Secular and Religious Minority AssociationRespect for Religious Diversity PresentationDRAFT COPY for review and feedback.

Contact: Tee Rogers

Tee.Rogers@ucf.edu | 407.823.3094

Respect for Religious DiversitySecular and Religious Minority Allies

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Discrimination Hurts Everyone

• Discrimination harms our communities even if we are not a member of the group facing discrimination.

• What is discrimination?

How do you identify

someone who doesn’t share mainstream

religious views?

FACTS AND FIGURESStatistics and Terminology

Christians33

Muslim22

Budhist7

Hindu14

Other12

Secular12

100 People Religious Diversity

Profile

THE WORLD IN A VILLAGE OF 100

Source: 100people.org

WORLD POPULATION

19.5%17.4%4.44%

58.66%

Protestant; 48

Catholic; 22

Mormon; 2 Atheist; 2.4Agnostic; 3.3

Nothing; 13.9

Don't know; 2

100 People Religious Diversity

Profile

THE U.S. IN A VILLAGE OF 100

Source: Pew Report

Secular Identification

US Census Bureau Report: Self-Described Religious Identification, Adult Population

1990 2001 2008

No Religion, Total 14,331,000 29,481,000 34,169,000

Atheist (incl w/ Agnostics) 902,000 1,621,000

Agnostic 1,186,000 991,000 1,985,000

Humanist 29,000 49,000 90,000

No Religion 13,116,000 27,486,000 30,427,000

Other no religion n/a 57,000 45,000

Trends in Religious AffiliationPew Research: Religion & Public Life Project

Fastest growing demographic in AmericaPew Research: Religion & Public Life Project

• 1/5 of the US public do not identify with a religion

• 1/3 of adults under 30 are religiously unaffiliated

• 5-year growth - just over 15% to just under 20% of all U.S. adults.

• 13 million self-described atheists and

agnostics (nearly 6% of the U.S. public)

• 33 million people who say they have no particular religious affiliation (14%).

Fastest growing demographic in AmericaPew Research: Religion & Public Life Project

“young adults today are much more likely to be unaffiliated than previous generations were at a similar stage in their lives.”

Terminology - Religions• Advent Christian• Amish• Anabaptism• Anglicanism• Apostolic• Assembly of God• Bábism• Bahá’í• Bhakti• Baptist• Bible Missionary• Brethren, Plymouth• Carmelite• Cavalry Bible• Chapel of Faith• Charismatic• Christ Adelphians• Christian Calvary• Christian Reform• Christian Science• Church of the Brethren• Church of the First Born• Church of the Nazarene• Church of Universal and

Triumphant• Confucianism• Covenant• Disciples of God• Druze (Juhhāl and ‘Uqqāl)• Dīn-I Iláhī

• Eastern Orthodox• Eckankar• Eden Evangelist• Evangelical / Born Again

(Traditionalist, Centrist, and Modernist)

• Federated Church• First Church• Gnosticism• Grace Reformed• Greek Orthodox• Hinduism (Shaivism, Shaktism,

Smartism, Vaishnavism)• Holy Roller• House of Prayer• Indigenous Traditional Religions

(African, American, Arctic, Asian, Eastern, European Ethnic)

• Islam (Sunni, Shia, Sufism)• Jainism (Digambara and

Svetambara)• Jehovah's Witness• Judaism (Conservative,

Humanistic, Haymanot, Karaite, Liberal, Orthodox, Progressive, Traditional, etc.)

• Latter Day Saint Movement• Lutheranism• Mandaeans

• Manichaeism• Mazdaism• Mennonite• Mithraism• Mission Covenant• Missionary• Mormonism• Muslim (Sunni, Shia, other)• Mysticism• Native American Religion

(Longhouse, Waashat, Shaker, Drum, Earth Lodge, Peyote, Bole-Maru, Feather, Mexicayotl, etc.)

