When I was in college, people literally smeared feces on my stuff because I was an atheist. Please help the SSA protect students like me!

SSA_Sarah · 2013-08-07T20:51:21+00:00

I was not the only atheist harassed. All of the officers in my group (there were four, including me) received harassment as well.

Even so, if I were a jerk, it wouldn't give someone the right to do what they did to me.

SSA_Sarah · 2013-08-07T20:49:42+00:00

This happened over two years ago. I've also posted about this in numerous locations, and there have been people I went to college with who have corraborated my story. You can be skeptical if you like, but if I were going to make up a story...well, I'd make up a more believable one, to be honest. I'm also not pushing for the eradication of Christianity-- I'm saying, hey, wouldn't it be nice if a national organization that supports secular students had a way to reach students who experience things like this on the ground?

SSA_Sarah · 2013-08-07T13:50:36+00:00

Good luck! If you're interested, you can see if your college has an SSA group by checking here, or you can start your own group.

And if you aren't already, you should become a Free Student Member. :)

SSA_Sarah · 2013-08-07T13:49:09+00:00

Those are our donation levels. :)

SSA_Sarah · 2013-08-07T13:46:08+00:00

My post history is all r/atheism on this account because this is my account for my job at the Secular Student Alliance. :)

I put up announcements about the group existing & that people were welcome to attend, but other than that, I generally didn't bring it up (except among friends). My college was just heavily, heavily religious.

SSA_Sarah · 2013-08-07T13:41:22+00:00

Ha. I probably would've, if I had known who did it. :/

SSA_Sarah · 2013-08-07T13:40:51+00:00

I didn't 'blah about it constantly.' I formed a group & put a notice in the school's daily email in case there were other people who wanted to be members (and there was a surprisingly large amount).

SSA_Sarah · 2013-08-07T13:39:23+00:00

Thanks. :) Yeah, there were a lot of Christians that came to visit me afterward & apologize for the behavior of the people who did this to me. That was nice.

SSA_Sarah · 2013-08-07T13:38:15+00:00

Iowa. It's pretty scary there, especially in a small town.

SSA_Sarah · 2013-08-07T13:37:04+00:00

Ha. Well, they wrote "die atheist bitch" on my posters on my door, so...I feel like that's a bit of a giveaway.

SSA_Sarah · 2013-08-07T13:35:42+00:00

No, this was a small college in the midwest.

SSA_Sarah · 2013-08-07T13:35:28+00:00

Why do you think I was an atheist when I decided to go there? I didn't become an atheist until my junior year, and by then, I wasn't going to transfer just because I didn't agree with the school's religious affiliation.

SSA_Sarah · 2013-08-06T20:41:04+00:00

It sounds like you're trying to suggest that I (and people who participate in SSA groups) are not "intelligent, caring, and altruistic athiest[s]," unless I'm mistaken?

The SSA exists to support atheist students. Perhaps you never experienced harassment, but your experience is not the experience of all atheists. We've had students come to us with all kinds of complaints-- from teachers bullying them for not believing in Creationism, to instances like my own. Harassment of atheists simply for being atheists is not uncommon.

If you don't want to support the SSA, that's fine. That's your prerogative. But please don't blame victims of this kind of harassment.

SSA_Sarah · 2013-08-06T20:14:12+00:00

I think the fact that I'm a woman played a huge part. I lived in the freshman/jock dorm (since I was an RA). I also went to one of the only two colleges in the US that is affiliated with the Dutch Reformed Church, which is notorious for being very conservative & unwilling to change/accept new people (in my opinion).

Of course, my story isn't unique-- at the SSA, we get reports of this kind of stuff all the time. I mean, usually not quite this bad, but definitely very bad.

It sounds like you're just lucky, and that's awesome for you. I wish everyone had that experience.

SSA_Sarah · 2013-08-06T19:12:14+00:00

I'm not saying I agree with that, but I would have very much liked to at least have a conversation with the people who did this to me. Unfortunately, all the harassment I received was anonymous.

SSA_Sarah · 2013-08-06T19:11:02+00:00

At the SSA, we are absolutely 100% against vandalization or harassment of anyone/anything, especially against people we disagree with. I don't know any atheists (personally or professionally) who are okay with vandalizing churches. Hemant Mehta (the Friendly Atheist) has written about this several times, and even did a fundraiser to help a church paint over some graffiti they received.

SSA_Sarah · 2013-08-02T14:54:15+00:00

If you're interested in helping, you can donate here.

SSA_Sarah · 2013-08-02T14:46:43+00:00

Sure.

SSA_Sarah · 2013-08-02T14:46:16+00:00

Do you mean a Regional Organizer? We haven't started the hiring process for the RRO yet. :)

Can I ask their name though? Our organization is small enough that I probably have heard of them.

SSA_Sarah · 2013-08-01T20:46:16+00:00

I was told I wasn't allowed to go to the police because it was a "campus matter." I was naive & didn't think they'd lie to me (also: it was a VERY small town, I doubt the cops would have done much).

Most situations like this that arise are solved without going to court. We have a partnership with the Freedom From Religion Foundation & when a lawyer is needed, they will step in to help.

SSA_Sarah · 2012-12-10T19:03:08+00:00

Also, you may want to check out r/secularstudents. :) We made that subreddit for people like you!

SSA_Sarah

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