SELUSHAN

So, the name of the college group, of which I was president, is SELUSHAN. This is an acronym for Southeastern Louisiana University Secular Humanists and Agnostic Network. (Catchy, right?) Pronounced: 'solution'.  We were affiliated with the Secular Student Alliance. I did not start the group but I did take it over from the founder. I was so proud of that group. It's hard to be a secular person in the south and having a place to go, having people to talk to, being able to express your concerns about separation of church and state....it was a bit of sanctuary for me.

The founder did an amazing job finding faculty support and interested members. When she needed more time for her demanding school schedule I was all too happy to run meetings, set up tabling events and even protest the WBC a time or two. When she graduated I was asked to lead the group. I feel like I did a descent enough job of it. We had weekly meetings, we held lectures and panel discussions and we even got called on to counter our regular 'campus preacher'. I feel like, when I left, our group was growing and would continue.

I was wrong.

I'm so disappointed in my university right now. When I graduated in 2011 I handed over control of the group to a Junior biology major. He seemed really active and interested in the group. I have no idea what happened but, since I left, the group is no longer affiliated with the SSA, no one seems to know where the banner, brochures, fliers or funds for the group have gone and it's now being called a 'dead group'.

Since moving to Denver I have found it so much easier to be an 'open' and 'out' atheist. I started this blog to document the amazing transformation I am seeing in the secular community. My southern atheist friends have no idea how hard it really is to be a southern atheist. Sure, there are countries in the world where it's a deadly thing to proclaim; being an atheist. But, it's not all peaches and cream in the US. People here may not lose their physical life but they will lose their social one. I have known many people who have lost their jobs, relationships, homes, friends and family once they came out against religion. I, myself, have lost relationships and have been denied employment for my lack of belief.

Which is why I am now so livid at the lack of leadership at my university. Maybe I'm more upset about it because I continually took a leadership role at school. But last night as I watched one after another student say that they just are 'too lazy' to take a stand and run the group. I'm disgusted.

"Too lazy."

 I'm not sure if it's the generation, of which I'm a part, or if it's the southern in them coming out. The southern part in them that tells them to stick with conformity, 'don't rock the boat' and 'do as you're told'... Whatever it is, I'm sad for the south today. I'm sad that they don't want to fight for the equality of secular people. I'm sad they feel it's acceptable to be told that they have little to no moral standards, they are broken and angry and be generally distrusted. I'm sad that they feel that the status quo will suite them just fine.

I just hope that they are never put in a position where their rights are denied. Oh wait...