Most nonbelievers recognize the difficulty of bringing atheists, humanists, and freethinkers together. Protests about how "we're not joiners" are so common that they have become a psychological hurdle, if not an actual one. And yet, many questions remain unanswered. Is it desirable to strive for a united secular community? What might such a community look like? Is it even possible to bring people together under the banner of nonbelief in gods? This post addresses whether a secular community is something we should seek.
Terminology
Some terminology may be helpful at the outset. I think of "secular community" as being an umbrella term describing nonbelievers of all sorts. Some call themselves atheists, secular humanists, agnostics, freethinkers, etc. In this way, "secular community" is synonymous with "reality-based community." Those described by such labels are quite diverse. All stand outside of reality distortion field that is faith.
Is There a Secular Community?
In one sense, yes. In the sense that there are large numbers of people who live outside of religious traditions and who identify themselves as secular humanists, atheists, agnostics, nonbelievers, freethinkers, and the like, there is a secular community. However, it is probably more accurate to say that while there are secularists, there is little that resembles any sort of community. In fact, it is not clear whether it is possible to achieve any sort of meaningful community by attempting to unite nonbelievers around their lack of belief. But I'm jumping the gun. Before asking ourselves if it is possible, we must consider whether it is worthwhile.
Should There Be a Secular Community?
Of all the worthwhile goals individuals can have, should one be the development of a meaningful secular community (or multiple secular communities)? Yes, I believe that this is a worthy goal. Among the many reasons I think we need such a community (or communities) are the following:
- Political power. Secular Americans have Christian allies in the struggle to keep church and state separate, but it is unlikely that they can succeed without our help or that we can succeed without their help. This and other political goals shared by many (though not all) nonbelievers requires increased political power. This is not only a case of strength in numbers; it is a case where numbers organized into pressure groups and voting blocs are needed to protect our liberties.
- Psychological sense of community and social support. Psychologists have long recognized the benefits to physical and mental health from perceived social support and psychological sense of community. Humans are social creatures who benefit from affiliation and belonging. I have found little reason to believe that nonbelievers are different. We too will benefit from belonging to groups of like-minded individuals from whom we derive support.
- Creative growth. For many of us, creativity and the growth of important ideas does not occur in a vacuum. We benefit from having people around us with whom we can exchange ideas and engage in meaningful dialogue. On a personal level, I can say that I would not be where I am today without the comments I receive on this blog and the interactions I've had with others on their blogs. We need interaction to fuel our creativity and development.
- Shared wisdom. Whatever crisis you are going through at the moment or whatever difficult question you are now wrestling, someone else has dealt with similar circumstances and has something to offer. A community, even an informal community operating in cyberspace, offers shared wisdom. Those who have more life experience have much to teach us and are often able to offer invaluable perspectives.
- Safety and protection. Strength in numbers is not just about politics. The more visible and empowered nonbelievers become, the harder it will be for the believers to threaten and intimidate us. This is why community seems to become even more important in regions dominated by Christian extremists where religious differences are not tolerated.
- Setting the record straight. Nonbelievers, especially atheists, are bombarded with misconceptions about what they believe and who they are from the mainstream media. The ability of any individual to correct these misconceptions and attempt to educate the public is more limited that what an organized community can do. Even loosely connected activist groups can exert a sort of public pressure that no individual can achieve.
I could keep going for some time, but I think this is enough to get across the point that there are benefits to a secular community. Of course, this raises more questions. Is such a community possible? If so, what might it look like?
Relevant Reading:
- Atheist Awakening: Secular Activism and Community in America
- Living the Secular Life: New Answers to Old Questions
Image by Henning Westerkamp from Pixabay
This post contains Amazon.com affiliate links, and I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links. This is one of the ways readers can support Atheist Revolution.
An early version of this post first appeared on Atheist Revolution in 2007. It was revised and expanded in 2023.
