by Liz Daube
Staff Writer
First Coast Freethought Society is reaching membership numbers that are small in comparison to most churches, but record-breaking for a small group that’s provided support for Jacksonville’s nonreligious population for nearly 10 years.
Freethought had 92 members in 2006, and president Carrie Renwick said the nonprofit, volunteer-only, educational group wants to keep growing. She was one of the original founders of Freethought, which holds monthly meetings and organizes larger projects, such as last fall’s “Science Under Siege: Evolution Under Attack” symposium at the University of North Florida.
“We don’t litigate or legislate and we’re not activists,” said Renwick, “although we watched with interest as the American Atheists brought that law suit against the City for the Day of Faith ... I like to think of us as a voice of reason on the First Coast.”
Renwick said Freethought’s members are largely atheist or agnostic, which means they deny or doubt the existence of God and the validity of traditional religions. She said members tend to present themselves as “secular humanists.”
“Secular humanists reject the supernatural, and I guess the term really includes, agnostics, atheists, freethinkers, skeptics,” said Renwick. “It has fewer negative connotations than the A-word. Atheism implies just a belief in no God. Humanism, I think, implies more of a belief in human beings, in good and moral value still in human beings, rather than outside them in the form of [the Biblical 10] commandments.”
Renwick, a medical transcriptionist, said she helped form the group to provide opportunities for discussion and social connection to secular humanists feeling isolated in their beliefs. She said churchgoers often receive strong social support from their congregations, and those without a particular belief system lack similar venues.
“Let’s face it, a great many people in our community are extremely religious,” she said. “That’s fine ... but I would like to see us help de-demonize the word ‘atheist’ or ‘agnostic’ because I think probably a lot of religious people tend to think atheists are bad, evil people.
“I think it’s safe to say we believe this life is the only one we have that we’re sure of, and therefore it behooves us to be kind to each other here and now, as opposed to thinking there’s something better coming along.”
Renwick said the group’s educational goals involve getting the public to have thoughtful, respectful discussions about topics that often have sensitive religious aspects. For example, at Freethought’s symposium on evolution, Renwick said UNF’s science department talked to a mixed – religious and nonreligious – audience about their concerns for the future of science education.
Florida recently received a grade of “F” in science in a study commissioned by the Fordham Foundation, a nonprofit that supports research and reform projects in elementary and secondary education. At the symposium, Renwick said, science instructors explained their point of view with examples of how evolution affects modern life, not just historical perspectives. One example was the constant development of new antibiotics; antibiotics have needed adjustment as bacteria adapt and become resistant to old formulas.
Renwick said all the group’s meetings, symposiums and other projects are open to the public. Whether people agree with Freethought’s viewpoints or not, Renwick said people should consider the group’s motto: “To Question is the Answer.”
“We are interested in a lot of things,” said Renwick, listing philosophy, political science and religion. “It’s important to keep learning and evaluating yourself and how you think of things ... It’s all part of education, and the more education you have, the more you are able to function as a human being.”
For more about the group, visit firstcoastfreethoughtsociety.org.