On Sunday, Jan 8, the Atlanta Freethought Society was privileged to hear a presentation by Sean Faircloth and Elizabeth Cornwell, of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. The message was one that is near and dear to my heart: The Christians are rich, powerful, and very well organized politically. They have taken over the country, and we as secularists must act quickly and decisively in opposition.
Elisabeth Cornwell began the presentation with an overview of the RDF's "Out Campaign," which has been extremely successful in encouraging secularists, atheists, and non-believers of all stripes to live proudly and openly. In all parts of the world, the "Scarlet A" has become a powerful symbol of the repression and open persecution of atheists, and a defiant statement that we will be silent no longer. Of special note: There has even been one "Out" website in Afghanistan. This example of genuine bravery in the face of life-threatening persecution is a reality check for those of us in the West who are worried about losing our spouse or our job.
I was particularly enthusiastic about one of Elisabeth's thoughts on changing the image of atheism. "Atheist exposure is only about controversy," she said. "This has to change." It is good, of course, that we are fighting to remove the commandments from courthouses, or nativities from government lawns. These are things that need to be done. But there also needs to be a positive public element to atheism. (At the risk of tooting my own horn, here are some examples of positive atheism from my own column: LINK LINK LINK)
As part of a strategic policy of moving forward as a political force, Elisabeth emphasized the need for a Political Action Committee (PAC), a tool the Religious Right has used with staggering results. In fact, she continued, we need to make a deliberate effort to imitate the strategies of the theocrats, at least as far as their organization and effective communication of ideas.
Sean Faircloth's presentation was taken largely from his new book, Attack of the Theocrats, which I recommend and will be reviewing in detail soon. (BUY IT HERE.) Designed both as an expose and a strategic textbook of sorts, it outlines strategies for reclaiming America as a secular nation, and more importantly, offers concrete ways that each of us can help in a meaningful way.
As part of his "Six Ways to Reframe Secular Issues and Strategy," Sean offered a powerful weapon that all of us can use, whether we're blogging for thousands or chatting at dinner. In order to help the average American sympathize with secular causes, we need to embrace storytelling. We secularists, atheists, and agnostics sometimes tend to get caught up in statistics and data. We believe that empiricism is the correct way to arrive at truth, so we spend lots of time talking about the empirical data. Of course, empiricism IS the correct way to arrive at truth, and we ARE correct to be sticklers for data, but data is only the first step. We are obliged to also use data to determine how best to communicate facts and data. Sean raised a pointed question: "Are we smart enough to change our strategy?"
To counter the bombast from the Right, Sean reminded us of Franklin Roosevelt, whose "Fireside Chats" used personal stories to connect millions of Americans to the political process. While one story isn't enough to change anyone's mind, thousands of stories, or tens of thousands, being told by hundreds of thousands of people, are very powerful. We need to connect the removed world of politics with the day to day lives of Americans. We need to show them personal examples of how theocracy is destroying individual lives. As an example, he cited the legal favoritism of Christian day cares which has led to abuse and even death for children. (LINK) (LINK)
The event was well attended. I counted at least fifty people, including noted firebrand activist and author Al Stefanelli and activist big wig Ed Buckner. The message seemed to be very well received, and there was lots of excited talk at Lin's Chinese Buffett during the informal lunch gathering afterward. It is very encouraging in this time of economic and social turmoil to know that influential secularists are working actively to turn the atheist movement into far more than beer socials and blogs. Thanks to Sean and Elizabeth for taking time out of their busy schedules to speak with us. Thanks to everyone who attended, and special thanks to anyone who has been motivated to more directed political and social activism.
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