Starting An Atheist
Group In Indonesia
Angga
From: "Pra... Dir..."
To: "Positive Atheism Magazine" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Subject: just think and life
Date: Saturday, March 03, 2001 5:07 AM
Hi, Cliff
Wow it takes soo long since our last communicate
Cliff I need your help (if you don't mind):
I need information about other atheist group or friend in Asia region especially Indonesia so I can make my dream become reality, and Cliff I know you are a busy man but I admire you because without you, people like me will not have enough courage to stand up and think about the god and religion concept.
Cliff I want to be like you, I want to organize an atheist group in my city and if you have time I hope gave me idea or support.
nb: GOD IS ALREADY DEATH
thanks Angga
17th years old boy
with no reason to
believe at all
From: "Positive Atheism Magazine" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
To: "Pra... Dir..."
Subject: Re: just think and life
Date: Saturday, March 03, 2001 8:51 AM
You first need to be able to explain why people need a group. Otherwise, people will not want to join. In India, the atheist groups were and are the charities. They also exposed the tricks of the charlatans and exploiters. In the West, the atheist groups counter the destructive influence of organized religion, as Christianity has had a powerful grip on Europe and the Americas for centuries. A few atheist groups bill themselves as an "oasis" where you can get away from religious people and associate with other atheists, but I have watched such groups have a very difficult time keeping members.
To me, the only reasons to organize into groups is when we need to get together to get some work done. If that's the separation of religion from government, then there are plenty of religious people interested in that, so this is not about atheism. If there are kids to help or people to feed or hospitals to build, then you likewise do well to associate with anybody -- atheist or religious -- who is interested in working toward those goals. Even my efforts to stump for the dignity of atheists and the nonreligious brings me into more contact with religious people than it does with atheists.
If it's about making friends, I cannot help you because I am pretty much of a loner, and that by choice. One thing I do know, it will be a long time before I make friends based upon a common ideology (such as atheism). Similar intellectual level? Yes. Common ideology? I don't think so. Don't ask me why, but I'm not doing that any time soon.
Cliff Walker
"Positive Atheism" Magazine
Five years of service to
people with no reason to believe
Material by Cliff Walker (including unsigned editorial commentary) is copyright ©1995-2006 by Cliff Walker. Each submission is copyrighted by its writer, who retains control of the work except that by submitting it to Positive Atheism, permission has been granted to use the material or an edited version: (1) on the Positive Atheism web site; (2) in Positive Atheism Magazine; (3) in subsequent works controlled by Cliff Walker or Positive Atheism Magazine (including published or posted compilations). Excerpts not exceeding 500 words are allowed provided the proper copyright notice is affixed. Other use requires permission; Positive Atheism will work to protect the rights of all who submit their writings to us.