What we’re doing can work. It is working.
So let’s keep it up.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
On Other People’s Behalf: Anger and Compassion
“But why are you atheists so angry?
“If atheism is so great — where does all this anger come from? Surely that’s not a good sign. Surely it’s a sign that you’re dissatisfied, that you’re self-absorbed, that you lack meaning and purpose in your life. Doesn’t all this anger show that there’s something wrong with atheists?”
Many people will read this book, and will agree with all or most of it. They’ll read the first chapter, the long list of outrages committed by religion, and they’ll be sickened and appalled. They’ll agree that terrible, wicked, unthinkably hideous damage has been done, to millions of people, for centuries and indeed millennia, in the name of religion.
And they’ll still think that atheists’ anger proves there’s something wrong with us. They’ll think atheists are angry because we’re selfish. Whiny. Absorbed in our own problems. They’ll think atheists are angry because we’re unhappy. Because we lack joy and meaning in our lives. Because we have a God-shaped hole in our hearts.
So I want to conclude by pointing out something about atheist anger.
Most of it isn’t about how atheists are treated.
It’s about how believers are treated.
Of course we’re mad about damage done to atheists. And that’s valid. There’s real bigotry against us, real discrimination, and it’s entirely fair for us to be angry about it. But most of our anger isn’t about how religious believers treat atheists.
It’s about how religious believers treat other believers. It’s about believers getting taken advantage of by religious leaders. It’s about believers getting AIDS because their church told them not to use condoms. It’s about believers getting their genitals mutilated because their religion tells them their god demands it. It’s about believers being terrorized into unquestioning obedience by the threat of eternal burning and torture.
It’s anger on other people’s behalf.
Atheists aren’t angry because we’re selfish, or joyless, or miserable. Atheists are angry because we have compassion. Atheists are angry because we have a sense of justice. Atheists are angry because we see millions of people being terribly harmed by religion, and our hearts go out to them, and we feel motivated to bloody well do something about it.
Atheists aren’t angry because there’s something wrong with us.
Atheists are angry because there’s something right with us.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
What Now?
So now you’re mad. (I hope so, anyway!) You’re convinced that religion is not only mistaken, but inherently harmful. You’re convinced that your anger is valid. You’re convinced that acting on your anger is valid. And you’re convinced that acting on your anger can be effective, and isn’t a waste of time.
What can you do about it?
The next chapter has a list of resources for action. It includes activist organizations, local communities, print information, online information, online support, and lots more.
Pick one.
I, for one, would be happy for you to do any of this. Pick the ones that resonate with you. The ones you find inspiring. The ones you’re good at. The ones you have time and resources for. The ones you think will be fun.
If you’re angry about religion, and you want to picket the Mormon Church, or draw stick figures of Muhammad on your campus, or stick a nail through a communion wafer and throw it in the trash and post the pictures on the Internet… you should do that.
And if you’re angry about religion, and you want to put up billboards saying that atheists are good people, or help organize fun social events at your local atheist meetup group, or simply come out as an atheist to your friends and family… then you should do that, too.
We need all of that. And all of that helps to dismantle religion.
Speaking out passionately against religion and its evils helps dismantle it. Persuading people that religion is mistaken helps dismantle it. Fighting against the unfair privileged status that religion enjoys in our society and our legal system helps dismantle it.
But making atheism more visible, and projecting a positive public image of atheism, and creating a fun, supportive atheist community… these also help dismantle religion. They refuse the social consent that religion relies on to perpetuate itself. They let people know that atheism is an option — and not only an option, but a valid and satisfying option, with joy and meaning. They give people a safe place to land when and if they leave their faith.
So if you’re angry about religion, what should you do?
You should do whatever floats your boat.
You should do whatever form of activism you think is fun and inspiring. Wear an atheist T-shirt to the airport. Organize a same-sex kiss-in at the Mormon Church. Organize a canned food drive for your local food bank. Organize an atheist outing to a karaoke bar. Write a letter to the editor about anti-atheist bigotry in custody cases, or religious proselytizing in the military, or why you support the local atheist billboard campaign. Sponsor an atheist billboard campaign. Show up at your local atheist meetup group. Come up with ideas for activities for your local atheist meetup group… and help make them happen. Show up for the activities that your local atheist meetup group is already having. If there’s no local atheist meetup group in your area — start one. Go to a show of an atheist musician, or artist, or slam poet. Link to nifty bits of internet atheism on Twitter or Facebook. Go to a school board meeting and insist that evolution be taught in science class. Go to an atheist conference. Organize an atheist conference. Organize an atheist film festival in your town. Host an atheist movie night in your living room. Donate atheist books to prisons. Donate money to American Atheists or the Secular Student Alliance. Donate money to Camp Quest or the Foundation Beyond Belief. Start a blog. Put an atheist bumper sticker on your car. Get into arguments about religion on the internet. Tell someone you know that you’re an atheist.
