any other segment of the population. Only a minority pay much attention to such things, just like only a minority of qualified voters ever bother going to the polls. The numbers of people in this country at any level that don't vote is embarassing.

5) There is at the present time no single national organization that can even attempt to represent non-believers in any kind of coherent fashion on the political front. American Atheists is probably the most commonly known in the public perception, and as much as it may owe to O'haire, her public personna gave them a black eye which has persisted to this day. They have also had problems with internal politics and finally with the death of O'haire and everything surrounding those events.

Sorry---didn't mean to go so long. But the bottom line is that non-believers have never been able to get it together as a coherent group other than in small numbers. Too many different agendas and power struggles going on. Too many little factions.

Secular Pinoy

Nonesense! The EAC doesn't exist. And pay no attention to the black helicopters outside.