Marketing.
That's right. That might be the one thing Mormon's have gotten right. Marketing and the skill to move public image.
Just over 100 years ago the Mormon's were a fringe group, a christian black sheep religion.
Come today, it is now arguably more mainstream. With the power of internet (have to say, their development team does a good job with their online resources and applications), advertisements, temples, an aggressive missionary effort, and a strong commitment to public service.
Mormonism is no longer that "weirdo" religion, but more like that "weirdo" religion "that just so happens has some of the nicest people who do good things."
As an ex-mormon, atheist, secular humanist...I want that ability. I want to be able to harness the capabilities of good publicity and good old fashioned public service to clear up and narrow the public depiction of who a secular individual is.
I also want to be able to have the sense of closeness. The Mormon Church is a terrible establishment, but when someone needed help or there was a need in the community that needed to be met, those crazy Mormons got shit done.
I've been thinking about this, because this past weekend was an awkward one with my family members. It's amazing to think how shallow the image of an "atheist" is and the understanding of atheistic philosophy is in the eye of the believer. It's insulting to know that believers see no value in secularists and freethinkers, and don't see the value in those already dead.
I want to change all of that. Atleast when I was mormon, I could use that title publicly without the risk of public shame and it was commendable in society. As an atheist, I feel very little of that, and it makes me sorrowful.
So I have come up with an organization idea. One for Secular Humanists, Atheists, Free Thinkers, Agnostics, and Skeptics (SHAFAS). An organization that is less interested in the argument for religion (which is dead), but more interested in creating a strong network of secularists and doing publicly observable good. Not for the sake of being observable of course, but that is a plus. I hope that being an atheist could mean more than just godlessness, but could be revealing of a persons genuine, goodhearted nature. And I imagine that a mission statement could go as follows:
"The mission of the SHAFAS Coalition for Human Free Thought and Intellectualism is to eliminate the stigma of non-belief and to create a world wide network of secular individuals that provide moral, financial, and educational support to all secular and non-secular persons in need through charity, public service efforts, and political activism. "
The "coalition" can work on a local basis and support local public schools with supplies and programs, political issues, city property, feed the poor, house the homeless, seperation of church and state, freedom from religion, and discrimination due to non-belief.
Now you might yell the words "whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on just a minute! There are already groups designed to do this and are already doing it!"
In which case you will be mostly correct, but there is a special variable here. We will help those institutions do what they are doing and fill in where they are not. Also, we would be in charge of the local exposure to persons of secular inclination through these service acts, educational seminars, and open discussion. Ken Ham and Bil Nye is NOT enough. We need to see the same inside our communities, but then after, go to work together even though the battle for the case for religion is still being fought.
I'd hope to one day make this a reality.
That's right. That might be the one thing Mormon's have gotten right. Marketing and the skill to move public image.
Just over 100 years ago the Mormon's were a fringe group, a christian black sheep religion.
Come today, it is now arguably more mainstream. With the power of internet (have to say, their development team does a good job with their online resources and applications), advertisements, temples, an aggressive missionary effort, and a strong commitment to public service.
Mormonism is no longer that "weirdo" religion, but more like that "weirdo" religion "that just so happens has some of the nicest people who do good things."
As an ex-mormon, atheist, secular humanist...I want that ability. I want to be able to harness the capabilities of good publicity and good old fashioned public service to clear up and narrow the public depiction of who a secular individual is.
I also want to be able to have the sense of closeness. The Mormon Church is a terrible establishment, but when someone needed help or there was a need in the community that needed to be met, those crazy Mormons got shit done.
I've been thinking about this, because this past weekend was an awkward one with my family members. It's amazing to think how shallow the image of an "atheist" is and the understanding of atheistic philosophy is in the eye of the believer. It's insulting to know that believers see no value in secularists and freethinkers, and don't see the value in those already dead.
I want to change all of that. Atleast when I was mormon, I could use that title publicly without the risk of public shame and it was commendable in society. As an atheist, I feel very little of that, and it makes me sorrowful.
So I have come up with an organization idea. One for Secular Humanists, Atheists, Free Thinkers, Agnostics, and Skeptics (SHAFAS). An organization that is less interested in the argument for religion (which is dead), but more interested in creating a strong network of secularists and doing publicly observable good. Not for the sake of being observable of course, but that is a plus. I hope that being an atheist could mean more than just godlessness, but could be revealing of a persons genuine, goodhearted nature. And I imagine that a mission statement could go as follows:
"The mission of the SHAFAS Coalition for Human Free Thought and Intellectualism is to eliminate the stigma of non-belief and to create a world wide network of secular individuals that provide moral, financial, and educational support to all secular and non-secular persons in need through charity, public service efforts, and political activism. "
The "coalition" can work on a local basis and support local public schools with supplies and programs, political issues, city property, feed the poor, house the homeless, seperation of church and state, freedom from religion, and discrimination due to non-belief.
Now you might yell the words "whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on just a minute! There are already groups designed to do this and are already doing it!"
In which case you will be mostly correct, but there is a special variable here. We will help those institutions do what they are doing and fill in where they are not. Also, we would be in charge of the local exposure to persons of secular inclination through these service acts, educational seminars, and open discussion. Ken Ham and Bil Nye is NOT enough. We need to see the same inside our communities, but then after, go to work together even though the battle for the case for religion is still being fought.
I'd hope to one day make this a reality.
"Just call me Bruce Wayne. I'd rather be Batman."
