Atheism, The United Church of Bacon, and Morality

To some, atheism and morality are two circles in a Venn diagram that don’t connect.

Lori Fazzino aims to combat that misconception with research that states otherwise and with years of specialization in religion, interfaith, and cultural movements in Las Vegas as originally observed in this Alternet article.

Dialogue Regarding Atheism, Interfaith, and Privilege

Fazzino also aims to evaluate secularism as a social movement and encourage conversation between the irreligious and the broader community, stating in her Alternet interview:

“We need a better conversation about religious discrimination and privilege. Scholars have traditionally approached discussions about discrimination as an us-vs-them dichotomy rather than talking about it as multidimensional. We talk about male privilege, white privilege, Christian privilege instead of cisgender privilege, race privilege, and religious privilege. If we want people to understand discrimination, we need to stop setting up inherently adversarial conversations.”

Atheist Visibility and 3 Levels of Secular Activism

Fazzino also provides the perspective of secular activism, stating that this needed activism to gain more atheist visibility involves three separate layers: political, social, and personal.

The political level of secular activism might involve legal action against the government for discriminatory practices against atheists. The social level of secular activism might involve a city-wide demonstration for raising atheist visibility. Lastly, the personal level of secular activism might involve open with one’s personal network to encourage productive dialogue around secularism.

One organization that pursues all levels of secular activism is The United Church of Bacon. As Fazzino had stated in her interview, the United Church of Bacon is an organization that raises awareness for its secular members and pursues political, social, and personal activism that combats against atheist discrimination, among other issues.

Fazzino emphasizes the power of secular organizations and of secular activism, stating:

“There’s a lot of power in simply being visible. That’s why the Openly Secular campaign is near and dear to my heart. It’s not about advocacy in the sense of picking political or social battles. But we know that when people actually know an atheist they look on them differently.”

Read the full interview here.

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