Freethought Now!
So what exactly is "Freethought" and why is it important? Why does this organization exist and what exactly does it do? To each question an answer, but first we must explain the Campus Freethought Alliance. The Campus Freethought Alliance is an association of students who reject superstition, religionism, un-reason, creationism, and dogma based morality. As Secular Humanists, Alliance members observe real world consequences and actions to determine morality, and do not look to ancient religious texts that have little to say about todays industrial and modern technologically intensive world. Humanists reject the idea that that Atheists, Agnostics, and other non-theists and un-belivers have nothing positive to contribute to the world. In fact, we belive quite the contrary. A positive and fulfilling outlook on life can be more easily achived when one removes his or herself from the guilt, fear, and pressure of the chains of dogmatic belief. The lapses of stable human condition in the world are better treated with compassion, tolerance, and hope than false promises, conditionality, and subtle threats. Knowlege and wonder, tempered with a healthy scientific skepticism, holds the key to total global self reliance, liberty, and happiness for all mankind.
Now come the answers to the former questions. For the majority of the history of civilization people have lived under a governmental system of feudalism and/or in a place where holding certain ideas to be true proved dangerous and fatal. From Socrates, who died at the hands of a government angry at his analytical philosophy; to those imprisoned or killed in the Middle Ages for beliving the sun was at the center of the Solar System... on to Galileo, who was imprisoned for proving the very same, and to Darwin, criticised even today for his insightful formulation of the theory of evolution... The road to truth is littered with the bones of those who have endured, suffered, and even died, often brutal tortured deaths, for holding an unpopular belief no matter how rationaly it was formulated and accurate it was in practice. The whip-weilding hand of those who would silence the free thinking has all too often been the hand of religion, pseudo-theocracies, and superstitious mobs. Never again.
Ideals
A set of basic, yet powerful ideals is the driving force and rallying point of the Campus Freethought Alliance, and Humanists everywhere in general. We strive to:
1) To foster a cooperative environment where the Freethought Community works together to achive shared goals.
2) To promote and encourage freedom from superstition, irrationalism, and dogmatic religious assumptions.
3) To further the acceptance and application of science, reason, and critical thinking.
4) To challenge misrepresentations of non-religious lifestyles.
5) To create a community in which Freethinkers feel comfortable in their unbelief.
6) To cultivate in ourselves- and others- a sense of responsibility to, and compassion for humanity.
7) To promote humanistic values, such as tolerance, compassion, empathy and honesty, within our societies.
8) To counter all forms of religious political extremism.
9) To defend religious freedom and the separation of church and state.
10) To defend individual freedoms and civil liberties for all persons, regardless of race, sex, class, creed, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, etc.
11) To unite campus Freethinkers and Freethought groups in the pursuit of these common goals.
1) Freethought Community
There was never anything great done that was done by one person. There have been wonderously great leaders, to be sure, but it takes a community with common goals to accomplish any great task. A large (and growing) community of Humanists and Freethinkers exists right now, and the wisdom and resources of all of us are necessary to make positive changes and protect these ideals that are continually being attacked. The spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood that emanates from the community of Humanists and Freethinkers, and the shared goals we have and challenges we must face are the stalwart adherant that bonds us together and allows us to face each new sunrise with renewed hope and resolve.
2) Freedom from Dogma
Living under the stress, guilt, fear, and intolerance of a religious dogma, or superstition, or irrational belief system can be, and likely is, detrimental to any who chose to follow them. The severity of these beliefs and consequences thereof can be unnoticably small, and also unimaginably profound. Perhaps some of the lesser consequences are small: The superstitious person who, as an afterthought, throws his spilled salt over his shoulder has succeeded in making their surroundings that much dirtier. A person who circumvents a major portion of her path down the street because a black cat has walked there has wasted that much energy.
With increasing irrational resolve, the consequences grow. The decision not to date a specific person because their sun sign is "incompatible" with your own may be the worst mistake of your life. Perhaps there is something better and more constructive one can do with their Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights than be talked at. While medical treatment is the only way to heal their wounded son, maybe a child's parents pray to have their injured child "healed". This sort of blind faith and irrationality can be downright deadly. Jim Henson, and many many others would be alive today if they had relied on simple modern medicine rather than faith to take care of their ailments.
Yet another consequence of all types of irrationality, blind faith, and superstition is the politcal maneuvering and tampering that affects everyone everywhere. Hordes of politicians, voters, bureaucrats, and lobbying groups continually try to inject their beliefs into a (supposedly) neutral government, and have their belief systems hardwired into it. Personal freedoms, rationality, and liberty everywhere is in a constant state of threat by these relentless institutions who belive their way is the "only" way, and so must be forced upon all others.