# Alabama gets it's first high school  atheist club!



## Four (Nov 1, 2012)

http://www.southerneddesk.org/the-genesis-of-alabamas-only-hs-freethinkers-club/

Excerpt:



> BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — It’s not exactly pioneering journalism to report that Alabama is part of the Bible Belt. Even so, there are  nonbelievers’ or “freethinkers’” clubs on college campuses around the state. But until recently — excluding one club that lasted just one year, from 1996 to 1997 — there were none at the high-school level. It makes sense: For better or worse, most kids that age want to fit in. Very few would publicly go against bedrock beliefs held sacred by the community around them. But  sixteen-year-old Duncan Henderson of Auburn is different.
> 
> “I had just ‘come out’ in seventh grade,” he says. “And I had a few friends that I knew were  non-religious. And as we got older, we started hanging out more, and I was like, ‘you know what? I really want a group for us to not be badmouthed constantly by the majority of the school. So, I really want to start a group.’”
> 
> ...


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## stringmusic (Nov 1, 2012)

Good for them kids! If they want to have a debil worshipin' club then they should be able to. 


 Obviously kidding. What I don't understand is why it's called a "free thinkers" club. I wonder if I could be a part of the club as a Christian?


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## Four (Nov 1, 2012)

stringmusic said:


> Good for them kids! If they want to have a debil worshipin' club then they should be able to.
> 
> 
> Obviously kidding. What I don't understand is why it's called a "free thinkers" club. I wonder if I could be a part of the club as a Christian?



I'm sure you could, the article mentioned that the teacher-sponsor of the club is a christian.

I think the free thinker part is because they're in the bible belt, were it's very uncommon, and sometimes dangerous to not be christian


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## stringmusic (Nov 1, 2012)

Four said:


> I think the free thinker part is because they're in the bible belt, were it's very uncommon, and sometimes dangerous to not be christian



I'm sure that's the case. I just don't like the name, but I would definitely want to join the club! It would be a high school A/A/A forum!


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## Ronnie T (Nov 1, 2012)

I'm a free thinker.


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## Artfuldodger (Nov 1, 2012)

From one of the comments:Nothing displays those old good old fashion Christian values like threatening to shoot someone with a shotgun.

I hope the person that made the threat doesn't consider himself a Christian.

I too am a free whillin' free thinker.


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## gemcgrew (Nov 1, 2012)

“One threatened to shoot me and every other atheist with a shotgun.”

_Duncan and his family ultimately decided it wasn’t a serious threat and didn’t report it._

I'm not convinced "free thinking" can fix this.


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## JB0704 (Nov 2, 2012)

gemcgrew said:


> I'm not convinced "free thinking" can fix this.


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## JB0704 (Nov 2, 2012)

stringmusic said:


> It would be a high school A/A/A forum!



....and then folks would constantly show up, tell us that everything we are talking about is a big waste of time......and that we should only be using the (insert favorite Bible version) to argue our case, leaving us scratching our head as to why they showed up in the first place.

It would be just like here.


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## Havana Dude (Nov 2, 2012)

Free Thinkers Club............kind of an oxymoron of sorts. I mean if you're a free thinker, why do you need to be part of a club? 

Funny how christians get labeled "followers" or "sheep" in a scenario such as this, but let the Free thinkers do it, and it is all hunky dory.  WOW!!!  If not for being so sad, this would be laughable.


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## TripleXBullies (Nov 2, 2012)

I like free thinkers. It's just to show that they don't follow what everyone else is doing just because everyone else is doing it.

If your best friend jumped of a cliff would you do it too? If your whole family were Christians would you do it too?

The fact that a Christian teacher is organizing it sounds more like it's just a place to gather them together so you can evangelize once instead of having to do it repeatedly.


