Despite all of the issues with religion, it still plays vital roles as a vessel of many socially significant cultural traditions, a glue that keeps communities healthy and intact, and a resource for social support and for teaching children valuable moral lessons. Fortunately for atheists, there is a growing trend toward Secular Humanist institutions and traditions that godlessly fulfill these important social functions.
Celebrants
Humanist celebrants officiate services for weddings, funerals, child
namings, coming of age ceremonies, and other rituals.[1]
I used one for my own wedding and it was an excellent experience. It was really
important for my wife and me to be on the same philosophical wavelength with
the person who was to marry us. During our ceremony, our celebrant spoke of
love, relationships, and our union in terms that were meaningful to us. Afterward,
I heard from multiple individuals that our service was very moving and one of
the best they had ever attended. One family member in particular, who was known
to hate weddings, actually enjoyed ours.
Chaplains
Humanist chaplains provide “consultation, preside over ceremonies, and
offer opportunities for educational outreaches and community service projects
to nonreligious students and members of the armed forces.”[2]
There are chaplaincies in several US universities including Harvard, Yale, and
Stanford.[3]
Unfortunately, a bill that would have required the US military to allow
Humanists and other non-theists to serve as military chaplains was defeated in
June of 2013.[4]
This was a serious disappointment for several reasons:
- Atheists face significant discrimination in the military.[5]
- Non theist and humanist service members outnumber both Jews and Muslims who do have chaplains.[6]
- Military psychiatrists are not a safe source of emotional support because information shared with them is not confidential, while chaplains do not have to disclose anything to the military.[7]
Humanist Church
Sunday Assembly
In January 2013, British comedians Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans
started the first Sunday Assembly in North London.[8] According to their public charter “The
Sunday Assembly is a godless congregation that celebrates life. Our motto: live
better, help often, wonder more. Our mission: to help everyone find and fulfill
their full potential. Our vision: a godless congregation in every town, city
and village that wants one.”[9]
Their meetings often involve singing popular non-theistic music, listening to
guest speakers, as well as socializing. There are at least 20 satellite
congregations in the US and UK as of this writing.[10]
Unitarian Universalist Churches
Unitarianism is a religion founded on the idea of diversity and social
justice.[11]
Given its inclusivity, congregations may range from very Christian-like to a
purely Secular Humanistic approach. Unfortunately, over the past 10-20 years,
the church has been moving away from emphasizing reason toward embracing all
beliefs.[12]
Thus, Unitarianism is becoming much less amenable to the views of atheists and
especially anti-theists, but it really depends on the congregation.
Childhood Education
There are a variety of options to help impart the values of Secular
Humanism to children. For example, there are several Sunday School-esque
programs for youth including the Humanist Learning Lab at Harvard, which
focuses on creating “a safe environment for youth to explore their identities
as critical thinkers and as compassionate, community-minded participants in our
diverse world.”[13]
Another is the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago’s Golden Rule Sunday School
which emphasizes “the Humanist ideals of living life ethically and joyfully.”[14]
Camp Quest is the secular alternative to Bible camp, which operates as a normal
summer camp, but also teaches “humanist values and ethics… [and] encourages
rational inquiry, free speech, and respect.”[15]
For secular families, there’s the Freethinking Families meetup group, which
provides socializing opportunities and a number of family oriented activities.[16]
Community
Virtual
There is quite a large atheist community within the World Wide Web, and
it is partly for this reason that the atheist movement has gained so much
momentum in the past 10 years. There are famous atheist blogs such as Pharyngula, Friendly Atheist, Sam Harris, and Greta Christina. There are
several video bloggers such as Cristina Rad,
JaclynGlenn, and The Amazing Atheist, and a plethora of
Youtube channels including DarkMatter2525,
NonStampCollector,
TheAtheistExperience,
and TheThinkingAtheist.
On reddit.com, as of this writing, r/atheism
has 2,108,568 members compared to r/christianity’s 73,079. On
it, people share articles, memes, and blogs related to atheist topics. I also
see the occasional request for advice from atheists who face discrimination
from their families and communities. The online secular community provides
emotional support for these individuals, and establishes a culture and set of
values that brings us together as a true community.
Local
As of this writing, there are 815 atheist meetup groups in 474 cities
and 17 countries.[17]
Often these communities organize activities and events such as volunteer
opportunities, happy hours, game nights, conferences, dinners, secular support
groups, political activism meetings, and presentations. Thus, they provide
socializing opportunities to strengthen the bonds and social networks of their
members.
For students, there’s the Secular Student Alliance. This organization
has many affiliates throughout high schools and universities within the United
States. Their mission is “to organize, unite, educate, and serve students and student
communities that promote the ideals of scientific and critical inquiry,
democracy, secularism, and human-based ethics.”[18]
For many atheist students, these groups are a safe zone to socialize with
supportive individuals who share their worldview.
