The purpose and objective of this organization is to give a forum for discussion on life without faith, provide support for those that have lost faith and feel rudderless, provide a sense of community for those otherwise without a community, and to promote the adoption of scientific reasoning, rationality, and secularism through outreach via on-campus activities.
The Atheist & Secular Coalition is a student group active at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). Wilmington, North Carolina is a coastal city situated between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean. According to the US Census Bureau results from 2022, the city of Wilmington had a population of 120,324, and a metropolitan population around 300,000.1 UNCW has a student population around 18,000, and Wilmington is also home to Cape Fear Community College, Brunswick Community College, and Miller-Motte College.
According to the Pew Research’s Religious Landscape Study, the vast majority of the US population identifies as Christian (70.6%), while atheists (3.1%) and agnostics (4.0%) represent a minority.2 Compared to Western Europe, the US is far more religious according to another study by Pew Research which found 53% of Western Europeans identify as being neither religious nor spiritual, while in the US on 18% responded as such.3
As such, religion has a far greater influence in politics and society. This is also the case on campus, where religious groups and church invites have been chalked on pathways consistently in high traffic areas, as well as during days in which the free-speech zone is open to the public.
While these callouts for interaction may be inviting to some students, they may be uncomfortable reminders for others. To support those who might feel unrepresented and have no religious beliefs, we will also seek to expand our reach through similar activities.
Our goal is to provide support for those who have questions about life, who have been targeted by religious ideology, and to foster a community that appreciates discovery through science, rather than faith.
1. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/wilmingtoncitynorthcarolina/PST045222
2. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/
3. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2018/05/29/being-christian-in-western-europe/#fn-29741-1