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by Emily Cadik

"While the decline of churches is in part contributing to the decline of social capital in America, social capital may actually be growing in the secular community.

At a small church in Texas, congregants rise early Sunday morning for a coffee fellowship. They fill each other in with news about family and work, and then file into the church for an hour-long service. Afterwards, most of them head to a nearby restaurant for a group lunch, where they chat about the topics covered in the sermon. In the heart of the Bible Belt, the scene is common. But here at the North Texas Church of Freethought, no one worships God.

Among the growing ranks of Americans without faith, nonreligious community is spotty at best, and in many places hardly exists at all. Nonbelievers face a number of barriers to mobilizing like-minded individuals to enter into communities based on shared nonreligious views, particularly when the community in any way resembles a religious one. "A pastor can say to his flock, 'All rise,' and everyone rises. But try that in an atheist meeting," explains Boulder, Colorado atheist group co-founder Marvin Straus in a Wall Street Journal article. "A third of the people will rise. A third will tell you to go to hell. And a third will start arguing."

Building a movement from the ground up is a formidable task. But despite daunting challenges, institutions like freethought churches and secular summer camps are becoming more common. Increasing awareness within the secular world about the importance of social capital, coupled with individuals willing to commit to the cause, suggest that a vibrant and engaged secular community is not as remote a possibility as many nonbelievers fear.

Churches are one of the strongest sources of social capital in America, meaning they boast the quantity and quality of social ties that build strong communities and inspire civic engagement. Robert Putnam, the leading social capital researcher in the United States and author of Bowling Alone, finds in his research on civic life in America that "nearly half of all associational memberships in America are church related, half of all personal philanthropy is religious in character, and half of all volunteering occurs in a religious context." Churchgoers are not only active within their churches; they are also more likely to give to nonreligious charities. At first glance, it looks like churchgoers are especially upstanding citizens.

In fact, it is not the religious doctrine, but rather the social aspect of churches that knits the religious community together in a way that worship and sermons alone cannot achieve. Many churches schedule mandatory mingling before and after services, in addition to a range of social activities throughout the week. Few institutions offer membership in such a strong, active community with such a low barrier to entry. All it takes is openness to a widely accepted faith.

Churches also simply make it easier to get connected outside the church. Many have paid staff whose job it is to coordinate volunteer activities and community events, saving churchgoers the effort of finding and arranging their own volunteer activities. Certainly, many churchgoers are involved in their communities because they believe in the value of service. But it is also undeniably easier to get involved when so much of the legwork is already done.

The Nonreligious Noncommunity

Metaphysical considerations aside, saying that the nonreligious community in the United States looks quite different from the religious community is an understatement. Nonbelievers are not only fewer and farther between, but they have also thus far failed to adopt many of the features that turn religious institutions into such strong, lasting communities.

Though nonreligious activism in the U.S. has increased in recent years, it is largely an intellectual and political retort to religion, and often specifically to the Religious Right. The movement has spawned publications and lobbying efforts, but no community. For instance, the Freedom From Religion Foundation has an impressive 14,000 members, but because member names and addresses are confidential it is often difficult, if not impossible, to mobilize them for community activities.

Due to the movement's political nature, there is often no place to turn for nonbelievers who simply want to be part of a community of like minds. Dale McGowan, author of Parenting Beyond Belief, explains that the majority of parents who attend his parenting seminars are "interested in getting together, but they don't want a lecture about Humanism or debunking who wrote the gospels. They want to just hang out. They're not interested in what Humanism tends to be right now, which is this sort of educational program and activism."

In addition to being a largely political movement, nonreligious organizations face the obvious challenge of enticing congregants without a specific, positive vision. Many nonbelievers who wish to volunteer would simply select a cause, like the environment or civil liberties, rather than joining an organization that focused on their nonreligiousness.

Despite the fact that most nonbelievers' main objection to religion is the idea of the supernatural, many nonbelievers reject anything reminiscent of religious institutions in general. Stephanie Simon, in a 2008 Wall Street Journal article, noted that many "nonbelievers tend to be just as wary of organized atheism as they are of organized religion—making it tough to pull together a cohesive movement." Many nonbelievers were raised in religious backgrounds. When they lose their faith, explains Jim Ashmore of the Freethought Church of Houston, "part of their transformation from a religious background to an atheist background is rejection of religious orthodoxy and a rejection of authority." It becomes quite difficult to coax the deliberately unchurched into an organized community. Ellen Johnson, president of American Atheists, adds that many nonreligious people are extremely independent and are simply not looking for organizations to join.

