Religion

rug

(82,333 posts) Fri Jun 29, 2012, 03:43 PM Jun 2012

Not just chess: Atheists are organizing high school clubs, too

By Kimberly Winston
Religion News Service
Updated: Friday, June 29, 1:11 PM

High school kids can join the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Jewish Student Union, the Muslim Students Association and, in some schools, a Hindu or a Buddhist club.

Now they can join the young atheists club, too.

In another sign of the emergence of nonbelievers in American society, the Secular Student Alliance, a national organization of more than 300 college-based clubs for atheists, humanists, agnostics and other “freethinkers,” is helping to establish clubs for high school students to hang out with other teens who share their skepticism about the supernatural.

“I am hoping that atheist students having their clubs and religious students having their clubs will promote dialogue,” said JT Eberhard, director of SSA’s high school program. “I also hope it will let the atheist students know that you can be an atheist and its okay. You are still a good person. We want to say: Here is a place where you can feel that.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/not-just-chess-atheists-are-organizing-high-school-clubs-too/2012/06/29/gJQAaBPmBW_story.html

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Not just chess: Atheists are organizing high school clubs, too (Original Post) rug Jun 2012 OP

Good for them. cbayer Jun 2012 #1

I met one of the organizers/fund & awareness raisers who was visiting Lionessa Jun 2012 #2

Young atheists organizing? OMFNEG! We all know where THAT will lead... onager Jun 2012 #3

...as they were doing 30+ yrs ago. Nice that the Xian media has noticed. nt dmallind Jun 2012 #4

The group is called the "Secular Student Alliance" SwissTony Jun 2012 #5

cbayer

(146,218 posts)

1. Good for them.

Reply to rug (Original post)

Fri Jun 29, 2012, 03:49 PM

Jun 2012

Adolescence is the time for exploring philosophies, beliefs, religions, imo. Having this available is a good thing.

In the church I grew up in, we were not baptized until age 13. While I prefer that to baptizing an infant, I think it's still too young to make that kind of decision. Of course, many move between religions, atheism, agnosticism, humanism, etc. throughout their lives.

Fortunately, nothing is set in stone.

Lionessa

(3,894 posts)

2. I met one of the organizers/fund & awareness raisers who was visiting

Reply to rug (Original post)

Fri Jun 29, 2012, 03:52 PM

Jun 2012

and came to our local Atheist Meetup group. She's seems like a great gal, we hooked her up with our resident guy who has his foot in virtually every freethinker, atheist, secular group around and they went off to set up speeches for her in his other groups as well as who knows what, fund raising and event cooperation and other similar I expect.

Anyway, they seem to be making a pretty fast push forward, excellent.