Gabriel Graa!

November 2013!

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Information Behaviors of UNCGs Atheist Student Group!
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Introduction!
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When considering the notion of an information user group, Atheists immediately sprang
to mind, largely due to the fact that- in my mind- their entire identity as a group rests on a
reliance on information. The more public faces of Atheism- Christopher Hitchens, Richard
Dawkins, Sam Harris, and others- rely on evidence to shape their worldview, and even go so far
as to attempt to prove that a God doesnt exist. In his book entitled god is not Great,
Christopher Hitchens lambasts various faith groups and their connections to various atrocities
that have been perpetrated, and blames religion as the unifying cause for these horrific events.
Dawkins focuses more on the lack of scientific evidence for a deity, especially one with a hand
in the creation of humanity. These authors, along with various interactions with Atheists
throughout my life, made me realize that information is essential to an Atheist.!
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However, Atheists come from all walks of life, but the one trait that binds them is the lack
of belief in a deity. How, then, could this relate to an information need? In his essay What is
Atheism?, Jack David Eller expands the definition to include the peoples of the world who
believe in spirits that are not the same as deities. This created a wider range of possibilities for
who could be considered an Atheist. Namely, there could be those who have such non-deistic
beliefs, those lacking belief systems, those who choose not to claim no religious affiliation, those
who are reliant on evidence for how they shape their worldview, and Agnostics, or those who
are not yet decided on whether a deity can exist. !

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The term Atheism, no matter how the Atheist is defined, is usually placed within a
religious context. Religion as a descriptor, however, is but one of many. The Pope, a wealthy
Catholic leader, has much different information than does that of a economically underprivileged Catholic parishioner in rural North Carolina. This distinction requires no research to
recognize, as the Pope is surrounded by an entourage and has the means to access
information readily, while the poor, rural North Carolinian might be limited in mobility and by his
location. No matter the variables, however, their Catholic faith can inform their search. The
same might be said for Atheists. Is there a necessity for accuracy of information for all atheists?
If so, is there some overarching need that encompasses Atheists of all walks of life? !
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The answers to these questions would require the analysis of too many variables, so the
Atheist student group- UNCG Atheists, Agnostics, and Skeptics- on the University of North
Carolina at Greensboros campus was chosen. Additional reasons for this choice will be
elaborated upon in the coming sections.

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Literature Review!

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No matter how they are defined, this group is on the rise in the world. A Pew research
study found that the number of Nones- those who show no religious affiliation on census
surveys- has risen to about 20% of adults in the United States. Of those, 88% show no desire to
seek a religion. These numbers can be skewed, however, by the fact that many of those
surveyed still asserted a belief in a deity, if not some level of spiritual self-definition. The more
relevant statistic is that of younger adults. Of those polled between the ages of 18-39, 32% of
respondents claimed no religious affiliation compared to 9% of the 65 and older crowd (Funk
and Smith 10). !
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For this reason, it became clear that despite the factors that brought someone to
Atheism, the group was growing, and it was growing in a sector that traditionally attends
university. This aspect will be discussed later in regards to why the Campus group was chosen.
Before doing so, however, it is important to look into some of the key reasons that some people
become Atheists or why they claim it as their worldview. !

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In fact, there is little research on why people become Atheists in the first place, but one
study, the results of which were published in 2006 did shine a light on the state of Atheism via a
few focused smaller studies. Before even beginning to discuss the results, the authors of
Atheists: A Groundbreaking Study of Americas Nonbelievers made it clear that not all of those
who considered themselves outside of the confines of a religious label were necessarily
Atheists. In the introduction, there authors emphasize the fact that in their search for results,
those who actually considered themselves Atheists were hard to find. Nonreligious was a much
easier group with which to communicate. To make their case clear, they even commented, quite
unequivocally, on the state of research on Atheists: You also do not find a lot of existing
research on Atheists. (Hunsberger and Altemeyer 19) This researcher can corroborate this
assertion, as most of the literature discovered on Atheists was more about the variety of both
the tenets of Atheism and how people define it.!

