Why Outreach?
It couldn't be more simple. . . it's about reaching out to others. It isn't a religious thing, although theists have always engaged in outreach, albeit many times with an iron fist rather than a helping hand. In the past, faced with overwhelming bias, fanned by the defamatory rhetoric of organized religion seeking to keep their sheep from leaving the flock (the better to fleece them), atheists have often been unable or unwilling to be open about their nonbelief. Unfortunately, these were missed opportunities, lost chances to connect with others. But the fear that kept atheists silent wasn't necessarily unfounded; to admit to nonbelief was to risk alienation from your community, loss of your livelihood, and fear for your safety and that of your family. This negative perception, so carefully nurtured by organized religion which has always been its beneficiary, is embodied in my dog-eared 1977 edition of Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary: it defines Atheism as "ungodliness" and "wickedness".

There is a rich legacy of atheist writings from the past, but the average person isn't likely to come across them. When Gordon Stein, PhD., was editing his Anthology of Atheism and Rationalism in 1980, he noted that most of the materials he used in the compilation were not available elsewhere, not even in the collections of large university libraries, where one might hope to find such out-of-print works. Pressure from theists kept most dissenting views of religion out of the hands of citizens. Many works of the past were seized and destroyed, their authors or publishers even imprisoned for "blasphemous" writings. Those materials that survived long enough to make it into a library were often checked out by zealots and never returned. If you live near a library of modest size, as I do, chances are that a search using the word Atheism will yield two or three recent books on atheism and several works of condemnation by religious authors.

But today, thanks to access to computers and the internet, things ARE changing. It can't be denied that theists have access to the same technology, and they have more financial resources and a greater number of websites than we do, but then religion has always had access to money and media. In a sense, for the first time, we atheists have a place in which to compete. The 'net represents far and away our best hope for disseminating information to isolated atheists as well as to questioning theists seeking a different point of view.

This is an exciting and challenging time for atheists, but we must reach out to one another. Here are just a few of the messages from 25 states and three countries that Atheist Outreach has received over the past year, illustrating poignantly the need that exists. Each is carefully edited in order to protect the author's privacy:

"I'd like to know of any groups forming in my area. I am weary of being the only atheist I know and have experienced a lot of prejudice against my beliefs..." (California)

"...I dare not subscribe unless they come in a plain envelope... my neighbor would be shocked..." (California)

"...while searching the internet for information, I came across this email address... I am 17 years old. As a youth faced with much opposition in light of my religious views, I would appreciate information..." (Colorado)

"I am only 16 years old... I am tired of being called "Satan" by my peers and suffering bad grades... my teachers gave me extremely harsh grades when it came to my essays, simply because I am not a christian... I could not fight back because no one would listen... I am tired of being oppressed." (Oregon)

"I'm forlorn... gay... public hostage!... and atheist to the max!" (Iowa)

"I am an ex christian missionary who has recently embraced atheism... I am very interested specifically in the practical applications toward a more happy and productive world." (origin unknown)

"It has really been exciting to find that there are people out there who have similar views on religion... I feel positively "Born Again"!" (North Carolina)

"... We have a college professor that is... quoting the bible to us. We need to know what we can do about it. Please help!" (Virginia)

"... my own parents were never comfortable with my nonbeliefs... Now that I know I'm not alone... it's very overwhelming..." (Texas)

"I'm a 15 year old atheist... please email back with info... To evolution!!!!" (Canada)

"I am a 17 year old Atheist... I am very strong in my beliefs that I have the right, given to me by the U.S. Constitution, to choose a religion. I have chosen to follow science. There aren't many people around that I can talk to... so I come to you..." (Massachusetts)

"I found you! I've been feeling like I'm the only atheist in the world! Please sign me up..." (origin unknown)

"I don't speak english very well but I'm very happy today because I found people like me, full of reason..." (Brazil)

All it takes to reach out to each other is the will to do it. It doesn't have to be on a grand scale; there are lots of opportunities around us. If you haven't already done so, check out the Freethought Contacts Around the World website at http://www.infidels.org/people/contacts.cgi, or the Atheist Contact List at http://atheistnet.com and email everyone living nearby about getting together, or just to say hello. Put an ad in the newspaper asking people to meet in a place where you will all feel secure. . . a coffee shop, a room in the public library. Speak up more often, even if only in small groups; you might embolden someone else to give voice to their own unbelief and support to your position. Go to your public library, walk right past those hundreds of books on Christian mythology, straight to the librarian's table, and ask that the library order something on atheism. Do the same at your local bookstore. To continue in silence is to accept defeat just as religion is being proven increasingly irrelevant by science.

Sonia Johnson, the feminist ex-Mormon, has said her fantasy is that on any given Sunday, churches all over the country will be empty of women. I'd love to see that myself. Another dream I have is that one day atheists everywhere will accept as true what young Michael Bristor learned after his family's three-year fight with the Minneapolis School Board, because of their denial of a math award the six-year-old had earned in 1990. His only mistake: he was honest enough to tell his teacher he didn't want to pray because he didn't believe in a god.

After the legal fight was over, Michael said: "I've learned that what I think is just as important as what other people think."

In the uncomplicated words of a child, he summed up what is at the heart of our fears. Surely then, the rest of us can end our silent acquiesence. All we have to do is take that first small step, and reach out...

by Sandra Feroe
Editor, Atheist Outreach Newsletter