The Tech Talk

Issue date: 4/10/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Ryan Ball Chris Hobbs, a senior physics major, and Ashleigh Philippi, a senior marketing major, attend the Freethought Society meeting.

Diversity Day, held March 13, was a disappointment to Hollin Vicedomini, a junior mathematics major.

Since the event presented no organization dedicated to the beliefs of atheists and agnostics, she initiated the Free­thought Society and held an interest meeting last week in Tolliver Hall.

"Basically, I went to Diversity Day and saw there was not a group for secular students," Vicedomini said. "I felt there was a need for [a secular group] on campus since [secular students] did not have a place they could turn to."

The new group is a franchise of the Secular Student Alliance, a national organization which has increased its campus affiliate base 84 percent since this time last year, according to www.secularstudents.org.

The Web site tallies the SSA's roster at 129 active groups across the United States and is chaired by Hemant Mehta, co-author of I Sold my Soul on eBay: Viewing Faith through an Atheist's Eyes.

Attendees of the interest meetings discussed ideas found in books such as Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris and The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins.

Vicedomini said she and co-founder Rachael Drella, a sophomore physics major, were not surprised to find their informational posters provided by the SSA torn down. In turn, they designed new posters, minus the bold atheistic headlines, using instead the euphemism "freethought society."

"[The term] 'free thought' is more inclusive," Vicedomini said. "If you can support your argument with reason, then you're a free thinker."

In the vein of "free thought," secular students favor rational inquiry and speculation over religious thinking, as explained in the society's definition of a freethinker.

However, Jason May­hall, pastor of missio Dei, the college ministry of Christ Community Church, said this generation more often rejects rationalism for relative beliefs.

"Because we're living in a very relativistic age, rationalism has to go out the window," Mayhall said.

But even without debating religion, he said theists and atheists can discuss other aspects of the way they view the world.

Mayhall said he believes both sides should engage in dialogue regarding their beliefs more often.

"I think we should react favorably to it," Mayhall said. "It should be a natural crossroads for us to come together and talk about it. [Christians'] ideas need to be challenged just as much as theirs do."

Not only does Mayhall believe discussion to be beneficial, he also said non-believers should be offered an apology for some Christians' unChrist-like behavior.

"It would be healthy and humbling for secular students to be able to vent their frustrations about Christianity to Christians," he said. "We'd probably find we share very similar ideas."

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