Atheist High School Club...

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-04-26 01:11pm

Just an Idea I have been toying with...I know the process of starting such a group, but do not know of any nifty club like activities...other than guest speakers, and political activism...Does anyone have any ideas?

Darth Garden Gnome · Post by **Darth Garden Gnome** » 2003-04-26 01:13pm

Going to the Christian Club room and cracking some fundie heads! That would get me to join, anyways.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-04-26 01:15pm

I already did that as a solo project on thursday(rather, I went in and half heartedly debated with the guest speaker, and now have the entire FCA hating me)

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2003-04-26 01:17pm

If you want to create a club, more power to you, but is it going to be anything past ridiculing Christians or religious people? What is so bad about the FCA?

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-04-26 01:27pm

Well I would like to have freethinking guest speakers. Go to church-state separation protests, and do things like that...But that would get boring and we would lose membership...Laser tag against the christian clubs would be fun(yes that was plural for christian clubs)

I just dont have many ideas for nifty club-like activities..and am asking for suggestions.

FCA: Fellowship of Christian Atheletes. They are a nation group of fundie christians that use peer pressure and brainwashing to get new members.

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2003-04-26 01:41pm

Alyrium Denryle wrote:I already did that as a solo project on thursday(rather, I went in and half heartedly debated with the guest speaker, and now have the entire FCA hating me)

So you Pwned his ass? W00t!

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2003-04-26 01:45pm

Alyrium Denryle wrote:FCA: Fellowship of Christian Atheletes. They are a nation group of fundie christians that use peer pressure and brainwashing to get new members.

WTF? The FCA is a group of, well, Christian Athletes. It is just a group of people who play sports and who are christians, nothing more nothing less. I don't see how you construe that is a group of fundie brain washers. Oh, BTW, back when I played golf in HS, I was a member. So screw you too.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-04-26 01:45pm

We sort of reached an impass. He was an experienced speaker, and I was ill-prepared.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-04-26 01:48pm

My school's FCA was hardly fundie and I knew many of the people on it.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-04-26 01:48pm

Mine is full of YECs.

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2003-04-26 01:52pm

Alyrium Denryle wrote:Mine is full of YECs.

So? How are they hurting you? Let them think what they want to. That still doesn't make them brainwashing fundies.

Iceberg · Post by **Iceberg** » 2003-04-26 01:56pm

Darth Garden Gnome wrote:Going to the Christian Club room and cracking some fundie heads! That would get me to join, anyways.

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2003-04-26 02:04pm

Christians are pretty much harmless... Well, not until they start trying to foist their anti-logic on you by infiltrating the government and passing laws, or, as they were apt to do in more ancient times, force you to convert at sword point.

Inquisition, anyone?

Utsanomiko · Post by **Utsanomiko** » 2003-04-26 02:13pm

In Freshman year of Highschool I formed an Anthiest Coalition of seven members. We didn't meet or anything, and I didn't ever bother asking more people, but basically there was an interest for a while.

Junior year I considered starting the Cult of the Cricket, which was going to be a school club using a four-tier cult centered around the Cricket Bible (sheets of notebook paper folded into quarters like a greeting card and basically read "I, (my name), shall be worshipped for all time, for I have 500 dead Crickets in My shoes." It served as the core doctrine of the cult, unprovable except through faith and rising through the tiers of the cult), which was all basically a facade for getting like-minded people together and weeding out the simpletons and conformists.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-04-26 02:27pm

Look I dont want to make you angry nathan. But on the announcments it said the FCA was hosting an open forum to discuss the Creation vs. Evolution topic. The organization, at least at my school is full of YECs and I figured I would go in and represent the other side.

The organization, on a national level, not necessarily at my school. has used peer pressure and mild brainwashing techniques to gain new membership. Including circumventing the establishment clause to hold school assembly's With guest speakers discussing "their source of strength" With the entire schoo attending, the alternative being study hall. http://www.iidb.org/vbb/showthread.php? ... n+athletes

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2003-04-26 02:56pm

Alyrium Denryle wrote:Look I dont want to make you angry nathan. But on the announcments it said the FCA was hosting an open forum to discuss the Creation vs. Evolution topic. The organization, at least at my school is full of YECs and I figured I would go in and represent the other side.

Well, more power to you then. And are they diehard verbatim creationists or the more liberal interpretation that includes evolution in the creation story, just out of curiosity.

The organization, on a national level, not necessarily at my school. has used peer pressure and mild brainwashing techniques to gain new membership. Including circumventing the establishment clause to hold school assembly's With guest speakers discussing "their source of strength" With the entire schoo attending, the alternative being study hall. http://www.iidb.org/vbb/showthread.php? ... n+athletes

Odd, we never had something like that at my school, or any other school in the area, iirc. Sure, there were FCA meetings, but not schoolwide sanctioned events. And if you don't want to go, then, well, go sit in study hall. The options are sit in the gymnasium (or wherever...) and listen to something you don't want to listen to, or go sit in a study hall and study or read, or whatever. Heck, hold your club meeting in the study hall. When they give you the option of not attending, I can't say I follow your 'brainwashing' theory. What I see is a somewhat isolated incident that happened at your school, and you are accusing all members of the FCA of being brainwashing fundies, and, I take personal offense at that. Tell me, truthfully, if this had been an assembly hosted by an atheists group to try to get people to get rid of religion, would you be so incensed by it?

