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Bill Zingrone, a graduate student of psychology, and Kathryn Panger, a sophomore psychology major, share their thoughts on recent news stories concerning freedom of religion in Grant B Formal Wednesday night. Their organization NIU Atheists, Agnostics, and Freethinkers meets every Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Atheists, Agnostics and Freethinkers in danger of not receiving SA funding
The NIU student group Atheists, Agnostics and Freethinkers (AAFT) might not receive funding from the Student Association because of its potential designation as a religious organization.
AAFT, as described by president Kathryn Panger to the SA Senate, offers a “secular point-of-view” on the world. However, there is debate as to whether or not atheism, the disbelief in the existence of God and other supernatural entities, and agnosticism, the belief that the existence of God and other supernatural entities cannot be known entirely or just in part, amounts to a religion. Panger said.
Karl Weimer, vice-president of AAFT and freshman undecided major, said there is a difference between religion and atheism.
“I see religion as something that has to be taught, whereas atheism is something that’s assumed,” Weimer said. “If an infant grows up on a deserted island, and he somehow lives, he won’t have the concept of God.”
However, Alicia Finch, associate professor of philosophy, said that in some cases, atheism has adopted certain religious characteristics.
Finch referred to a Nov. 21 TIME magazine article on atheist parents sending their children to atheist Sunday schools. One such school, located in Palo Alto, Calif., has the younger students and parents sing songs such as “I’m Unique and Unrepeatable” while the older students are “engaged in a Socratic conversation” about the role persuasion plays in decision making.
“You can’t help but wonder if atheism has taken on the characteristics of a religion,” Finch said.
The SA finance policy prohibits several types of organizations from receiving SA funding, including religious, political, Greek and pre-professional groups.
Speaker Robert Batey said that while the SA has not taken an official stance on the organization, he does consider the organization a religious one.
“{Panger] did mention in her speech that one of their main tenets was to debate religion,” Batey said. “As long as it has that outlook, it will be considered a religious organization.”
The denial of funding could hamper AAFT’s activities. Weimer said the group was in the process of getting secular speakers to come to NIU, among others.
“We hope to have secular film showings, and those may or may not need funding,” Weimer said.
Atheists, Agnostics and Freethinkers meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Grant B Formal Room.
» Next Campus Article: Thursday, Nov. 29
It is important to know whether groups like the \"Campus Crusade for Christ\" get SA funding. IF they do, then that automatically negates reasons for the AAFT to not get funding.
Atheism is NOT a religion. It has no creed, no rituals or documented tenets. It\'s just a viewpoint.
@John B: You seriously cannot be advocating that viewpoints shouldn\'t be as entitled to SA funds as religions are can you? Whether its a religion or not shouldn\'t make a difference, there are plenty of groups that receive funding that don\'t advocate a religion.
@John: Sorry, I misunderstood your comment. Religion is a joke anyway. :)
Its ironic to me that religious groups cannot receive funding, but organizations who stereotype religion and its members are allowed to have financial aid. Which group is hypocritcal now?
If atheism is a religion then not collecting stamps is a hobby.