Post By Sam Shore.
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Ever since Phil added me to the crew here at Skeptic Money, I’ve been debating whether to do some sort of introductory post or jump right into the issues. Serendipitously, it looks like I’ll be able to kill two birds with one stone. As Hemant Mehta reported a couple of days ago, a new chapter of the Secular Student Alliance was initially denied approval to form at the Carbondale campus of Southern Illinois University by that school’s Undergraduate Student Government. This story piqued my interest for a few reasons. As an officer in the Illini Secular Student Alliance, I am well aware of the communal, educational, and charitable benefits of having an SSA affiliate on campus. That one would be denied the blessing (well… not blessing. But you know.) of the host university is troubling to me, doubly so that the incident occurred so close to home – less than 200 miles away. On a larger scale, this is another chapter in the tale of American atheist horror stories which showcases the growing pains our country is facing as it makes the glacial move towards embracing reason.
According to members of the newly-formed SIUC SSA, student senators cited their perception of the proposed group as mocking of religion when initially voting against its recognition as a Registered Student Organization. Even if secularism is inherently antagonistic to the religious (and it isn’t) I cannot see the relevance of this – surely Catholic RSOs are not disallowed despite their allegiance to a philosophy which is innately hostile to LGBT students. My own organization has been accused of mocking religion after chalking stick figures of Muhammad in support of the creators of South Park after they received death threats from Muslim extremists for depicting that religion’s beloved prophet. There are three important points to make about this incident: Never was our perceived mockery a threat to our standing as a Registered Student Organization, in its wake we have been able to forge a strong relationship with the Muslim Student Association on campus, and it has allowed ISSA to take a leadership role in setting the tone for how secular and faith-based organizations interact. Some of Interfaith’s largest biggest names have taken notice of our new “Transfaith” initiative based on the belief that we can still work with those we disagree with while still airing those disagreements rather than packing away all intellectual honesty. In my experience, the perception that something is mocking can have some positive outcomes and should not be immediately disavowed.
Dangerous religious mockery...
Of course, none of the things that ISSA does and I get to brag about could be done without significant support from the community at large. Phil helps out greatly, so do CFI and the SSA. But our largest contributor is consistently the university itself. When a group of us went to Florida to rehab houses with Habitat for Humanity, we were eligible as a Registered Student Organization to have a large portion of travel expenses covered. When we’ve brought in engaging speakers like biologist PZ Myers and historical researcher David Fitzgerald (coming this week!), the University of Illinois has been there to help foot the bill. That SIUC’s chapter of SSA is already facing resistance from its home school concerns me. If they work together, the potential for educating and helping the community is great, but that relationship is off to a rocky start.
Inciting discussion and planning events are two great facets of what a strong secular student organization can accomplish, but to me the most fundamental aspect of ISSA is the community it creates. Earlier in this post, I linked to an entry in Greta Christina’s blog which in turn cites a number of studies highlighting just how alienated secular individuals can be from their neighbors. Providing a haven for the nonreligious, especially in a campus environment which is many students’ first experience away from the comfort of home, is essential. Furthermore, doing so empowers members to feel secure in their beliefs despite being confronted by a brainwashed theistic mainstream, perhaps even allowing them to challenge that norm. As a student of social science, I have come to the conclusion that the principle of Garbage In, Garbage Out applies to societies as much as it does computer systems and that fostering reason in our everyday lives is paramount to ensuring a stable, productive, and safe society.
While the SIUC SSA is now an approved student association, that the road it took to reach this point was a bumpy one should be a cause of concern for the students of that university, its administration, and the Illinois taxpayers who fund public schools like Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Aside from the clear First Amendment issue, chapters of the Secular Student Alliance can and do provide leadership in promoting science, reason, and philanthropy – pillars of any thriving collegiate community. For my part, I welcome ISSA’s new sister organization and look forward to working with its members.