• Nazarene• Neopaganism• New Age• New Testament Christian• Occult• Pentecostal (Apostolic, other)• Pilgrim Holiness• Polytheism• Pentecostalism / Full Gospel

(Apostolic Church, Assemblies of God, Foursquare Gospel)

• Quaker• Rastafarian• Reformed Church of Christ• Russian Orthodox• Salvation Army

• Sanctified• Seventh Day Adventists• Shabakism• Shinto• Sikhism• Southern Baptist• Taoist• Therādava Buddhist• The Way Ministry• Tibetan Buddhism• Universalism• United Holiness• Unity Church• Wesleyan• Wiccan• Witness Holiness• Yazdânism• Zen Buddhist• Zoroastrianism (Parsi/ Irani)

Terminology - Secular• Heretic• Humanist• Humanistic Judaism• Hylotheist• Ignostic• Igtheist• Inclusionist• Infidel• Latitudinarian• Materialist• Naturalist• Non-believer• Nones• Non-theist• Objectivist• Pagan• Pantheist• Pastafarian

• Agnostic• Antitheist• Apatheist• Atheist• Atheist+• Bright• Critical Thinker• Deist• Disbeliever• Doubter• Esotericist• Evangelical Atheist• Freethinker• Gentile• Giaour• Heathen• Hedonist

• Pearlist• Positivist• Pragmatist• Pyrrhonist• Rationalist• Satanist• Scientist• Secular• Secular Humanist• Secular Ministry• Secularist• Skeptic• Solipsist • Somatist• Spiritualist• Truth Seeker• Unbeliever• Unitarian Church (some)• Universist

PERCEPTIONS AND REALITIESHow we make people feel.

Most hated demographics in America

This group does not at all agree with my vision of American society... • Atheist: 39.6%• Muslims: 26.3%• Homosexuals: 22.6%• Hispanics: 20%• Conservative Christians: 13.5%• Recent Immigrants: 12.5%• Jews: 7.6%

I would disapprove if my child wanted to marry a member of this group.... • Atheist: 47.6%• Muslim: 33.5%• African-American 27.2%• Asian-Americans: 18.5%• Hispanics: 18.5%• Jews: 11.8%• Conservative Christians: 6.9%• Whites: 2.3%

University of Minnesota Research identified the non-religious as America’s most distrusted minority.

Religious Advantage

What are some of the advantages?

Religious Advantages

• Public offices, groups, events often shun non-religious• Public offices, groups, events, agencies often require

religious affiliation• Public Services/Charities• Official Documents• Lucky Holidays!• Freedom of Speech• Benefit of the doubt / trust based on your stated

religious affiliation

COURAGEOUS VOICESWhy people speak up for themselves and others

Speaking Up-Breaking the Silence-

Silence reinforces:

Speaking up reinforces:

The subject is taboo Exclusive practices – topic should be avoided

The subject has valueInclusive practices – topic should be open

Discrimination and intolerance of different perspectives

Acceptance and inclusion of diverse world views

Speaking Up-Breaking the Silence-

• Reasons individuals come out as not sharing the mainstream religion–Honesty– Self-Identity–Genuine connections– Integrity–Promoting inclusiveness –Normalizing

Speaking Up - Challenges

Labeling oneself

takes time, thought,

and courage.

Speaking Up-Breaking the Silence-

We can help reduce discrimination and support others feel included by…

RESOURCESFinding support, assistance, activities, and friendships

Secular and Religious Resources - UCF

• Ombuds Office• UCF Office of Diversity Initiatives• UCF Counseling Center• UCF Campus Faith and Ministries Office • Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action• Employee Relations• UCF Secular SafeZone Representatives

Secular Student Alliance at UCF

• One of the largest, most active collegiate SSA groups in the nation

• Established in 2008 (CFA established 2005)• 200 active members• Average weekly meeting attendance: 30-50• Conferences, volunteering, social events,

educational events, hosting national speakers at UCF

Secular & Religious MinorityAssociation at UCF

• Faculty and staff organization at UCF• Established 2014• Conferences, volunteering, social events,

educational events, hosting national speakers at UCF, sponsoring scholarships for students to attend conferences

