Atheist Alliance
Posted on: February 16, 2007 - 12:07pm
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Atheist Alliance
Today at my school(Blair Academy, which is a predominately Christian school) myself and a few others officially started an Atheist organization. Already the headmaster of the school is working to oppose us in whatever way he can. I was just hoping if anyone could give me any ideas of what to do.
~ZE DRAGONFLY
YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE / MY ONLY SUNSHINE / WHEN YOU DON'T SHINE / I CAN'T PHOTOSYNTHESIZE ENOUGH ENERGY / TO WRAP MY LEAVES AROUND MY PREY
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Technically, the principle has no right to stop you. This is expressly covered by the third amendment. As long as the organization is not school-based, he has no control or power over it. By school-based I meant run as a school directive. Can you clarify what you mean by official?
"Physical reality” isn’t some arbitrary demarcation. It is defined in terms of what we can systematically investigate, directly or not, by means of our senses. It is preposterous to assert that the process of systematic scientific reasoning arbitrarily excludes “non-physical explanations” because the very notion of “non-physical explanation” is contradictory.
-Me
Books about atheism
Well its a private school first off, I should have mentioned that. But we have chosen officers, have a faculty advisor and recognition by the school chaplain. It is a little odd that the chaplain is backing us, but the headmaster is against it. I'm just hoping for some ideas that would help us out.
YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE / MY ONLY SUNSHINE / WHEN YOU DON'T SHINE / I CAN'T PHOTOSYNTHESIZE ENOUGH ENERGY / TO WRAP MY LEAVES AROUND MY PREY
Im a little confused. How is he trying to stop you? How will his attempts actually stop you? What does he think he is trying to accomplish? It's a free country (sort of). Basically what Im trying to say is...why dont you just 1) ignore him 2) file a complaint. What do you mean, he opposes it? What is he supposed to do about it?
"Physical reality” isn’t some arbitrary demarcation. It is defined in terms of what we can systematically investigate, directly or not, by means of our senses. It is preposterous to assert that the process of systematic scientific reasoning arbitrarily excludes “non-physical explanations” because the very notion of “non-physical explanation” is contradictory.
-Me
Books about atheism
I would suspect that the headmaster of a private school is afraid of backlash from parents that not only pay tuition, but also make donations.
Either that or he's one of those xians who doesn't tolerate any belief system but his own.
I'm curious about the type of private school this is as you say the school has a chaplin. This leads me to think it might be a church-based school.
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Yeah, it is. Mostly its pretty laid back in the way of religion, there is a Jewish Union, Christian Fellowship, and for a while there was the Gay Straight Alliance but that sort of stopped.
Now that the Atheists are trying to do something the Headmaster is trying to oppose it. Most of what we would try to do would be to raise money for different organizations and things.
YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE / MY ONLY SUNSHINE / WHEN YOU DON'T SHINE / I CAN'T PHOTOSYNTHESIZE ENOUGH ENERGY / TO WRAP MY LEAVES AROUND MY PREY
So it would be OK to have a group that raises money for charities as long as you don't use the word "atheist"?
If all those other groups exist, that's kinda sad.
Yeah, I suspect that the headmaster is afraid that donations might start disappearing.
Does your school have a handbook that lays out rules and regulations regarding faith and faith-based activities?
By the way, how do your parents feel about this? Why do they send you to a church-related school if you are a non-believer?
Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server.
My parents are both atheists, but the school isn't entirely faith based. Its normally pretty laid back, the only real religious things the school does is that we go to chapel once a week, which not really religious, just someone speaking about personal experiences. Also we will go to congregation in the fall once, which is basically like sunday chrch. Other than that its not very religious, its nothing at all like a church school.
the reason I go there is because its really a very good school, and its pretty close to my house
YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE / MY ONLY SUNSHINE / WHEN YOU DON'T SHINE / I CAN'T PHOTOSYNTHESIZE ENOUGH ENERGY / TO WRAP MY LEAVES AROUND MY PREY
Does your school have a handbook that lays out rules and regulations regarding faith and faith-based activities?
Maybe you'd have something to hang your hat on with that - especially if you've got the approval of the chaplain.
Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server.
No, no it doesnt.
That is a really good point!
thanks!
Ill bring this up with the others and try to work this out.
YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE / MY ONLY SUNSHINE / WHEN YOU DON'T SHINE / I CAN'T PHOTOSYNTHESIZE ENOUGH ENERGY / TO WRAP MY LEAVES AROUND MY PREY
As Susan alluded to, this sounds more like a political issue than a religious one. Especially with the chaplain on your side. Most chaplain positions(as far as I'm aware) are a mixture of secular and religious viewpoints. A short discussion with the headmaster about how it could expand the schools image through secular communities could be enough for him to calm down about it.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
You bring up a good point thanks
YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE / MY ONLY SUNSHINE / WHEN YOU DON'T SHINE / I CAN'T PHOTOSYNTHESIZE ENOUGH ENERGY / TO WRAP MY LEAVES AROUND MY PREY
Hi, sorry I didn't see this thread before.
Congrats on starting up your own atheist group for students.
I urge you to affiliate with the Secular Student Alliance. They can help you in many ways, and they can provide a network of support.
Their site: http://secularstudents.org/
I have personally let and partied with the SSA and they're awesome. Get involved!