AP: Atheist student groups flower on college campuses

Posted by Kendall Harmon

The sign sits propped on a wooden chair, inviting all comers: "Ask an Atheist."

Whenever a student gets within a few feet, Anastasia Bodnar waves and smiles, trying to make a good first impression before eyes drift down to a word many Americans rank down there with "socialist."

Bodnar is the happy face of atheism at Iowa State University. Once a week at this booth at a campus community center, the PhD student who spends most of her time researching the nutritional traits of corn takes questions and occasional abuse while trying to raise the profile of religious skepticism.

Read the whole article.

Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Education • Religion & Culture • * Religion News & Commentary • Other Faiths • Atheism

9 Comments
Posted November 25, 2009 at 5:19 am [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. Knapsack wrote:

Fascinating.  Anastasia translating, of course, as “resurrection” in its usual context in Greek, or literally “re-born.”

November 25, 8:11 am | [comment link]
2. Fr Dan Martins wrote:

It is an ironic sign of hope even for this very student that her own name—Anastasia—is shot through with Christian meaning and symbolism. It means “resurrection.” She is witnessing to the gospel she hates (fears?) just by wearing a name tag!

November 25, 8:13 am | [comment link]
3. Br. Michael wrote:

I don’t really see what all the fuss is about.  It might be helpful to explore their worldviews.  They may not have even contemplated the implications of what they say they believe in.  And it forces a Christian to really think about the Christian theistic worldview and its implications.  James Sire’s,  The World Next Door (4th ed.) is excellent.

November 25, 8:54 am | [comment link]
4. phil swain wrote:

While some in the article seem to think that “science” is sufficient, I get the impression that most of these folks are spiritual seekers.  They aren’t so much atheists as they are folks who have a hard time believing in a personal God and positive revelation.  They’ve bought into certain cultural beliefs that make it difficult for them to believe in a God who is so big He can care about them on a personal level.  It’s really the haunting idea of a personal God that they fear.

November 25, 9:05 am | [comment link]
5. rugbyplayingpriest wrote:

the atheists just discovered anti-evangelisation!

November 25, 10:58 am | [comment link]
6. Jim the Puritan wrote:

I have a lot less problem with atheists than I do with people who claim to be Christians but aren’t.

November 25, 1:00 pm | [comment link]
7. Cennydd wrote:

Me too!  KJS, are you listening?

November 25, 2:05 pm | [comment link]
8. Frank Fuller wrote:

When did atheists qualify as “skeptics”?  They actively espouse the unproveable faith assertion that there is no God.  Fideism of the rankest sort.  Of which we should all be quite skeptical.

November 25, 4:31 pm | [comment link]
9. palagious wrote:

Atheism is defined by being anti-religion or at least anti-God.  There is no atheist manifesto or creed available so chances are “atheism” means everything and nothing.  I would like to see an atheist convention get together and decide what the movement is about without using the word “God”.

November 26, 12:44 pm | [comment link]
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