I’m happy with just about anything you might do.
As long as you do something.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Resources
This is by no means an exhaustive list. It’s just meant to get you started.
ORGANIZATIONS
African Americans for Humanism
Supports skeptics, doubters, humanists, and atheists in the African American community, provides forums for communication and education, and facilitates coordinated action to achieve shared objectives.
aahumanism.net
American Atheists
The premier organization laboring for the civil liberties of atheists and the total, absolute separation of government and religion.
atheists.org
American Humanist Association
Advocating progressive values and equality for humanists, atheists, and freethinkers.
americanhumanist.org
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
A nonpartisan organization dedicated to preserving church-state separation to ensure religious freedom for all Americans.
au.org
Atheist Alliance International
A global federation of atheist and freethought groups and individuals, committed to educating its members and the public about atheism, secularism and related issues.
atheistalliance.org
Atheist Alliance of America
The umbrella organization of atheist groups and individuals around the world committed to promoting and defending reason and the atheist worldview.
atheistallianceamerica.org
Atheist Ireland
Building a rational, ethical and secular society free from superstition and supernaturalism.
atheist.ie
Black Atheists of America
Dedicated to bridging the gap between atheism and the black community.
blackatheistsofamerica.org
> The Brights’ Net
A bright is a person who has a naturalistic worldview. A bright’s worldview is free of supernatural and mystical elements. The ethics and actions of a bright are based on a naturalistic worldview.
the-brights.net
Camp Quest
Residential summer camps for the children of atheists, freethinkers, secular humanists, and humanists.
campquest.org
Center for Inquiry
Their mission is to foster a secular society based on science, reason, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values. They have many local branches with regular meetings.
centerforinquiry.net
Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
A satirical church created to make fun of religion and point out the absurdity of teaching creationism in public schools. They hold that an invisible and undetectable Flying Spaghetti Monster created the universe after drinking heavily. Praise his Noodly Appendage!
venganza.org
Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
Their mission is to promote scientific inquiry, critical investigation, and the use of reason in examining controversial and extraordinary claims.
csicop.org
Council for Secular Humanism
Their mission is to advocate and defend a nonreligious lifestance rooted in science, naturalistic philosophy, and humanist ethics and to serve and support adherents of that lifestance.
secularhumanism.org
Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain
Non-believers, atheists, and ex-Muslims, are establishing or joining the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain to insist that no one be pigeonholed as Muslims with culturally relative rights nor deemed to be represented by regressive Islamic organisations and “Muslim community leaders.”
ex-muslim.org.uk
Equal Rights Now — Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran
Established to promote women’s freedom, emancipation and equality between women and men in the social, economic and political arenas as well as to strive for an end to sexual discrimination.
equalrightsnow-iran.com
First Church of Liberty
Anti-faith based ministry for people on their quest to understanding life, the universe and everything.
churchofliberty.org
Foundation Beyond Belief
A charitable foundation created to focus, encourage and demonstrate humanist generosity and compassion.
foundationbeyondbelief.org
Freedom From Religion Foundation
Works to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism, and to promote the constitutional principle of separation between church and state. The Foundation is the nation’s largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and skeptics) with over 17,000 members.
ffrf.org
Freethought Kampala
A club that seeks to encourage dialogue between freethinkers in the Kampala area, and promote reason, logic, science and critical thinking in this highly superstitious society.
freethoughtkampala.wordpress.com
The Freethought Society
Committed to education, investigation, and understanding.
ftsociety.org
Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard
Dedicated to building, educating, and nurturing a diverse community of Humanists, atheists, agnostics, and the nonreligious at Harvard and beyond.
harvardhumanist.org
Humanist Community Project
This initiative, from the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard, is an attempt to research and provide resources to Humanist, skeptic, atheist and nonreligious communities around the country so they can build, grow and improve their local efforts.
