It can be pretty lonely for atheists, agnostics and other secular minded individuals and families living in the south, especially here in Alabama. Even though millions of Americans are non-religious, many are reluctant to reveal their atheistic or agnostic viewpoints because of the possible social stigma, discrimination, and persecution often directed at such individuals. If you are one of these millions of freethinkers and you happen to reside in Southeast Alabama or the surrounding Wiregrass area then you have just stumbled upon the areas secular haven, so please join us.
About Us
SEAFA is a group of freethinkers who aspire to be a secular beacon in the Wiregrass, encouraging optimism rather than pessimism, hope rather than despair, learning in the place of dogma, truth instead of ignorance, joy rather than guilt or sin, tolerance in the place of fear, love instead of hatred, compassion over selfishness, beauty instead of ugliness, and reason rather than blind faith or irrationality.
Our Mission
SEAFA's purpose is to provide educational opportunities to residents of southeast Alabama, primarily regarding the Constitutional principle of Church/State Separation and the theory of evolution through natural selection. SEAFA will work to combat discrimination against atheists, agnostics, humanists and other freethinkers and in the process provide opportunities for socializing, networking, and friendship.
Who We Are
As Americans, we hold dear the fact that our Constitution calls on no power higher than "We the People" and we affirm the secular form of government as a necessary condition for the interdependent rights of religious freedom and religious dissent.
Although our members hold a wide variety of political, social and personal philosophies, some unscrupulous individuals and entrenched institutions may attempt to demonize us as "evil" atheists since most people are taught that an atheist is about the worst thing a person can be. Those bold and honest enough to challenge the fallacious claim that religious dogma is superior to reason and independent of evidence have been the target of this tactic for centuries. Both Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine, among many others, had their characters maligned in this manner because they had the audacity to value reason, truth and progress over unchangeable and stagnant doctrines.
Today, the stigma attached to the label 'atheist' still predominates the minds of most religious people as well as popular culture in America and many other regions of the world. Though 'atheist' does not define who we are, many of our members embrace the label simply on principle, choosing to refute this unjust stigma by the lives that they live and the deeds that they do.
As non-theists, we are represented by soldiers, airmen, sailors, marines, firemen, police officers, doctors, nurses, janitors, astronauts, scientists, engineers, construction workers, cooks, lawyers, waitresses, factory workers, librarians, authors and citizens from many other walks of life.
We are your mothers, we are your fathers, we are your sisters, we are your brothers, we are your friends and we are your neighbors.
Our goal is to educate the public, promote our ideas, and cultivate thoughtful discourse among open minded individuals and communities regardless of their beliefs or lack thereof.
SEAFA welcomes all atheists, agnostics, secular humanists and other secular minded people, including Jefferson/Paine type deists who agree that the United States is a secular nation that derives its power from the consent of its citizens.
Our Vision
Guided by naturalism, inspired by the arts, compelled by truth, we are committed to the pursuit of knowledge, meaning, and responsible ethical codes without reference to supernatural forces. We believe that liberty, discussion, integrity and free inquiry are necessary for truth to flourish and consider reason and science to be the most reliable methods for understanding the universe and improving the human condition.
Although we may see the universe, in all its grandeur, as pitilessly and indifferent to our needs, we recognize that family, friends and often strangers most certainly are not. So instead of gods, we believe in people, their joys, their love, their good ideas, their wit and their wisdom. Furthermore, we do not hope for rewards or redemption in an afterlife but strive towards peace, prosperity and human progress during this life.
Contact Us
You can contact members of the SEAFA using Meetup and Facebook or you can email the current administrator of this website at info@theseafa.org