Imagine No Religion.
The mission of Connecticut Valley Atheists is to promote to the public a positive perception of Atheists and Atheism. CVA intends to accomplish this through community activities, charitable works, and sponsorship of educational events which demonstrate that Atheism is an ethical and meaningful way of life. We intend to seek out and encourage like-minded people to join us and contribute to our efforts.
What We Believe
The story of Jesus Christ appearing after he was dead is the story of an apparition, such as timid imaginations can always create in vision, and credulity believe.
We are atheists. What that simply means is that we do not believe in the existence of a God, or any similar supernatural being. We are in all walks of life and cover the entire political spectrum.
We believe in no dogma of any kind. Instead, we believe in thinking, in asking questions and in seeking the truth. We believe in the power of the human intellect to solve the mysteries of the universe and the miseries of the world. We believe that unthinking reliance on a supernatural being is an insult to human intelligence and an affront to human dignity.
An atheist ... is a man who destroys chimeras harmful to the human race, in order to lead man back to nature, to experience, and to reason. — Baron d'Holbach
What We Hope To Accomplish
"if you want to do evil, science provides the most powerful weapons to do evil; but equally, if you want to do good, science puts into your hands the most powerful tools to do so."
For too long atheists have been on the sidelines. After all, what harm is it for people to have a "security blanket," for them to seek comfort in some beliefs? However, recent events made it clear that we can no longer sit by idly while the danger to our civilization increases.
We hope to raise the public's awareness about the dangers of religion. True, the dangers are from extremists, not the large majority of church-goers. But the moderates provide a substrate for the fanatics to grow.
How Can You Help?
It's time now for all atheists to "come out." We need you to be visible, to be a role model, to let the world see that a perfectly viable alternative is available, that life can be rich, fulfilling, joyous, ethical and meaningful without relying on fear of a supernatural being. We feel that it is our duty, the duty of all atheists, to stand up and proudly proclaim their nonbelief, to set a good role model for the younger generation to emulate.
Please join or support us!
Vernon Holiday Display
On December 1, 2007 we erected the Town of Vernon's first Atheist holiday display. It will eventually be joined by a Christian display and a Jewish one. Traditionally only a Christian display has been erected. We would prefer no displays promoting theological worldviews be displayed at all, but as long as they are we thank the Town of Vernon for permitting Atheists equal access.
Since we erected our holiday display in Vernon we have received several emails suggesting that the World Trade Center design was inappropriate. This is our response:
First, we are equally aghast and disturbed by what happened on Sept. 11th. In fact, many of us atheists decided to become more active because of that incident. Our image was not dramatic — it was a serene pre-9/11 image. If we have opened up any old wounds, it is completely unintentional.
We are also not insinuating that all religious people are to blame. Clearly, 9/11 is the work of fanatics. However, we feel that religion even in moderation provides a foundation for fanatical groups to thrive. We are against the idea of god and religion but not against the people caught in the web of illusion.
Our complaint about religion with regards to 9/11 is not new. Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete, a professor of theology at St. Joseph's Seminary in New York made this observation in an interview conducted by FRONTLINE producer Helen Whitney in the winter of 2002.
From the first moment I looked into that horror on September 11th, into that fireball, into that explosion of horror, I knew it. I knew it before anything was said about those who did it or why. I recognized an old companion. I recognized religion. —Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete
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