Expanding Your Group in Harsh Territory

Here is Gordon Maples speaking on how atheist groups can thrive in the South. This is from a Secular Student Alliance conference, so his focus is on atheist groups at high schools and universities in the South.



He has some good ideas:

• Exposure. Simply exposing Christians to atheist ideas is an important start. Chalking campus sidewalks is a popular method used by all sorts of campus groups. I see it every day.
• Collaboration. Meeting atheists from other campuses and hearing about what has worked for them can be a great source of ideas. Check out S.E.C.A.A. as an example of what this could look like.
• Persistence. Sticking with it and not giving up are critical. Initial efforts will often be met with unpleasant reactions; however, sticking with it and standing one's ground can lead to success.
• Expand. Get your group's name out there and keep it out there. Constant recruitment will preserve the future of the group when current leaders graduate.

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