Atheist Coming Out Week Promotes Open Discussion

Ben S. Kuhn '15, Anjie Jo '16, and Aaron D. Tucker '16 of Harvard College Effective Altruism discuss Atheist Coming Out Week in the Adams Diaspora Room on Wednesday evening. (Theresa Tharakan )

By Theodore R. Delwiche, CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
8 hours ago

In an effort to promote a welcoming environment for students of non-religious backgrounds to speak openly about their spiritual views, the Harvard College Humanists, Agnostics, and Atheists is hosting a series of events this week for “Atheist Coming Out Week.”

“There is a lot of stigma surrounding the word ‘atheist’.... This is an attempt to reclaim a word that has been turned negative,” said HCHAA President Julia M. Bruce ’15.

The kickoff event on Monday provided a safe space for students to share stories about coming out as atheists. On Wednesday, HCHAA members met for a discussion with members from the on-campus student organization Harvard Effective Altruism.

Bruce noted that the goal of HCHAA and its coming out week is not to aggressively promote atheism, but to provide a “support network” for students who may feel uncomfortable for any variety of reasons to express their true spiritual views.

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2014/4/3/atheist-coming-out-week-2014/