A couple months ago, I was among the delegation from the Secular Student Alliance at a meeting with White House officials.
A couple days ago, the SSA’s Executive Director August Brunsman was there again, this time to discuss interfaith service projects on college campuses. (Greg Epstein, Harvard’s Humanist Chaplain, was there as well.)
“Our inclusion in today’s meeting is a welcome acknowledgement that secular students have been working to make a positive difference in the world,” said Brunsman. “As more and more students openly identify as nontheistic, we are taking a greater role in the charitable interfaith community.”
…
… “We are committed to increased cooperation with religious organizations for the betterment of society. But our actions will speak louder than our words.”
This event isn’t going to make as many headlines as the last time we went, but I think it’s still big news for atheists. The White House is listening to us and asking us to participate in these service projects (which many of our affiliates do anyway).
I know the “interfaith movement” has its critics among us (myself included), but I think it’s possible to work with people of other faiths toward common goals — and, separately, criticize their religious beliefs in a peaceful way — without being a hypocrite.
This White House meeting focused on working together, and I’m thrilled that the Secular Student Alliance was asked to participate.