The Arkansas Society of Freethinkers’ Board of Directors recently decided to move our monthly meeting to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Little Rock (UUCLR) at 1818 Reservoir Road in Little Rock. We also decided to focus our energy on making this “big meeting” a big draw, with refreshments, talented speakers, and more opportunities to develop new friendships.

Wait… what? Freethinkers and atheists meeting in a church? No, this is not an early April fool’s prank. You read that correctly.

We anticipated some important questions about this move, so here are the answers:

Isn’t there a mismatch between a “church” and an organization of atheists, agnostics, skeptics, humanists, and freethinkers?

Actually, no. Read more about the Unitarian Universalist movement here.

Unitarian Universalists are humanists. They describe their organization using the term “church” and “religion”, and they might describe themselves using terms like “spiritual” or the thing they do as “worship”. However, all these terms mean something different in the UU context than they mean in the context of a Christian church. Imagine a church with no god, a religion with no dogma, a spirituality where the supernaturalism is optional, and a worship service more oriented around the community than a ritualistic transaction with an imaginary character. That’s the UU and UUCLR.

UUCLR welcomes atheists, agnostics, and people of all religious traditions. There has long been an overlap between participants in UUCLR and the members of ASF. Our organizations have somewhat different styles, but we are very compatible.

What caused this move?

ASF has been meeting at the downtown library on Sundays since at least 2008. Starting in January 2020, the library will be closed on Sundays. The ASF Board explored several options in the context of our 2019 Strategic Plan. The most successful freethought organizations hold high-quality meetings on Sundays when most people are available, and use these meetings as a hub to organize activism, social events, fundraising, and family events. We need a local facility that is open Sundays, can support meetings of 50+ people, is relatively immune to public or political pressure, can potentially be our consistent venue for multiple years, and is economical. The UUCLR facility fits these requirements perfectly, and what’s more, UUCLR welcomes us enthusiastically.

Will ASF continue to be a place that is welcoming to atheists, anti-theists, and LGBTQ people?

ASF has not changed, nor will we be changed by our meeting place. Our mission statement remains the same. If anything, this new meeting space opens networking opportunities between people sharing diverse perspectives and characteristics, such as the atheist and LGBTQ members of UUCLR.

I left religion to get away from church. Why should I attend an ASF meetup at UUCLR?

An ASF event is nothing like a church service, and we’re willing to bet that UUCLR – in fact, any Unitarian Universalist Church – is nothing like the church you got away from (see the answer to #1 above). Perhaps another way to phrase this question is “Will I enjoy being a part of the ASF community?” ASF is a community of people meeting in the real, physical world, trying to have fun and improve our world. You’ll just have to give us a try.

Is ASF merging with UUCLR?

We remain distinct organizations. ASF has no plans to change its mission, bylaws, legal incorporation, long-term direction, or anything else.

I was abused in a church context. How am I supposed to feel comfortable at this meeting location?

The Board of Directors of ASF does not think our utilization of the UUCLR building will expose our members or their children to the dangers potentially present in Christian churches for several reasons:

• Neither ASF nor Unitarian Universalism resembles the Christian churches involved in abuse scandals. UU members refer to their organization as a “church”, but the organizational format is significantly different from the churches where allegations were, and still are, discounted, dismissed, or covered up.
• Neither ASF nor UUCLR promotes a dogma that subjugates or objectifies women.
• Neither uses psychologically abusive dogmas about sexual purity, shame, or deference to authority that could preemptively silence victims.
• No person associated with either ASF or the UUCLR has a privileged social status that could enable them to get away with harming other people.

That said, abuse and harassment can occur in any context, including business, government, social organizations, and during unorganized gatherings of people. We have no reason to think ASF meetups at UUCLR facilities will expose members or guests to risks beyond what might exist at any other public place.

Secular organizations nationwide are decisively tackling the problems presented by discriminatory and harassing behaviors. If anyone experiences sexual harassment, racism, homophobia, transphobia, or any other kind of abuse at an ASF event, we ask that they immediately inform an organizer. Allegations will be taken seriously.

What does UUCLR gain by letting ASF meet there?

Unitarian Universalism emphasizes the respectful toleration of diverse viewpoints. UUCLR maintains a web of connections with a wide variety of community groups ranging from death penalty abolitionists to Hindus. UUCLR is excited to host our meetups because it wants to be a hub of activity, connections, and community for people who might otherwise be marginalized. We anticipate some people involved with ASF will find opportunities at UUCLR, and likewise, some people involved with UUCLR will find opportunities with ASF. This relationship creates a win-win scenario for both organizations.

ASF expects to make regular contributions to UUCLR similar to what we were paying to rent our room at the library. This is the right thing to do because we will cost our hosts a similar amount in terms of electricity, water, cleaning services, and wear and tear on facilities.

The real benefit to both UUCLR and ASF comes from working together instead of in isolation.

This sounds like a game-changer in terms of ASF’s ability to assist freethinkers with weddings and funerals, am I right?

Some ASF members are humanist or secular officiants who can legally perform weddings or funerals, and we now have access to a very nice venue. There is increasing interest in developing these aspects of our community. If you are interested in an ASF life event ceremony or if you’d like to help others in this capacity, please contact us at info@arfreethinkers.org.

What’s the long-term plan?

ASF is becoming a more people-focused organization.

First, we plan to improve the experience of our regular “big meeting” by incorporating some of the best practices we learned about in our travels and research. We will have quality refreshments, engaging presentations, and introvert-friendly social growth opportunities. The “big meeting” will be consistently worth attending.

Second, our “big meeting” becomes an opportunity for ASF members and the curious to learn about opportunities to join a team (for example, the organizers of the big meeting or an activism team) who meet separately and make things happen. Attendees can also learn how to host an event such as a potluck, bike ride, family picnic, or how to form a new team.

Third, as the team of meeting organizers grows, we hope to make the “big meeting” a weekly event instead of just a monthly event. We’ll also see a wide variety of spin-off activities and special interest events, organized by people who met at the big meeting.

Fourth, once we learn enough lessons to be consistently successful, we’d like to expand a working organizational model across Arkansas, so that freethinkers in smaller towns can enjoy having a community, a political voice, and an opportunity for growth, whereas now they face alienation, isolation, and discrimination.

Yes, we’re dreaming big, but it all starts with making the organizational model work. Your support and feedback can help us move toward these goals. We’re working hard to build a secular community in Arkansas, and we invite you to join us in the fun!