The nonreligious community also lacks, to the detriment of community-building efforts, clergy and communal space. Greg Epstein, Harvard's Humanist Chaplain, explains that "a congregation is a great invention," giving religious institutions an advantage over secular ones because they have a leader whose job it is "to organize and make a community and to do it full time." He continues that "atheism in this country rejects clericalism and religious frameworks in addition to religious belief, so you get rid of leaders and dedicated space." Most leaders of nonreligious organizations can only afford to do so part time and without substantial funds, meaning the community-building they undertake can hardly compare to that of most churches.

A final complicating factor is discrimination, which limits the secular community's growth potential. Though Jews and Muslims are widely perceived as marginalized groups, atheists actually occupy an even lower rung on the public opinion ladder. Not only do most Americans say they are unwilling to vote for an atheist, but according to a 2009 New York Times article, when asked whom they would let their children marry, Americans disapprove of unions with atheists more than with any other group.

In addition to all of the other community-building challenges, atheists also have to convince the public at large that they are moral, or even normal. Many nonbelievers avoid atheist organizations because they do not want to be identified as atheists or associate with other known atheists, making it difficult to attract casual, curious new members.

Building Secular Social Capital

While the decline of churches is in part contributing to the decline of social capital in America, social capital may actually be growing in the secular community—despite vast challenges. A subset of active nonbelievers is ramping up efforts to build social capital in institutions that parallel religious ones—but lack the God component. In many cases, the growth is modest, and still does not nearly rival the size and quality of communities formed through religious organizations. But in addition to lobbying Congress and publishing books, nonbelievers are now meeting online and in bars, adopting highways, holding their own secular holiday celebrations, and volunteering en masse like never before.

To show the world that nonbelievers are harmless (friendly, even) and to combat the isolation in the atheist community, atheists are coming out of the closet.

Groups have launched ad campaigns designed to let atheists know that a supportive community for them exists. Several atheist organizations have erected a series of billboards, one of which reads, "Don't believe in God? You are not alone." When a group in Charleston, South Carolina, erected the billboard, a group of over one hundred eager nonbelievers showed up for their next meeting, prompting the group to seek a larger space to house their gatherings and to schedule social events to accommodate all of the newfound atheists eager to meet one another. The success of the campaign showed that many nonbelievers are indeed craving a community—they just didn't know that one existed, or that there were even enough other nonbelievers for one to exist at all.

The billboards are just one example of the many ways in which atheists can now find one another. In addition to old-fashioned signage, the technological revolution is helping bring together a community of individuals formerly cut off from one another. Without delving into the immense impact that the Internet has had on social networks, it is worth noting that it is particularly useful for a community in which so many individuals feel isolated. Jim Ashmore of the Freethought Church of Houston explains that "there have always been atheists around, but now they can search and find that they're not the only atheists in the world." Through the Internet, identifying oneself as an atheist and finding other atheists in the area has never been easier, and will only become easier still as technology improves and its use increases.

Freethought Churches

Deliberately addressing the lack of social capital and organization in the nonreligious community, Freethought Churches, ethical societies, Humanist congregations and similar institutions have sprung up around the nation. Offering the same services as churches, but without hymns or baptisms, they are an answer for nonbelievers who would rather not, as they see it, throw away the good along with the bad.

While these organizations share many of the same purposes and features, and many have undertaken innovative and successful community-building endeavors, Freethought Churches stand out because their names sound so distinctly religious. And conversations with their directors showed that, true to what their names suggest, they have all the social trappings of traditional conceptions of churches. The North Texas Church of Freethought offers "atheists, agnostics, Humanists, and freethinkers all the social, emotional and inspirational benefits of traditional faith-based churches, but without appealing to tradition or superstition." Much like Christian churches, "marriages are celebrated, newborns are welcomed, children are instructed, personal crises are addressed, and the sick and dying are supported." The church is one of the first and largest of its kind, with 75 to 100 members attending each service, and an additional 10 to 20 children in its Freethought Sunday School.