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What this research text did do however, was poll Atheists and nonreligious people in a
few states and then generalize their results. There had been an assumption that Atheists might
have chosen their viewpoint so in a negative response to religion. In an essay entitled What is
Atheism?, Jack David Eller asserts it takes so many years of teaching and indoctrination, so
much institutional weight, so much colonization of experience to instill the concept of theism.
Humans are natural atheists- not in the sense of attacking gods, but in the sense of lacking
gods. (Eller, 4). While it is difficult to argue this, it is also true that the lengthy indoctrination and
the inculcated experience occurs within a religious framework. The institutional weight is noted
in the Pew study as well as a reason against which people react and then label themselves as
nonbelievers or nones. In the Hunsberger and Altemeyer study, however, they asked those
people who identified as nonreligious about why they chose to leave their former religious

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convictions behind. They created The Religious Doubt Scale, which had respondents rate the
claims that caused doubt about religion within them (Hunsberger and Altemeyer 38). Without
reproducing the table, it can be summarized as including reasons that did not make sense
without evidence (The existence of Godwho created the universe), to sentimental reasons
(the death of a loved one), to more worldly reasons (bad things religions did in the past). It turns
out that the more cerebral reasons caused more doubt than emotional ones (39). Fear, anger,
religious teachings about sex, and resentment did not play as major a role in the doubt of the
nonbelievers as did the ideas that lacked evidence, namely: the lack of proof that God exists;
the same dearth in evidence that Bible is the word this god; the discord between creationism
and evolution; and a general feeling that religion did not foster inquiry. In a similar study
conducted by the researchers, formerly religious study participants claimed that they abandoned
their faith because they could no longer believe what they had been taught. The two reasons
that these formerly staunchly religious people completely abandoned their beliefs was, oddly
enough, because of their religious upbringing. They were indoctrinated to believe that there
could only be one religion, and that this was an absolute truth. Further, these participants
tended to be quite adept in school, usually getting the correct answers and asking follow-up
questions. (Hunsberger and Altemeyer 42-44). What this clearly shows is a dedication to the
truth as a common thread among these newly-faithless people, as well as the knowledge that
for something to be true, it could never show the slightest hint of being wrong- any fault in that
shell would spell disaster. !

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These findings, though few, were powerful enough for me to choose the UNCG Atheists,
Agnostics, and Skeptics as a focus group to determine whether Atheists had an information
needs. !

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Methodology!
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Several key factors, as hinted at in the literature review, led me to choose the UNCG
Atheist student group as a focus group. They met several criteria that fit well within one possible
interpretation of the term Atheist: they sought knowledge as a means to define their world; they
had a dedication to the truth; their existence within the general milieu of conversation about
religion places them in a setting of contention considering the large numbers of religious people
around them. !
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The Pew research, in my opinion, suggested that many within the rising nonbelievers
group were in the age range traditionally attending university. A general assumption can be
made that those attending a university seek knowledge or the means to defend what they
consider knowledge or the truth. It can be said for a student pursuing catechism school; it can
be said for a devoutly religious person discovering that evolution is indeed verifiable; it can be
evidenced in a doctoral physics students experiment failing, and thus disproving his hypothesis. !

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The research done by Hunsberger and Altemeyer, although focused on a regional group,
corroborated my idea that Atheists base their worldview on evidence. Yes, the general group of
nonreligious people might not all be Atheists, but a dedication to the truth and to evidence would
not discount them from the label entirely. Further, a few well-formulated questions would allow
me to ascertain whether my group followed suit with their results towards the idea that evidence
and truth, as opposed to opposition to belief, could be good parameters to defining Atheists. !

