Students officially introduced the University of Alabama’s chapter of the Secular Student Alliance on Feb. 23 in an effort to create a community dedicated to nonreligious students.
According to the SSA’s Instagram, the organization “empowers secular students to proudly express their identity, build welcoming communities, promote secular values and set a course for lifelong activism.”
The national organization, which operates with the same goal as the UA chapter, claims to be the largest atheist, humanist and non-theist student organization in the country, with over 200 chapters.
Julia Clark, a junior majoring in public health, said she worked with other students and faculty to officially start the chapter at the University.
“I wanted to be part of something that could empower secular students who don’t conform or do not align with a certain religious group,” she said.
Clark will be studying abroad next year, and as a result, she asked her friend Lilliana Cassells, a junior majoring in marketing, for help in getting the chapter started and serving as the first president.
“It’s kind of hard to find people with similar views to me outside of the limited organizations where you think that would be happening,” Cassells said. “I wanted a space for students to feel comfortable in a Deep South, red state that pushes religion heavily.”
The SSA targets secular students, but Clark emphasized that the organization welcomes students from any religious background or belief system. A main purpose of the SSA is promoting advocacy for secularism, or the separation of church and state.
Anna Catherine Harris is a freshman majoring in communications and the current communications director for the SSA. Having grown up in a religious household, Harris said she has a “profound respect” for spirituality and religion.
“I often miss the community aspect of organized religion, so a club dedicated to open mindedness for belief systems and gathering like-minded people is an amazing opportunity,” she said.
While the chapter is still in a provisional period, it will be able to host events after the end of this month.
Clark mentioned the possibility of a “send an atheist to church” fundraiser in which people can choose to vote with a donation to send a member of the SSA to a specific religious service. The “atheist” would attend the service that earned the most money. Cassells said she is excited to offer a space for serious discussions and casual events for building community.
“I have really big plans, maybe bigger than I can actually execute,” she said. “I want events that are purely just for people to feel safe to talk about things and hang out in a secular space.”