humanistcommunityproject.org
Humanist Association of Ireland
Promote the ideals and values of Humanism: an ethical philosophy of life, based on a concern for humanity in general, and for human individuals in particular.
humanism.ie
Institute for Humanist Studies
A humanist think tank committed to information and practices meant to address the socio-political, economic and cultural challenges facing communities within the United States and within a global context.
humaniststudies.org
International Committee Against Stoning
Preventing the implementation of stoning sentences; fighting to abolish stoning.
stopstonningnow.com
The James Randi Educational Foundation
An educational resource on the paranormal, pseudoscientific, and the supernatural. Their mission is to promote critical thinking by reaching out to the public and media with reliable information about paranormal and supernatural ideas so widespread in our society today.
randi.org
Kasese United Humanist Association
Promoting humanism and Free thought in communities around the country, with special reference to the Western Uganda region.
kaseseunitedhumanist.webs.com
Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers
Their mission is to provide a supportive community for nontheistic service members, to educate military leaders about nontheism, and to resolve insensitive practices that illegally promote religion or unethically discriminate against nontheism.
militaryatheists.org
Military Religious Freedom Foundation
Dedicated to ensuring that all members of the United States Armed Forces fully receive the Constitutional guarantees of religious freedom to which they and all Americans are entitled by virtue of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
militaryreligiousfreedom.org
National Secular Society
Britain’s only organisation working exclusively towards a secular society. Founded in 1866, they campaign from a non-religious perspective for the separation of religion and state and promote secularism as the best means to create a society in which people of all religions or none can live together fairly and cohesively.
www.secularism.org.uk
Pakistani Atheists and Agnostics
PAA is about rational thought, compassion, science, freedom, and education. They provide a forum for freethinkers in Pakistan to get together, share ideas and strive for common ambitions.
e-paa.org
Recovering From Religion
If you are one of the many people who have determined that religion no longer has a place in their life, but are still dealing with the after-effects in some way or another, Recovering From Religion may be the right spot for you.
recoveringfromreligion.org
Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science
Their mission is to support scientific education, critical thinking and evidence-based understanding of the natural world in the quest to overcome religious fundamentalism, superstition, intolerance and suffering.
richarddawkinsfoundation.org
Secular Coalition for America
The national lobby representing the interests of atheists, humanists, agnostics, freethinkers and other nontheistic Americans.
secular.org
Secular Organizations for Sobriety
An alternative recovery method for those alcoholics or drug addicts who are uncomfortable with the spiritual content of widely available 12-Step programs. SOS takes a reasonable, secular approach to recovery and maintains that sobriety is a separate issue from religion or spirituality.
cfiwest.org/sos
Secular Student Alliance
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.
secularstudents.org
The Skeptic’s Society
Their mission is to investigate and provide a sound scientific viewpoint on claims of the paranormal, pseudoscience, fringe groups, cults and claims between: science, pseudoscience, junk science, voodoo science, pathological science, bad science, non
science and plain old nonsense. Publishes Skeptic Magazine.
skeptic.com
Society for Humanistic Judaism
Mobilizes people to celebrate Jewish identity and culture consistent with a humanistic philosophy of life.
shj.org
Stiefel Freethought Foundation
Provides financial support and volunteer strategy consulting to the Freethought Movement.
stiefelfreethoughtfoundation.org
United Coalition of Reason
A nonprofit national organization that helps local nontheistic groups work together to achieve higher visibility, gain more members, and have a greater impact in their local areas.
unitedcor.org
Women Against Fundamentalism
Challenges the rise of fundamentalism in all religions. Members include women from many backgrounds and from across the world.
womenagainstfundamentalism.org.uk
ONLINE FORUMS /RESOURCES /SUPPORT NETWORKS
Atheism Resource
Provides information about atheism from a historical, cultural, political, psychological, sociological, and scientific perspective.
atheismresource.com
Atheist Nexus
The world’s largest coalition of nontheists and nontheist communities.
atheistnexus.org
Atheists of Color: A List
A list of prominent atheists of color, organizations of atheists of color, and atheist organizations predominantly focused on and/or participated in by people of color.
freethoughtblogs.com/greta/2011/03/21/atheists-of-color
The Clergy Project
A confidential online community for active and former clergy who do not hold supernatural beliefs.
clergyproject.org
ExChristian.net
Why Are You Atheists So Angry? 99 Things That Piss Off the Godless Page 14