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Placement within a religious context is a natural aspect of Atheism. The word theism as
a significant part of the label brings the word god to the forefront. If Ellers assertion that we
are all born as Atheists were not met with a religious world, it might be safe to assume that
everyone would be an Atheist without the label. However, this is not a feasibly reproducible
scenario. Instead, I turned to the student group listings on UNCGs websites. I found 11 religious
groups, most of which were Christian. The Atheist group, however, was found in political
organizations. A survey of the UNCGs Welcome Week festivities, painted a different picture.
The Atheist group was placed plainly within the general area where all religious groups were
stationed. Although anecdotal, the following evidence provides a clear picture of a different type
of contradictory nature to this choice placement. Instinctually I celebrated the fact that Atheists
were placed among those against whom they stood on a fundamental level. I need to make it
clear that I am not an Atheist, but consider myself Pagan; so it was from a relative place of
camaraderie against the mainstream religious groups that I approached the table and from
which sprang this joy. Once at the table, however, I was greeted with opportunities for
volunteering at homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and brainstorming sessions for more public
services, as well as invitations to attend lectures. The latter was expected; the former was a
surprise.!

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I include this story because these service-based activities are traditionally handled by
religious groups. It became apparent, then, that there was a need to distinguish themselves as
group that cared for the welfare of the area as much as they did their learning and seeking of
truth. In fact, their webpage yields the following mission statement:!

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We are UNC-Greensboro students and alumni who organize, unite, educate and
serve our community based on the ideals of scientific and critical inquiry, democracy,
secularism, and human-based ethics. We are a naturalistic, economically neutral,
civil rights-minded, and non-discriminatory group affiliated with the Secular Student
Alliance. Our diverse group organizeslectures, debates, community outreach and
social events. (About Us) !

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Clearly the groups Mission Statement showcases their dedication to social concerns,
but also demonstrates an adherence to scientific and critical inquiry, both falling within the
general parameters of my original concept of an Atheist as one who actively and purposefully

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seeks out accurate information before deciding upon the truth of an idea. The ideas of
secularism and human-based ethics also places them within a context that religion occupies as
well, thus necessitates a conflict of sorts against which they might have to fight. What was made
clear, however, that this group was made up of a diverse enough population- including students
and alumni- for it to be a worthy sample to see if Atheists in fact did have any information needs.
This also allowed me the opportunity to, after surveying the results of the questionnaire I
provided them, decide whether further distinctions needed to be made between Atheists,
Agnostics, and all of the other potential labels attributable to the generally non or irreligious
people. !

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It was thus decided that I would approach this student group for my research purposes.
Knowing what I already knew, taking into consideration my background with Atheist texts and
celebrities, my research, the lack of available research, and my observations of the group on
campus, I moved forward with my inquiry. !

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A simple request was made of the email distribution moderator of my desire for inquiry. I
explained that this process was in part due to my desire to learn more about the group as an
individual and as a future librarian. Truly everyones diverse background is taken into account
when creating services, so this group should be no different. Further, it was made clear that the
results would be collected anonymously and could only serve the good of the group, if anything
were to be reaped from it. Following an enthusiastic agreement, questions were formulated that
would allow for an analysis of information needs, barriers, and to test whether my supposition
that a unifying factor among these particular Atheists was, indeed, a dependence upon verifiable
information to define their worldview. Further questions were asked about the perception of
Atheism, how others respond to the news that they are Atheists, and about the nature of the
Atheist campus group. The questionnaire was provided via a google form that allowed for
anonymity and did not require any question to be answered for the respondent to complete the
survey. To verify the legitimacy of the questions, they were presented to two self-identified
Atheists and a Catholic person, all of whom provided input in refining the questions. !

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The lapse in time from when the request was sent out (2 weeks) turned out to be more
due to the schedule of the groups leader than any sort of distrust in the process. Access was
made easier by the google form as it allowed for respondents to answer at their leisure, even
though most shared a timestamp. It also meant not interrupting the proceedings of a meeting,
which are rare- happening only on Fridays in the evening. !

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Findings!
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To easily explain the answers, the following section will be divided by question. The
portion in parenthesis was provided as an additional explanation.!
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1. In the broadest sense, how do you view information?

(This can be anything from indispensable to overwhelming, to anything in between.)"

