02.29.08
Atheist Group Makes Campus News
A start-up college atheist group has already gotten the attention of its campus newspaper.
At California State University (in Sacramento), says hello to the aptly named Atheist Student Organization:
“It is important for atheists to be represented on campus and in the larger society. Often atheists don’t make their feelings known for fear of abuse or attack” said graduate English student Robin Martin.
“It’s essential to inspire people to think and question the historical and present inconsistencies, violence, and exclusivity of theism and to educate through public speaking, printed materials, and creative events,” said Rebekah Hall, a prospective graduate English student.
[Angelique] Lopez, a senior English major, said she wants “to talk to people about being an atheist and to get them to see that an atheist isn’t something bad or something that has a negative connotation.”
Junior computer engineering major Bikrum Singh Jolly, the vice-president of the Sikh Student Association on campus, said he would not hold any bias towards the atheist group.
“We have freedom of speech and freedom of religion. We have to be open, accepting, and willing to learn about different religions, about different cultures, and about different beliefs,” Jolly said.
…
Senior ethnic studies major Marc Sorensen said he’s having a hard time understanding the purpose of the group, however. Sorensen is a member of the on-campus International Student Christian Fellowship.
“What are the reasons for creating an atheist organization? To discuss someone you don’t believe in?” Sorensen said.
No, it’s to discuss how ignorant some religious people can be and to commiserate about the negative perceptions of atheism that we have to put up with on a daily basis.
Ideally, there are more positive activities in the works, too, like community service projects, the promotion of critical thinking, and bringing together an ignored and undervalued minority of students.
(via the Secular Student Alliance)
Technorati Tags: atheist, atheism, Leonard Low
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C. L. Hanson said,
March 1, 2008 at 2:02 am
It’s not at all surprising that the president of another minority belief group is the one who gets it. He probably also has to deal with the prejudice of others regularly.
It’s not a question of Christians being inherently ignorant or intolerant, it’s just that people rarely question their assumptions unless they have a motivation to do so. Good to see we have another visible group of young atheists out there showing people a different persepctive!
Renacier said,
March 1, 2008 at 8:24 am
Thank you, Sorenson, for highlighting exactly the reason to create an atheist organization.
Secular Dignity said,
March 1, 2008 at 11:20 am
Not to sound jaded, but one thing I have learned about Christians in the USA is never underestimate their ability to cocoon themselves. And in some cases, their desire to cocoon themselves.
roopa said,
March 1, 2008 at 2:15 pm
And the topic directly below this one deals with yet another case of atheist discrimination. These damn atheists are an enigma with their crazy little get togethers.
Laurie Soule said,
March 1, 2008 at 5:37 pm
I accidentally found that article in the Hornet yesterday while searching for something completely unrelated, and forwarded it to my son in Chico in the hopes that it might inspire him to do something similar there. Probably not. Sigh.
miller said,
March 1, 2008 at 9:41 pm
To be fair to Sorensen, even most atheists don’t understand the reasons for creating an atheist organization. Hell, even I don’t understand it on some days.