Charity
As already mentioned, many atheist communities offer volunteering
opportunities. There are also many secular charities including Foundation
Beyond Belief, which picks 5 charities each quarter that address education,
poverty/health, human rights, the natural world, and interfaith efforts.[19]
There is also Humanist Charities, which “specializes in benevolent aid and
action to further the health and welfare of humankind. Its purpose includes
applying uniquely humanist approaches to those in need and directing the
generosity of American humanists to worthy disaster relief and development
projects around the world.”[20]
Unfortunately, despite our efforts to make the world a better place, there are
those whose distrust of atheists hinders our attempts at helping. In 2013
alone, there were several cases where atheist charities were rebuffed:[21]
- Kansas City atheists were not allowed to help a local Christian group distribute Thanksgiving meals.
- A $3,000 donation to a Morton Grove, IL park was rejected. Park officials said they did not wish to “become embroiled in a First Amendment dispute.”
- A group of Spartanburg, SC atheists were not allowed to volunteer in a Christian-run soup kitchen. The kitchen’s executive director said she would resign before accepting the atheists’ help and asked, “Why are they targeting us?”
God
Recent research has shown that science in and of itself can deliver
some of the same benefits as a belief in God. Fans of science consider it to be
a moral pursuit, since it emphasizes truth seeking, impartiality, and
rationality.[22]
In addition, using Carl Sagan’s metaphor, science is a candle in the dark which
helps illuminate our demon haunted world.[23]
Thus, it is associated with both morality and a sense of clarity about the
world. This is why studies show that when science fans are primed to think
about science, they act more moral, feel less anxiety about death, and are less
stressed when made to feel powerless.[24][25]
As firm believers in the utility of science, Secular Humanists not only receive
the benefits of helpful technology, better decision making, and wonder, but we
also experience the moral and emotional advantages as well.
Humanist Holidays
Winter Solstice
In the Northern Hemisphere, after the Summer Solstice, hours of
daylight steadily diminish until December 21st. This day (the Winter
Solstice) is the shortest of the year, and it marks the beginning of
lengthening days. In ancient cultures, the period of returning daylight
inspired a multitude of special celebrations including Saturnalia, Yalda, Yule,
Hanukkah, and Christmas.[26]
Often, these holidays coincided with religious mythology. However, for Secular
Humanists, the day is a fascinating astronomical phenomenon that provides an
opportunity to celebrate what we have learned about the universe and to revel
in its complexity.[27]
HumanLight
Held on December 23rd, HumanLight is a specifically Humanist
oriented holiday that seeks to provide a more human and compassionate
inspiration than the Winter Solstice. According to the HumanLight website, it “encourages
us to have fun enjoying music, art, food, and each other’s company. It gives us
an opportunity to convey in a positive way that, although we don’t believe in the
supernatural, we do believe in the growth and betterment of all people through
reason, science, compassion, joy, optimism and moral excellence. It is a
message we present in kindness, when we come together in a positive and
constructive atmosphere, not to engage in debate and not to criticize other
people’s beliefs.”[28]
National Day of Reason
In the United States, the National Day of Prayer is a federal day of
observance on the first Thursday in May “inviting people of all faiths to pray
for the nation.”[29]
This completely goes against the First Amendment of the US Constitution since
government money is contributed to the support of religion, thus excluding
those of no religion. In response, the American Humanist Association
established the National Day of Reason, which occurs on the same day. According
to the NDR website, “The goal of this effort is to celebrate reason—a concept
all Americans can support—and to raise public awareness about the persistent
threat to religious liberty posed by government intrusion into the private
sphere of worship.”[30]
Darwin Day
On February 12th, people around the world celebrate the
discoveries and life of Charles Darwin. His theory of evolution has been under
attack by many religious groups because it goes against their beliefs. However,
this theory is about as scientific as it gets, and we Secular Humanists embrace
it in particular because it helps us understand so much about our origins. Thus,
the holiday is a celebration of science and humanity, which provides us an
opportunity to show solidarity against religious fundamentalism.[31]
Conclusion
While the cultural institutions of Secular Humanists and other atheists
may not be nearly as pervasive as those of traditional religion, we are
certainly moving in that direction. Polls show that religion is in decline in
much of the world, and the Secular Humanists of today are founding the
institutions that will serve a much larger population of atheists in future years.[32]
Resources
Interesting article about how science can deliver the benefits of
religion
The Foundation Beyond Belief website
Find an atheist meetup group in your area
I finally looked up my town's Unitarian fellowship and university's SSA. Thanks for this article full of resources that will help me connect with likeminded lovers of mankind.
ReplyDeleteNo problem. I'm glad this was helpful to you.
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