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Most of the respondents extolled the virtues of information, specifically in regards to
knowing something to be true. Evidence, although not stated explicitly by all of the respondents,
seemed to be critical to forming an opinion or judgement of an idea. One respondent even
pointed to a strong desire to read science articles, and from reputable sources at that. He listed
the CDC, PBS, NASA, and NOVA as favorites, implying that the context of the articles lent
credibility to them. !
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Already in this first question there was an air of skepticism. One respondent brought up
the fact that individual claims required different amounts of evidence. For example, the claim to
have seen an alien, a being not of this world, would require more evidence than a claim that
someone went to a store. The same respondent began the response noting that the source
could have an agenda, so it would be important to ascertain the reliability of said information.
The same general idea was expressed in other responses. The final respondent merely stated
that information is corrupted and full of lies. This might make one laugh, but it carries with it the
same sentiment- that information cannot be trusted at face value. !

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2.
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How do you gather information? "

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This question had a stronger consensus of answers. All 6 respondents made it clear that
the internet, in some form or another, was the first step. For 5 of the respondents, information
gathering was a process that involved utilizing a variety of sources before deciding upon the
truth of something (respondent 6 was again terse in saying the internet mostly). The process
seemed to be more crucial than the first step, with Google scholar, peer-reviewed journals, and
the university librarys resources as important in the process after having used a web search
(Google was brought up by name) that was utilized as means to decide whether a topic was
interesting enough to pursue. !
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Books were brought up in different lights, however. One respondent claimed to only read
books when they wanted a more intimate experience with information, while another noted that
the process was more tedious to find specific information in a book than it was to use the
internet and its search tools. !

3. What typical problems do you encounter when gathering information? Does your Atheist
viewpoint ever create problems when looking for information?"
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A wide range of answers came with this question. Two of the respondents cited
problems that any person might find in sifting through the large amount of information online:
namely, the quantity of information. One respondent said a major problem with searching via

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internet was the amount of blogs and other media that present opinion as opposed to fact.
Another mentioned not always knowing the best keywords to use to search the internet. While
these might seem like serious problems to an outsider, they are generally addressed by basic
research classes or in asking someone for help. Further, both respondents claimed their
Atheism had little impact not their quest for information. The second respondent, instead,
mentioned the problem of encountering too many religious websites purporting to have the
evidence against scientific matters that stifle the search for reputable sources of information.
Similarly, another respondent acknowledged the wealth of religion-tinted media but avoids using
them in favor of sites without bias. Finally, another respondent cited a similar religious issue, but
this was in regards to historical documents and information regarding social science that
usually was slanted to fit religious expectations.!
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Another answer stated a frustration with the lack of footnotes to support claims made in
information sources. Although the types of sources were not mentioned, it could be reasonably
assumed that this respondent was referring to everyday news media sources. A similar
sentiment was echoed by another respondent who expressed frustration with the lack of
credible sources in day to day media. !
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4.
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How is the Atheist viewpoint perceived by others?"

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This question was also met with a variety of answers, although there was a general
trend. It was clear that Atheism evoked a variety of reactions within people, and made evident
the assumptions of others. Most of the respondents mentioned the fact that Atheism is seen as
as either anti-religious or just generally negative. One respondent claimed a fear of divulging
their Atheist viewpoint for fear of losing a job or being denied one, and even admitted to having
felt persecuted for having this worldview. This was the only response that suggested such a
sentiment. !

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More common was that Atheism was misinterpreted by some of those with whom they
shared this information. One respondent shared the following: they sometimes are surprised to
learn I don't believe in God because I "seem so happy" and optimistic. This respondent went on
to say that their Atheist worldview was not shared unless it was asked of them or if I feel their
assumption that I am religious is making communication difficult. Other misinterpretations
included: being thought to have had no religious education; being thought a devil-worshipper;
being called a rebel against a god they in fact believed in; and being generally of an ill-temper or
misunderstanding the religion against which they are rebelling. !

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A final common thread among these responses was the notion that those who viewed
their Atheism as negative were people of an opinion that did not matter, with the exception of the
person who feared professional repercussions for revealing their worldview. !
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5. How do you present information about Atheism?"

