Why Are You Atheists So Angry? 99 Things That Piss Off the Godless (19 page)

Atheists aren’t angry because there’s something wrong with us.

Atheists are angry because there’s something right with us.

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.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. It’s just meant to get you started.

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