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-04-26 03:13pm

They are diehard creationists...At least at my school. Though there are 3 baptist churches a kindom hall, 2 catholic churches and countless mormon churches all with in a few miles of my school, that I now of. It is a very religious area.

And that wasnt at my school. But for stuff like that, I dont like the organization overmuch.

In that case they gave two choices...Go listen to stupidity, and be socially accepted. Or separate yourself from the group...for ocial animals that is an unpleasant choice.

Studies hae been done on that particular subject. A perso was sat down in a room, and smoke was piped in, complete with lights and sounds of a fire in the room next door. The guy got up and left. Then they put actors in the room, and did the sme thing with 10 dfferent people, but the actors stayed put. In all 10 trials, the person stayed...even told the actors about the fire, and cted very ervous...pacing around the room. But they didnt leave.

Is going to a study hall really a viable option for human?

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-04-26 03:20pm

at your school, and you are accusing all members of the FCA of being brainwashing fundies, and, I take personal offense at that. Tell me, truthfully, if this had been an assembly hosted by an atheists group to try to get people to get rid of religion, would you be so incensed by it?

First off. This did not happen at my school. Secnd, I a not accusing the entire organization, I am sorry that I ddn make myself clear..but certain elements in it do such things. and it is an organization devoted to prosetylization..."To present to athletes and coaches and all whom they influence the challenge and adventure of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, serving Him in their relationships and in the fellowship of the church." ~Mission statement of FCA

And truthfully, I would be a little angry with such an action. Not s angry. but angry. Preaching atheism to a group f students that doesnt want to hear it presents the same ethical problems. Now if an atheist organization hosted a speaker that explained logical fallacies, or something of educational work..like a seminar on...biology or something similar. I woud have no problem with it. But preachng by both sides in a public school is legally unsound.

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2003-04-26 07:05pm

I dno't know about the ridiculing other religions, but it might be difficult to maintain an Atheist Society, as you can't do a lot of the usual stuff.

Organise special 'services' around religious holidays that could also be non-religious - the two solstices and the equinoxes for starters.

On a more frequent basis, what abotu arranging debates on ethical issues that religious people have sorted out for them by their shepards - abortion/the death sentence etc. try not to step on the toes of the ebating Society, and good luck

(you can tell who has 4 years experience in the Student Union, can't you?)

Robert Treder · Post by **Robert Treder** » 2003-04-26 07:35pm

Starting up a club as a political statement is a good idea, but you MUST be sure not to do anything wrong...don't say anything directly against Christianity, etc. They'll just be itching to shut your ass down, and you can't afford to make a wrong move.

Actually, I'd be surprised if you were able to start the club in the first place. At my school, you needed a faculty sponsor to start a club, and it might be difficult to procure one.

What I would do, instead of starting an atheist club, would be to start a Satanist club. You don't have to be a Satanist, but start it to teach people about Satanism and other alternate religions. It will cause a big stink, and that, I assume, is one of your goals. If I could do high school over again, I'd have started one up.

But, of course, be prepared to argue. At my school, people were cool for the most part, but it seems that once Christianity comes into the picture, even the best people become rabid retards. I had to punch a guy in the face at lunch one time because he wanted to convert me so bad. That was the only time I've ever hit anybody.

Iceberg · Post by **Iceberg** » 2003-04-26 07:37pm

The same, of course, also applies in the opposite direction (see: SLAM).

Robert Treder · Post by **Robert Treder** » 2003-04-26 07:52pm

The same what?

Iceberg · Post by **Iceberg** » 2003-04-26 08:18pm

As you said, "even the best people become rabid retards."

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-04-27 12:51pm

I may personally enjoy pissing theists off, t an extent. But that is not the purpose of the organization I want to start...
I will take a bit from the mission statement of the CFA

The CFA is dedicated to promoting and defending reason, science and freedom of inquiry in education, and to the enhancement of freethought, skepticism, secularism, humanism, philosophical naturalism, rationalism, and atheism on college and high school campuses throughout North America and around the world. The CFA consolidates international resources toward this end.

5. Are you anti-Christian or anti-religious?
No. The CFA believes in academic freedom, freedom of conscience and freedom of inquiry, and does not resist presenting rational and scientific critiques of religious, paranormal, and pseudo-scientific claims. There are no "sacred-cows" to the CFA, including religion. The CFA opposes attempts to force beliefs on others. However, the CFA promotes and defends church-state separation and religious liberty: the right of every person to believe and worship as he or she pleases, or not to do so at all. As such, the CFA is not anti-Christian or anti-religious. The CFA does, however, strongly oppose the politicization of personal religious beliefs.

Oh and Innerbrat....hanks for that idea...ethical debates...yes.