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There seemed to be some distinctions in how information about Atheism is presented:
one being that Atheism is a personal choice, and the second implying that Atheism is the only
way to view the world, using a reason-based approach. Despite this divide, all explanations
carried a personal context. !
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One respondent, quite unlike the rest, decided that personal stories were more powerful
than data. Their aim was more so to clear up misunderstandings about Atheism, and
emphasized that the goal of religious conversation should be understanding as opposed to
conversion. Another respondent claimed to use cases and logical, as well as why it made sense
on for him/herself without any indication that a change needed to occur by the end of the
conversation. !

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While other respondents did not mention the word conversion, the concept was implied.
While one respondent asserted that never did they approach someone wondering if their minds
had been freed, they did make it known that they had created brochures and other information
artifacts that explained dissonance in theistic arguments. In similar fashion, another claimed to
use reason and common sense in an attempt to make clear the discrepancies in religious
thought. Further, this person makes it a point to relay the possible harm and violence that is
associated with structured religion. Similarly, two of the respondents explain to others that
without Atheism, happiness is not possible. One elaborated in saying that religion was not
synchronous with being a good person, while the other said that life cannot be lived correctly
with religion. Finally, one of the two mentioned that this standard might be harsh and narrowminded but that this was their method.
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6. What do you think is the best way to communicate information about Atheism?"

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A great commonality in responses was discovered with answers to this 6th question. All
of the responses included the notion that, no matter how the information is to be delivered, in
needs to be done in a nonjudgemental way, and extolling the happiness the Atheist feels with
this worldview. It also seemed the common opinion was that people should come to Atheists
with questions and not the other way around, although one responded made it clear that
information brochures were a necessary means of communication.!

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Of the 6 respondents, only 1 thought it necessary to mention that the purpose of the
dialogue would be to prove their point as being correct. Another outlying answer was that it was
important to provide information on how Atheism is viewed by other cultures. Finally, one
respondent did mention that the word (obviously a religious allusion) did not need to be
spread, but then mentioned that one should, nevertheless, remain open and welcoming to those
who are curious. !

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7. What barriers exist in your communication to others about Atheism?"

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Ignorance, stereotypes and personal beliefs seemed to be the largest barriers in
respondents minds. Once again, ignorance and misunderstanding of what Atheism is seemed
to be a common thread. One respondent mentioned Richard Dawkins and the late Christopher
Hitchens as examples of negative public faces of Atheism. Another respondent admitted that,
when in a professional setting, their identification is not made known unless a question about
their religion is specifically asked; the rationale was that, in this particular professional space,
there was no room for Atheism.!
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8. What is the purpose of the Atheist group on campus? How do you think others perceive the
group? "
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This question yielded the largest commonality among answers, at least in regards to the
first part. Everyone shared the opinion that the group provided a community for like-minded
individuals. One respondent went on to elaborate the importance of this in the South, where
religion is more common than not. Thus, Atheist students can feel easily excluded. This
sentiment was extended by two others who went on to say the environment was a safe place for
Atheists to freely express their views, while it was implied by a third who referred to the group as
a home for Atheists. Secondary viewpoints on the purpose of the group differed wildly
however. One respondent emphasized community service first and the visibility of Atheists as a
group second, with these actions serving as a means to dispel the rumors and misconceptions
about Atheists. Educating others about Atheism was a secondary point for one, while the utility
of a space to share viewpoints with like-minded individuals being a third. Most of the
respondents did not have a good idea of how others viewed the group, but there were doubts
that many beyond the group members actually knew of its existence. One respondent did note
that the group was probably either hated or ignored if one was not a member already, while
another noted that a lack of on-campus classes left them without an opinion on this matter. !

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Analysis!
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Overall, the results were unsurprising. The idea that information needs to be judged
confirms the notion that Atheists rely heavily on the information discovery, acquisition and
evaluation process, thus suggesting that their information needs, whenever they arise, are met
with the basic skills anyone would require for a thorough examination of an idea, claim, research
question or need. There is no barrier as one might find with someone who speaks a different
language or a person with a physical disability.!