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## Ronnie T (Nov 2, 2012)

TripleXBullies said:


> I like free thinkers. It's just to show that they don't follow what everyone else is doing just because everyone else is doing it.
> 
> If your best friend jumped of a cliff would you do it too? If your whole family were Christians would you do it too?
> 
> The fact that a Christian teacher is organizing it sounds more like it's just a place to gather them together so you can evangelize once instead of having to do it repeatedly.



Have you read any of the threads in the spiritual discussion forum lately.
Sounds like there's more 'free-thinkers' in there than.  Seems that everyone disagrees and makes up their own minds!


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## bigreddwon (Nov 2, 2012)

Havana Dude said:


> Free Thinkers Club............kind of an oxymoron of sorts. I mean if you're a free thinker, why do you need to be part of a club?
> 
> Funny how Christians get labeled "followers" or "sheep" in a scenario such as this, but let the Free thinkers do it, and it is all hunky dory.  WOW!!!  If not for being so sad, this would be laughable.



Aren't there several references to Jesus being the Shepard and his 'followers' his 'flock'? I also believe many of your fellow Christians refer to themselves as 'followers' of Christs teachings..


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## Havana Dude (Nov 2, 2012)

bigreddwon said:


> Aren't there several references to Jesus being the Shepard and his 'followers' his 'flock'? I also believe many of your fellow Christians refer to themselves as 'followers' of Christs teachings..



was referring to being called followers of man.


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## ambush80 (Nov 2, 2012)

bigreddwon said:


> Aren't there several references to Jesus being the Shepard and his 'followers' his 'flock'? I also believe many of your fellow Christians refer to themselves as 'followers' of Christs teachings..



Indeed.  There is a ton of "He is the good shepherd and I am an obedient sheep" metaphor not only in the Bible but in many, many hymns as well.

It doesn't sit well with me....


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## stringmusic (Nov 2, 2012)

bigreddwon said:


> Aren't there several references to Jesus being the Shepard and his 'followers' his 'flock'? I also believe many of your fellow Christians refer to themselves as 'followers' of Christs teachings..





ambush80 said:


> Indeed.  There is a ton of "He is the good shepherd and I am an obedient sheep" metaphor not only in the Bible but in many, many hymns as well.
> 
> It doesn't sit well with me....



Can either of you point me to any verses that say a follower of Christ cannot think for themselves?


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## ambush80 (Nov 2, 2012)

Is your Google broken?

_Proverbs 3:5-8, TLB. "Then trust the Lord completely; don't ever trust yourself. In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success. Don't be conceited, sure of your own wisdom. Instead, trust and reverence the Lord, and turn your back on evil; When you do that, then you will be given renewed health and vitality."_

Go ahead.  Tell me about context.

Don't you want to be a 'sheep in His flock'?


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## stringmusic (Nov 2, 2012)

ambush80 said:


> Is your Google broken?


No, but if I googled my question, there wouldn't be much of a discussion here.



> _Proverbs 3:5-8, TLB. "Then trust the Lord completely; don't ever trust yourself. In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success. Don't be conceited, sure of your own wisdom. Instead, trust and reverence the Lord, and turn your back on evil; When you do that, then you will be given renewed health and vitality."_
> 
> Go ahead.  Tell me about context.
> 
> Don't you want to be a 'sheep in His flock'?



Well Ambush, you got me, it clearly says in those verses that a Christian cannot be a free thinker.


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## mtnwoman (Nov 2, 2012)

Artfuldodger said:


> From one of the comments:Nothing displays those old good old fashion Christian values like threatening to shoot someone with a shotgun.
> 
> I hope the person that made the threat doesn't consider himself a Christian.
> 
> I too am a free whillin' free thinker.



Me, three, I'm a free thinker, too.


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## bigreddwon (Nov 2, 2012)

ambush80 said:


> Is your Google broken?
> 
> _Proverbs 3:5-8, TLB. "Then trust the Lord completely; don't ever trust yourself. _


_
Whoop, there it is...


The only way to be a free thinker is to be a bad Christian.._


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