Is anyone involved in a local atheist group?

[vorlon13]

I attended some RR meetings back when they still had them. Basically it is a 12 Step program for atheists and agnostics, no spirituality or religious trappings at all.

[Mudhammam]

I'm the VP of my local atheist group. We're 11 years old this August, I believe.

Originally the group started out as a social gathering. Currently, we also participate in street cleans for the street we adopted, we run charity fundraisers - most recently for the only secular AA group in our locality - and various other volunteer efforts. We keep our members busy with side items - like book clubs and goofy holiday celebrations. Three years ago I started a tradition of going to brunch for Darwin's birthday and all of us wearing weird hats. Recently some of us participated in a 5k whose proceeds went to a non-profit which has donated hundreds of thousands to women's shelters and anti-abuse campaigns. We have our annual summer picnic on Sunday. We'll have a booth at Pride Charlotte and we're hoping to march in the parade this year. We organize speaker series - we've had several people out to give talks, including Hemant Mehta, Greta Christina, and Seth Andrews (I didn't get to meet Greta, but Hemant and Seth really are palpably nice people.)

We discuss just about everything. Whatever we feel like. Some people like philosophy and they go off and talk about that. Some of us are obsessed with Skyrim and gaming in general, and we talk about that. Some of us also like beer - we have several home brewers - and we do a lot of drinking AND talking. It's like having a forum in real life.

I really care about this group because I had NO ONE when I moved down beyond my ex's family. I was so lonely for a very long time - lonely enough that I didn't even realize quite how bad it was. Having a safety net of people who cared about me just because I seemed nice and needed a friend was one of the factors that helped turn things around for me during a rather depressed part of my life. I met my boyfriend there. We have several very good friends out of that group.

The group also participated at the DNC a couple years ago, giving speeches about the separation of church and state. Dave Silverman (American Atheists) was there and I got to meet him. We try to keep our thumbs in the community to let people know we're here and ready to help and that we don't eat babies.

That sounds totally awesome...I admit, I'm jealous. That definitely pushes me towards trying out the local group I located. Part of the thing about religion that I do miss is the social connection I had with people at the time, on a regular basis. Though I was young and forced to attend church, I still do find that something about church-goers I envy, minus the wasted time spent on religious nonsense.

[Ravenshire]

That sounds totally awesome...I admit, I'm jealous. That definitely pushes me towards trying out the local group I located. Part of the thing about religion that I do miss is the social connection I had with people at the time, on a regular basis. Though I was young and forced to attend church, I still do find that something about church-goers I envy, minus the wasted time spent on religious nonsense.

There are lots of ways to get the social part without having to join a specific group. Try a bowling league. Most lanes offer open leagues that are reasonably priced and if you have any athletic skills at all, you can be the teams "secret weapon" as you'll improve more than most during the duration of the league.

Softball is going just about everywhere right now (including, behind my house, assholes).

There are also reading clubs, movie clubs, music clubs, etc... Your local library should be able to help with any of these or any one of many others (libraries are often overlooked resources by people not looking for books).

If you're into role-playing games, your local used book store can probably help you connect with others who are looking for players.

There's a ton of social interaction out there.

[SteelCurtain]

Nashville Atheist Meetup group is pretty big. I go to "Karaoke with the Heathens" semi-regularly. They also do some hiking events, bowling, and coffee/dinner meetups. It's fun. It's totally weird being in a group of atheists, when you're so used to being the minority.

[Sejanus]

Nope, but I also don't attend a-leprechaun-ist and a-unicorn-ist meetings.

[The Grand Nudger]

-because they're picky about who they let in. You have to know the secret handshake.

[thesummerqueen]

There are lots of ways to get the social part without having to join a specific group. Try a bowling league. Most lanes offer open leagues that are reasonably priced and if you have any athletic skills at all, you can be the teams "secret weapon" as you'll improve more than most during the duration of the league.

In the South, it's hard to get into one of those groups and find one that isn't also flooded with church types. That's why we're trying to form little offshoots in our own group so people have at least a small band of hikers, or kayakers or gamers who won't try to preach to them.

[vodkafan]

I find the idea of an atheist group quite remarkable because it probably wouldn't happen in the UK; most people are apathetic about religion so even if they don't believe they would not think to form a group based around that concept. Definitely different to the situation in America.
I can see why thesummerqueen would find her group enjoyable. It sounds good!

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I was just thinking though if I was in such a group I would feel bad if someone I liked was excluded because he professed to be a christian or some religion; it's just not important enough. We can all believe what we want in my book, so long as we don't push it on others. Live and let live.

[Chad32]

I don't imagine many atheist groups would shun a christian that wanted to sit in, as long as that christian didn't try to convert anyone.

[Mudhammam]

Nope, but I also don't attend a-leprechaun-ist and a-unicorn-ist meetings.

Fair enough but don't underestimate the influence of people in the world who do believe in "leprechauns" and "unicorns," whom personally, I find it difficult to take seriously and therefore prefer an environment where I can engage a more intelligent group of people.