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While their opinion on books might further signal the decline of the printed text, it in no
way takes away from their reliance on information. The answers to question 2 reinforces their
dedication to the process of information seeking. They all seemed to note that information

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seeking is a process, and not one that can be accomplished quickly or simply. A further question
that would have been helpful would have been to ask about their opinion of the process,
whether it was more of a necessary tedium or an exciting endeavor or if it would fall somewhere
in between depending on the context of the search. The relatively enthusiastic tone of the
answers suggests that they at least value the process, but it could not be reasonably
ascertained whether there is a measure of enjoyment in the process. This is relevant because it
would enforce the notion that information seeking is not only crucial to them, but perhaps even
enjoyable thus enhancing their lives in a very personal way. This idea is echoed in a different
way when looking at the final question, about the perception of the Atheist group. The
respondents did not have any real idea about how others might perceive them because they
hadnt had any interaction in this capacity. Thus, without real evidence, there could be no firm
claim made. The only relatively opinionated answer cam from a respondent whose answers
were curt and provided little explanation and from another who said that religious groups likely
ignore them. This idea is less of an opinion and more of an inference based on the fact that, as
they claimed no interactions with religious groups and yet make their presence obvious at
campus events such as Welcome Week, there must be some kind of knowledge of this groups
presence. !
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The basic search problems expressed by the two respondents to question 3 were
mentioned for the sake of the question, it seems. While the first respondent responded in a
straightforward way that Atheism had nothing to do with information seeking troubles, the
second mentioned problems with religious rhetoric being a bit overwhelming. What this does, in
fact, is suggest advanced research capabilities. This person is cognizant of the nature of
information online and must posses at least some rudimentary knowledge of distinguishing
religious bias from fact in word choice. While other respondents citing similar religious issues
encountered in doing research, it should be noted that they seemed confident in their ability to
navigate through these or else avoid them altogether. Again, this shows evidence of strong
research skills. Even the apparently flippant 6th responder exuded a note of confidence in the
terse responses, suggesting a mastery of research knowledge, especially the acknowledgement
of the vast amounts of opinionated information on the internet.
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Generally speaking, it was acknowledged by all respondents that Atheism is
misunderstood by religious peoples. The answers to the latter 4 questions gave overwhelming
proof of this, with respondents claiming fears of professional reprisals for exclaiming their
Atheism and others noting wildly misinterpreted notions of Atheism, such as devil-worshipping, a
lack of awareness of religion, a temporary rebellion against a god, and hatred as a motivating
factor. To the last point, it was clear that these Atheists were just the opposite. At some point or
another, each respondent claimed to be extremely happy with their decision to become Atheist,
with some going so far to say that one couldnt find such happiness with religion. Although this
language wasnt necessarily on the offensive or judgmental, it could be interpreted as such. So
it seems like there is a discord in how the message is delivered.!

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To this end there is, in fact, ample evidence in the responses. One was firm on the
notion that the divulging of Atheist truths should come from a place of conversation, with the
ultimate goal being understanding between the participants of the discussion. Others were firm
in their convictions that, if the conversations were to be had, they should come from a place of
encouraging the other party of the fallacies inherent in their religious thinking. With this discord
of opinion, then, it makes it difficult to ascertain a group philosophy on the matter. If one turns to
the Mission Statement, there is no hint about how to approach this either, unless one
extrapolates a semblance of direction from its tenets of scientific and critical inquiry, which
would both necessitate a rigorous dialogue about any claim made in conversation. Unless the
group decides to remain insulated, then it must be agreed upon how to communicate once in
conversation with someone who is set on debating them. All of the members agree that clearing
up misconceptions is a definite aim of conversation, but to what extent needs to be decided.
The fact is that the group wont remain insulated, especially with a focus on community-service
events which are usually associated with church groups. !

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Recommendations!

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As predicated, the most common element among members of the UNCG Atheists,
Agnostics, and Skeptics who responded to the questionnaire was an adherence to critical
inquiry and the thorough analysis of evidence. Another critical commonality was the
understanding that Atheism is often misunderstood by those with a religious worldview. There is
a lack of cohesion, however, in how to approach these conversations. Should the aims be
understanding or agreement?!