An outcropping of the North Texas Church of Freethought, the Houston Church of Freethought, was similarly designed to offer "the benefits of traditional church membership," defined as "community and fellowship with those of like mind, a vehicle for personal growth and fulfillment, affirmation of a naturalistic view of the world as a positive life choice for individuals and families, and a sense of belonging within the larger community," to "those who are uncomfortable with supernatural beliefs." Started in 2000, the church offers monthly services for roughly 70 members (30 to 40 of whom are regulars), preceded by a coffee and doughnut fellowship. In addition to services, they have a singles group, and hold at least one social event per quarter, including picnics, anniversary parties, birding trips and service days. The Freethought Churches seem strikingly similar to churches that actually worship.

Trish Cowan directs the Sunday School program for the St. Louis Ethical Society—one of the largest Humanist Sunday Schools in the country. Each week she teaches about 55 students, all of whom are regulars. Some of the parents are involved in committees within the Society, and some attend Parent Talk, which gives them an opportunity to chat informally about parenting issues during Sunday School. On the whole though, Cowan says most families are not involved beyond Sunday School. Many parents are too busy during the week, she explains, and are unable to commit to a full gamut of activities throughout the week. However, she is succeeding in her efforts to involve children in the Humanist community at a younger age, which may make them more likely to participate as adults.

Together, these organizations show that it is possible to build what is essentially a religious community without religious belief, and that interest in such endeavors is growing.

Secular Student Groups

The nonreligious community is also growing on college campuses—one of the richest breeding grounds for social capital in America.

The Secular Students Alliance, an umbrella group composed of atheist and Humanist groups around the country, has expanded rapidly since its foundation. It now has nearly 150 chapters, up from around 40 in 2003. August E. Brunsman IV, who oversees SSA, estimates that while individual chapters vary from 10 to over 100 students, the average chapter has 30 or so students involved. In sum, the network now has several thousand students around the country. Most gather every week around a speaker or a debate, participate in service projects, educate peers about atheist and Humanist causes and issues, and host socials and parties, often combining several of these functions. For instance, over spring break, the group at Ohio State University went to New Orleans with a Christian group for a service project, allowing both groups to explore and understand their differences and, of course, to enjoy their vacation.

SSA is like many student organizations in that it combines education, activism, and social life. But it also shares an unfortunate similarity with other student groups, in that involvement drops off after graduation. When students start jobs and families, they have less time to stay involved in the secular movement. "Students drop off when they establish themselves in the 'real world,'" Brunsman explains, "and it's not until they have children that they come back." Despite SSA's growth, retention beyond college is a serious problem, limiting the potential of a lifelong community of nonbelievers. However, since the atheist community is so small, getting involved at any level is an important step. And recruiting students, who are some of the biggest joiners, is a good first step in building a lasting community.

Camp Quest

Camp Quest, one of the most entrepreneurial nonreligious community-building efforts, provides a nonbeliever's alternative to summer camps where campers would be asked to sing Bible songs. The camp is not designed to turn children into lifelong atheists, but rather to afford 250 campers each year a social capital-building opportunity free from religious indoctrination, in a safe space where campers can openly express and explore their beliefs.

It also builds social networks. Camp Quest provides "lasting friendships with fellow campers from all over the country," Executive Director Amanda Metskas explains. "When they go back home," she says, "they are a little more comfortable with who they are, a little more confident in their abilities, and a little more willing to branch out." While nonbelievers certainly have the option of attending general-purpose summer camps, they will most likely not meet other atheists, if they even discuss religious beliefs at all. Though there is certainly value to be gained from being around those whose beliefs are not identical to one's own, it all but ensures that nonreligious young people have few friendships built on common beliefs. Metskas explains that many campers remain friends with the nonbelievers they meet at camp for many years to come, which helps them connect to freethought communities, like the Secular Student Alliance, after they leave camp.

The drawback of investing in this sort of institution when the nonreligious community is still so small is that newly inspired nonbelievers may, as previously mentioned, not have much of a community to join once they return home. However, even though summer camp can only offer its benefits for one week per year, and for only a handful of years out of a child's life, it still shows promise that, like religion, atheism and secularism can provide a lifelong community with social capital benefits for all ages.

Faith in the Future of Secularism

Even the most passionate atheist convert—who not only denies God, but resents authority and sermonizing and can hardly sit on anything resembling a pew—would be unlikely to reject meaningful social interaction. And to the extent that religion can offer this interaction, and secularism cannot, the nonreligious community will remain at a disadvantage.

Religious institutions have mastered the art of building on private beliefs to create vibrant public life. If nonbelievers can learn from their religious brothers and sisters, unnatural though it may seem, the secular community will become a prominent, energetic force in civic America.