Candidate Statement: Amanda Banerji, Vice President
Hello. My name is Amanda Banerji, and I am pleased to have been nominated for Vice President of Seattle Atheists.
Ten years ago, I declared myself a non-believer to family and friends. Since then, I have learned much about how Atheists are viewed by the general public. Because we are essentially outsiders, in the sense that we don’t naturally have a locus around which to gather, or a common doctrine. Our ideas are not always in agreement; we are easily and often misrepresented, and make a convenient target. And because we have representatives of all stripes, we are viewed with distrust, anger, and not a little confusion.
I moved here three years ago from central Florida, from an environment that was openly hostile to non-believers. It was at this time that my ideas about the future role of Atheism began to take shape.
I have several friends in the gay community in central Florida who have been working to promote public acceptance of gay and lesbian couples through education, information, and presence. Every month, gay and lesbian couples are encouraged to walk in a mall simply holding hands — acting like everyone else. They emphasize that being gay is simply another way of being normal. The repetition and consistency reduces the perceived threat. This continues to be an effective strategy to positively broadcast their presence, and while some people have been hostile, there has been a general outpouring of support.
I believe that there needs to be a shift in the way Atheists are viewed by the public. Many outspoken Atheists have been mislabeled as “militant,” and extremists from both sides have dominated the public discourse. We’ve suffered repeated snipes from pundits, religious leaders, and politicians. The Rational Response Squad, Pat Condell, and various anti-religion blogs are doing much to undermine the perception of Atheism and polarize public opinion by using insulting language and promoting extremist viewpoints.
We need to alter public perception, first by being extremely clear about our views and goals. We need to have a positive public presence. We need to interact with our communities, including the churches, synagogues and temples, so that they know who we are and what we do and do not stand for. We need to be openly Atheist in a way that is not threatening to people who know little or nothing about our views.
In June, I founded the Tacoma Atheists Meetup, simply as a way to meet other Atheists locally. In just three months, the group has grown to 32 members, and continues to grow. Our mission has evolved over the past few months, from a purely social group to one that emphasizes charity, education, outreach, and interfaith dialogue.
Our first group event will be the Pierce County AIDS walk on Sept. 6. We have made food deliveries to people in need, and are sending messages of support to cancer patients. In addition, we have a Facebook forum, called “Atheists and Theists for Mutual Understanding.” I have spoken with two local pastors about starting discussion groups. They were incredibly receptive, but a bit stunned.
Our future plans include Adopt-a-Highway, a website and forum. We are also planning an ad on a local AM station during Sunday religious programming that highlights our charity activities and emphasizes our similarities.
My personal goals are to completely change the public perception of Atheism, to create a dialogue between Atheists and theists, and to educate the public about critical thinking, argument, rhetoric, logic and philosophy. I feel that these are the key areas that prevent people from understanding Atheism and its aims. Only when people are educated will they be able to effectively combat discrimination and stereotyping.
This is an exciting time. People are moving away from religion toward reason in greater and greater numbers. We need to provide them with a viable alternative — a community that demonstrates that it has morals and ethics and works for the public good. We need to send the message that religion is not your only solace — reason and science can be as well.
I would like to offer my services to help advance Atheism in Seattle. S.A. is a wonderful group, and has tremendous potential if guided responsibly. I will do everything in my power as Vice President of Seattle Atheists to assist the President, Board and members in their efforts to positively promote Atheism in Seattle.