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It is the recommendation of this researcher that the group continue to utilize their
website to explain Atheism. All of the respondents agreed, whether directly or through
implication, that seeking converts should not be the goal of any Atheist. This works in regards to
maintaining the website because it sets up a platform for questions to be raised and easily
facilitates the discovery of answers. Keywords for the group such as secularism and humanbased ethics are hyperlinked, taking students to websites that explain these ideas in a
straightforward way, as are the activities organized by the group. !

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The only missing piece here is a more basic information artifact that gives a brief
overview of Atheism. Although the group is dedicated to avoiding such cursory documents as a
means to know something as certain or otherwise, it would benefit the rest of the public and give
all the members common ground from which to pick up conversation with either a curious
person who might want to join or a religious person looking for a debate. This document would
need to provide links to other, more thorough websites, if not at least compiling a list of essential
readings for those who are questioning their faith, those who are testing the group to see if it fits
their needs as a nonbeliever, and those who are on the offensive. The only trouble here, again,

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lies in the lack of agreement on how to treat dialogue with religious people. Should the aim be
agreement or understanding? This is something best left to the devices of the group, as would
be the essential readings. The document provided here is more of a framework for them to
populate as a group and should be expanded and perhaps even modified for the information
needs of others regarding why they approached the group. Not only would this foster group
cohesion, but it might even be a useful way for them to put their critical inquiry skills and
rigorous need for evidence to action. !

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Conclusion! !
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In conclusion, it seems like the UNCG Atheist Student group has no information needs
as is related to their Atheist worldview. The information need, it seems, is more of how to
communicate their viewpoints and what the goal of such communication is. While it seems
unlikely that theyll ever seek converts, it is extremely plausible that, especially in regards to
their focus on community service, others will seek to converse with or convert them. And in this
case they should approach these conversations like individual religious groups do- as a united
front with common answers.

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References!

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Anonymous online respondents. Online google forms questionnaire. 23 Oct 2013. !
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Eller, Jack D. "What Is Atheism?" Atheism and Secularity. Ed. Phil Zuckerman. Santa Barbara,
CA: Praeger, 2010. 1-18. Print.!

Funk, Cary, and Smith, Gregory A. Nones on the Rise: One-in-Five Adults have no Religious
Affiliation. Pew Internet and American Life Project. October 9, 2012. http://
www.pewforum.org/files/2012/10/NonesOnTheRise-full.pdf. Web. 4 Sept. 2013.!

Hunsberger, Bruce, and Bob Altemeyer. Atheists: A Groundbreaking Study of America's

Nonbelievers. Amherst, NY: Prometheus, 2006. Print.

Gabriel Graa 14

Who are we?

We are UNC-Greensboro students and alumni who organize, unite, educate and serve
our community based on the ideals of scientific and critical inquiry, democracy,
secularism, and human-based ethics. We are a naturalistic, economically neutral, civil
rights-minded, and non-discriminatory group affiliated with the Secular Student
Alliance. Our diverse group organizeslectures, debates, community outreach and
social events.

Why distinguish ourselves?

We feel that it is important to all for critical inquiry to take place in this University setting, even
regarding potentially contentious issues. Further, wed like to help our community as well, and to let
people know that you dont have to be religious to do so.

Common misconceptions:
Without religion, you cant be moral.This is absolutely false. We tend to follow human-based ethics.
Not sure what that means? Well, check out these sources:

(In this box, links and literature would be recommended.)

Atheism is a belief. Atheism, in fact, is non belief. Every decision we make, every fact we claim as a

truth is based on a rigorous application of critical thinking and source evaluation.

fills us with laughter and joy!

Atheists are not happy people. We all have our bad days, but for many of us, our Atheist viewpoint
The most important point is that we dont accept a claim without evidence!
So should you just believe us? No! Come talk to us, ask us some questions, or better yet, read up on us!
(Insert links, books recommendations, etc.)

Additional questions? Email us at: uncgatheists@gmail.com