I'm an Atheist. Can I start a faith-based initiative?

[Hello_Kitty]

Seems they're popping up all over and they look super-easy to organize and obtain funding. Hell, the Moonies and Scientologists have them. Are atheists precluded from the program because we don't subscribe to a deity? I'm only half joking here. I'm tired of working for the man and have been wanting to start my own business. The only problem is I don't feel passionate enough about any product or service to want to devote my life to it. But I do like to work for causes and issues; I was an active Kerry volunteer and have been involved in numerous community and volunteer projects. I think a lot of atheists/agnostics would be great at administering programs to help the community, minus the religious indoctrination. And many people would want to seek help from an organization that WON'T force a religious ideology upon them. It could be called a philosophy based initiative, based on secular humanism, ration, and free thought.

What do you guys think? I'm tempted to just apply for it to see what they say.

[BlueEyedSon]

1. Count me in. I'd also be interested in tax-free status!

[phantom power]

2. You could declare a humanist "religeon". Faith in humanity.

Pragmatically, I don't know what criteria are used by the feds to determine what constitutes a "legitimate" religeon. As opposed to a cult.

[Hamlette]

3. yes, if you call yourself a secular humanist

there is an interesting US Supreme Court case allowing conscience objector status to a secular humanist even though the statute at the time said to get CO status you had to base it on a belief in god.

The court seemed to imply that an atheist wouldn't get CO status. My husband did but the issue of religion didn't come up in his case. He's an atheist.

Anyway, I'd argue the reasoning in the Pete Seeger case (the secular humanist CO case) if they tried to deny me. Hey, I'm a lawyer, I'd argue it for you!

[immoderate]

4. Aren't similar funds available for non-profit charitable organizations?

Where did the money go before Bush's "innovation?"

--IMM

[robbedvoter]

5. No. Only fundies get our tax money. The "al faiths" is for the birds

Not even cathilics got one red cent as of yet.
it's W's campaign slush fund after all.

[Cleita]

8. That makes me laugh.

Remember a year or so ago when all the Catholics were fighting with us over this? We told them they wouldn't get any of the money. LOL

[Hello_Kitty]

9. Why aren't Catholics getting any of it?

Have they applied and been rejected?

[robbedvoter]

11. Possibly. I just know that the Frontline piece on PBS (or NOW?)

has looked into what was appropriated so far and concluded that no catholic , Jewish or Muslim organization got one red cent. Which is not surprising - this was power consolidation money.

[Gelliebeans]

6. If you build it......

we will come ;)

[Cleita]

7. I've been researching doing a non-profit organization in CA.

If you have a religious organization, you don't even have to have a church or a congregation. What a racket this is.

[politicat]

10. You could set up a Church of Freethought.

This has been done in ...

(wait for it...)

Texas. The North Texas Church of Freethought, and it's doing really well for a start-up church. They're still at the renting hotel ball rooms stage, but they'll probably get to the store-front stage here pretty quick.

Start with a church and then build a library with an after-school program. (As an example.) Usually you need matching funds for these FBO grants, so getting funding from a NFP like The Gates Foundation (which has been very secular) or the MacArthur foundation is a good place to start.

Find a grant writer and latch on to her. Bake her brownies, rub her feet, whatever it takes.

And plan to work for the next 10 years at less than minimum wage for a lot of hours every week. Getting an NFP to pay its own way is painful. (As I look at my NFP's 4 figure budget and try to squeeze a small scholarship for Camp Quest out of it...)

Pcat