I think christian youth groups are the biggest problem, the video game will hurt themselves more than it hurts us.  One of christianity’s biggest disadvantage is that it is not very well unified.  Youth groups I think unify different sects of it better. (note: sects= baptist, catholic, methodist, etc.)  I have been to a several youth groups and alot of them use their majority to convert to attempt to convert you. I know quite a bit of people who were open minded decide to become born again christians.  Because of this i think we should start are own youth groups.

I think christian youth groups are the biggest problem, the video game will hurt themselves more than it hurts us.  One of christianity’s biggest disadvantage is that it is not very well unified.  Youth groups I think unify different sects of it better. (note: sects= baptist, catholic, methodist, etc.)  I have been to a several youth groups and alot of them use their majority to convert to attempt to convert you. I know quite a bit of people who were open minded decide to become born again christians.  Because of this i think we should start are own youth groups.

This is a serious question, What would you have be the basis of the group’s organization?

Rational thought and free inquiry?

Secular humanism and selection of goals, priorities

Opposition to the political religious right?

How would you set up the youth groups to compete with the peer pressure of born againism?

Jim

Interesting question, Jim, which basically comes down to political organization. My guess is that one would have to throw stuff at the wall in each location and see what stuck. All the themes you mention (critical thinking, investigation, humanism, anti-religious-right-wing) tend to go together, but shouldn’t necessarily be forced together in each location. For example, it wouldn’t surprise me to find some right wing Republicans who adore critical thinking, or don’t like born-again folks, or don’t like some of the woo-woo aspects of the contemporary extreme left wing.

My question is more directed toward the composition of the marketing message. Not the philosophical and maybe that’s not the right word content of the group’s rule book.

What is it that we can use to attract and retain the youth of America. AH is an example of someone who got there more or less on his own. We can’t expect the average college kid to accomplish that without help.

So, are we trying to give them help? What is it that we (SH’s, readers of this thread) think will attract and hold young men and women in a college or university setting?

J

I run a secular group at the University of Southern California, and I’ve been doing it for about 3 years now…  I’ve found that many students have the beginnings of real skepticism and awareness of the conflict between rationality and religion, but they haven’t been convinced that this is a serious issue worth spending time with and thinking about.  Personally, I think the best route to getting youth involved (or adults for that matter) is to show them what “the other side” is doing.

Here’s what I mean - we’ll never be able to get kids excited about scientific endeavor, secular values or even political issues like separation of church and state just on their merits alone.  Action is usually aroused by display of injustice and irrationality; to create a movement to save Darfur, for example, one might tell of all the horrible things happening there and show a video of what goes on, bringing the reality right to those who might become inspired and take action.  In the same way, showing Tim LeHay’s MindSiege video, showing little Christian pamphlets that are handed out warning of hell and damnation, or bringing up all the success that fundamentalists are having in this country and abroad (billions of dollars, billions of supporters, etc) might be our best option in attepting to wake potential secularists up to the necessity of action and concern.

Yes HA, I agree, I have difficulty with the notion that just selling the modality will work, we need to get kids (I’m sorry if I use that term more often than you might think I should, remember I’m 71, so damn near everyone is a kid to me.) energized, and I think the emphasis on modality and process gets them enervated.

We must do something to get the attention of the folks who haven’t thought of the problem in the right way. Cruises to the Galapagos are nice. I’ll bet no one who is a passenger on that ship will get off the with a new appreciation of dominionism. I could well be wrong on that since my hero, Richard Dawkins, is on it. But we aren’t talking to the right audience when the least expensive cabin is 13,000.00 Dbl occp.
Jim

Well put, Jim. But I don’t think the cruises are so much for teaching as they are for fundraising ...

:wink: