Why I Am An Atheist (Activist)
I am often asked “Why are you an atheist” or “How can you be an atheist” when engaging with members of the public. Here in Iowa, being an atheist, humanist, secular person is still seen as an anomaly by a lot of folks, especially well-meaning folks that are struggling with many of the actions of our state and federal government. They have grown up with this idea of religiosity being synonymous with morality and while that is so demonstrably not true upon any short reflection, it remains a social burden non-religious folks must bear and this is deeply unfair as well as being untrue: most human beings do not share the faith of the people here.
This is one of the many reasons that I’m motivated to be an atheist activist.
Showing folks what Being Good Without God looks like. Reminding the public that we are all human beings with the same needs, wants, fears, concerns, and all the rest of what it means to be a human being. Like the folks that belong to religious groups, I want to raise my kids to be smart and healthy and strong. That means marshaling our resources to support clean water, well-funded science-based education, democracy, and safe public spaces. It also means embracing science, rational thinking, and considering the consequences of our actions in our civic and social decisions – not assuming what we’re doing is automatically correct because we make faith claims. Living in a red state that is dominated by Christian ideologues, embracing these things becomes difficult since, all too often, religious doctrine finds itself at odds with the virtues of science, democracy, and equal protection under the law.
So, I do what I can to act because the legacy of the organized secular community has been and should continue to be one of justice, equality, democracy, and science. I believe the future is too important to be left in the hands of faith based, divine command theory, regressive church organizations that undermine many of the things that make our society thrive: secular governance. We know what societies look like when the faithful hold all the levers of power, we see how it harms the fabric of our society and create divisions, we know how the treatment of women and minority faiths shake out. Stopping that fracturing and degradation of society starts with us because when equality is under attack, atheists show up! To me that is more than just a catchphrase, it’s something I want to back up with action!
For an example of action, in June we held our annual Iowa Secular Summit, an event that spanned a day with talks from evolution experts like Aron Ra and communicators like American Atheists’ Melina Cohen. We invited lobbyists from a wide swath of groups like One Iowa, Progress Iowa, the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, and the bi-partisan dialogue group Braver Angels. We discussed the importance of church state separation and showed the public what it means to have secular values. The event energized hundreds of people and encouraged them to reengage their political leaders and to participate in the democratic process explicitly as secular people. After all, we ARE the largest consistent voting block, and that group size is only getting larger - lets act like it, right?
Another way I take action is by holding my government accountable. This year the group I lead, the Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers, filed a suit in conjunction with the ACLU against the governor’s office in the state of Iowa. This suit aims to challenge the claims of indefinite executive privilege by the governor to discriminate against religious groups and withhold potential discriminatory language and actions from the public to avoid accountability. Notably, religious groups have refused to engage in transparency, instead adopting a stance of “hands off” while others’ rights are eroded. As an atheist, a humanist, and a citizen, I can’t sit idly by while this kind of behavior becomes normalized, and if the purported “moral authorities” in the churches cannot find a way to use their resources to help others, then I will. We are hopeful that this kind of lawsuit and public hearing will result in a more transparent and responsible government, something that is truly necessary to protect the rights of all citizens.
Lastly, what I do as an atheist activist is live my life publicly as an atheist. When I interact with others, I make no secret about it: I am a father, a husband, a taxpayer, a homeowner, a combat veteran, but I’m also an atheist. Because I am not shackled to faith-based claims, I’m free to make better and more rational decisions for myself and for my family. I am unafraid to call out unsubstantiated bad ideas or to challenge faith claims as equal to scientific ones. I work to normalize conversation about atheism and being willing to break away from the routine deference to faith in favor of reason. It really does start with us in everyday conversation and being willing to cause a little discomfort in favor of a lot of truth. Even running as a city council candidate in the largest city in my state, I never shied away from being non-religious because being so makes me a better person, thinker, and citizen.
Hopefully in sharing my experiences and my stance on atheism it encourages you to get out there and normalize atheism. Show the world that there are far more folks that don’t share their faith than agree with their faith claims. Build that secular community, join those events, attend that rally, get to that protest, wear that shirt, and embody the virtues of being Good Without God, no matter the headwinds you may face.
Alone we are a free thinker, but together, we are the future of reason, democracy, and humanity.
Jason Benell
President, Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers
This post first appeared in the 2025 Second Issue of American Atheist Magazine
