Hugs and Atheism: An Atheist at a March for Science Rally

Jessica Dorfman, Eastern Iowa Atheists 

On April 22nd of this year, I was privileged with representing the Eastern Iowa Atheists at the March For Science in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It was pleasantly warm outside, and my mid April sunburn afterwards was a gentle reminder that climate change is upon us. The event coincided with Earth Day, and different as all our world views were, it was important to acknowledge that we all had a stake in the health of the planet for ourselves and the following generations. Representing atheism broadly was delightful, and in my own experience, I connected well with people from various denominations who were curious, encouraged to question us by our “Ask An Atheist” banner on the front of the table. We went through many buttons, acquired a long list of emails interested in future news letters, and most pleasantly of all (to me) ran low on pamphlets geared towards members of the LGBTQ community grappling with the division between self identity and religiosity. There was one gentleman who was initially irate after perusing our display, but surprisingly came back to make amends after cooling down. In the end I hugged him and thanked him for his viewpoint, while expressing that we weren’t there to dissuade anyone from religion. The goal to make ourselves visible for other atheist community members who otherwise may feel isolated, and the representation of a growing demographic of secular voters was my personal focal point, and he parted on good terms.

I will note the curious way our involvement in the end invocations reminded me of other events where it was evident that our collective perception was less than welcome. The varying faiths gave respectful breadth to one another; Unitarians, Muslims, Buddhists, and Jewish speakers shared the stage and spoke their peace, while the introduction of the Atheist speaker at the end seemed like an uncomfortable afterthought, with all but two speakers leaving the stage while she gave her speech. (I’ve always felt that our involvement seems like an unsettling intrusion to believers, even though this rally was specifically scientifically oriented.)

However, a major point that was almost universally agreed upon by the visitors at our table was the separation of church and state, as our bumper stickers were a hot commodity. The idea that a secular governing entity protected people from preferential treatment was a strong common ground, and reaffirmed the notion that the activism done by EIA is critical. Having members of local government present for the march gave us better visibility as constituents, and the talking points throughout the day revolved around making sure our representatives were governing in our best interests. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to represent the Eastern Iowa Atheists, and I’m inclined to participate as often as I can. The people I met during the rally have positively impacted my world and I’ll be forever grateful for the path they’ve paved for us thus far.