Resources - UCFFaculty and Staff Associations

UCF Women’s Club http://womensclub.cos.ucf.edu/

Black Faculty and Staff Associationhttp://www.bfsa-ucf.org/

PRIDE Faculty and Staff Associationhttp://www.ucfpride.org/

Resources for the SecularCommunity - Local

• Orlando Coalition of Reason• Atheists and Humanists of Florida – Orlando• BE. Orlando (volunteering and social group)• Black Nonbelievers of Metro Orlando (BNMO)• Central Florida Freethought Community (CFFC)• Central Florida Mothers Beyond Belief• FACTS (FL Atheists, Critical Thinkers, and Skeptics)• First Unitarian Church of Orlando (all faith and non-faiths)• Freethought Film Festival• Group-of-Drunks (Secular Addiction Recovery)

ResourcesCommunity - Local

• Hispanic American Freethinkers – Orlando• Humanist of Florida Association• Orlando Atheists Buy/Sell/Trade/Free Page• Orlando Freethinkers and Humanists• Orlando Skeptics Discussion Group• Recovering from Religion (hosted at UCF by the SSA)• Science League for Kids• Secular Coalition for Florida• Skeptical Parenting Community of Central Florida• SMART Recovery (Addiction Recovery)• Unitarian Universalist Society of Orlando

Resources for the SecularCommunity – National

• American Atheists• Americans United for

Separation of Church and State• Atheist Alliance of America• Atheist Nexus• American Humanist Association• Black Nonbelievers• The Brights• Camp Quest• Camp Inquiry• Center For Inquiry• Secular Party of America• Committee for Skeptical Inquiry• Secular Woman• Counsel for Secular Humanism• Secular Homeschool

Community• Humanist Grief (resources and

celebrants for secular mourners)

• Skepchick• Secular Web• LGBT Humanists (GaLHA)

• Filipino Freethinkers• Foundation Beyond Belief• Freedom From Religion Foundation• Freethought Society• Hispanic American Freethinkers• Secular Celebrant Program (CFI)• Institute for Humanist Studies• International Humanist and Ethical

Union• James Randi Educational Foundation• Latino Atheists• Military Association of Atheists and

Freethinkers• Atheists for Humanity• Military Religious Freedom Foundation• Foundation for Individual Rights in

Education (FIRE)• Interfaith Youth Core• James Randi Educational Foundation• Secular Buddhist Association• Project Reason• Military Association of Atheists and

Freethinkers• American Ethical Union• Baptist Joint Committee for Religious

Liberty (separation of Church and State)

• Project Reason• Recovering From Religion• Rational Response Squad• The Humanist Institute• The Richard Dawkins

Foundation• Secular Coalition for American• Secular Party of America• Secular Student Alliance• Secular Therapist Project• The Skeptics Society• SkeptiCamp• Society for Humanistic Judaism• Stiefel Freethought Foundation• Sunday Assembly• Tanenbaum Center for

Interreligious Understanding• Unitarian Universalist

Association• United Coalition of Reason

SECULAR ALLIESNational SafeZone Initiative

Questioning Faith

• Not all individuals who approach you are going to be certain about their worldview.

• We are here to:– Be role models– Be neutral (our faith/non-faith is not relevant)– Assist them in asking questions and getting access

to the proper resources to answer those questions.– Teach HOW to think, not WHAT to think

BECAUSE…

Who can be an Ally?

• Faculty, Staff, and Administrators• Student Leaders• Community Leaders• Scout Leaders• Business Professionals• Religious Leaders• Everyone!

What to Expect

What to Expect• Standing up for others is a

source of pride• Be an active member of a

network of individuals who are working to create ripples of positive inclusion.

• Create hope, togetherness, inclusiveness, acceptance, cooperative action

Responsibilities of an Ally

• Display your poster prominently (office, website graphic, etc.) and register in the national site so that you can be easily located.

• You have completed the training• Follow all laws and institutional policies• Never “out” anyone.• Provide and open listening environment• Report all incidents of bullying/harassment• Meet with students only in your professional space or public

meeting areas• If you have questions, contact your university Safe Zone

Coordinator or the Secular Student Alliance

Very Important Last Words

NEVER.OUT.

ANYONE.