High School Atheist/freethinker Club

[XEN0]

I am currently a student attending a high school on the coast of California and have been thinking of starting an atheist/freethinker club at my school. I'm not anticipating any legitimate opposition to me actually trying to begin a club, but I am quite at a loss when it comes to what kind of activities a high school atheism club would participate in. One idea I have is creating a type of archived Q&A website for theists (or other atheists) at the school in order to both promote an awareness for what atheism is/is not and educate students in regards to the fallacies of mainstream religion.

...but in case this idea fails to gather momentum and attention, does anyone else have ideas for what a freethinker club at a high school can do?

[Darwinian]

Good for you and I wish you the best of luck.

Debates are always a good thing to hold as well as a weekly newspaper perhaps. Um, what else? I'll get back to you.

Welcome along by the way..

[Paul the Human]

Welcome to AF! That does sound like a great idea. Perhaps you and your fellow students could try to encourage others to become scientifically literate by actively endorsing the idea that knowledge > superstition. The more you know about how things work, the better and all that.

[bozo]

You might consider suggesting anyone interested getting hold of a copy of Dawkins' " The God Delusion " for starters and holding a debate around that.
Wish you luck!

[Paul the Human]

"The Case Against God" by George H. Smith is a good suggestion, too. Dawkins is a more scientific look at the question of the existence of god, while Smith's is a more philosophical look. Both excellent books for such a purpose.

[XEN0]

Thanks for all the replies guys!

I'm mainly looking for something to attract new potential members; when and if I do start a club, the initial number of members will be very low, so it would probably be a good idea to hold off on debating until the club becomes more established (plus, it is very easy for high school students debating these subjects to become very emotionally heated and quite rowdy).

[Paul the Human]

In that case, I would stick to encouraging general and scientific learning. Knowledge (particularly scientific knowledge) is the best thing for combating superstition. Your idea for making a website as a group is good. Make doing the research for that your first group activity. At any rate, good luck. I hope it succeeds.

[Shell B]

Free cookies. That always attracts people to new clubs.

In all seriousness, passing out fliers or running a story about it in your school's newspaper is a good start. I like the idea of getting people into reading books about the subject. Perhaps, instead of calling it a debate, you could just encourage new members to read a specific book and then you all can discuss it (as well as potential new activities) at meetings. If it turns into a debate, great! Either way, you'll be discussing what you're interested in. As far as the freethinkers aspect of it, perhaps you should arrange a field trip of sorts to an event near you. That way, you don't have to arrange said event, you just have to get people to come with you. 'Freethinking' covers a lot of ground, so I'm sure you'll find something.

Good luck and welcome.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

I am currently a student attending a high school on the coast of California and have been thinking of starting an atheist/freethinker club at my school. I'm not anticipating any legitimate opposition to me actually trying to begin a club, but I am quite at a loss when it comes to what kind of activities a high school atheism club would participate in. One idea I have is creating a type of archived Q&A website for theists (or other atheists) at the school in order to both promote an awareness for what atheism is/is not and educate students in regards to the fallacies of mainstream religion.

...but in case this idea fails to gather momentum and attention, does anyone else have ideas for what a freethinker club at a high school can do?

Great idea,should be one at every public high school.I doubt there are any legal obstacles,but make yourself aware of your rights,and where to go if you have problems.


You asked, so below are a bunch of suggestions which might help your idea be more effective. Or not.

On your website perhaps start with basics, stating clearly what the words 'atheist' 'skeptic' and 'free thinker' mean and do not mean. Clearly and briefly state the aims of your site.

Perhaps help your members arm themselves with reason by having a section explaining the more common logical fallacies used by apologists EG:

Ad hominem (attacking the person rather than the argument.

Argument from ignorance ("I'm too ignorant, stupid,unimaginative or plain bloody minded to think of anything else,therefore God did it")

Argument from authority (it's true because the bible says )

Argument by consensus. ( a lot of people believe it therefore it's true)

No true Scotsman (those people who did those horrible things are not true Christians)



Keep in mind your target group is made of ordinary people who have the same broad interests and problems as anyone else.


Have information on a range of topics: such as:

Dealing with a religious family,'coming out' as an atheist ,as gay or a different political persuasion your parents.


Studies:From tips on passing exams to information on college entrance.

Dealing with depression,addictions and eating disorders, including where to get help.Teen suicide is a serious issue. Also deal with bullying,especially cyber bullying ( email, texting)


Information on sexual matters such as contraception (different choices and where to get stuff) Information on STDs ,including where to go for diagnosis and treatment as well as accurate information of the effects of untreated STDs.

Non judgmental information about all choices for a pregnant female,and where to get help. Whatever the choice,perhaps emphasis the choice is hers alone.

Sounds like a lot off work,a lot of fun,and probably a lot of personal satisfaction. I wish you well.