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Atheist Summer Camp Programs Take a Page from Bible School Playbook
For atheist kids growing up in some regions of the U.S., a new kind of summer camp might be a wonderful relief.
Every summer, when the camp and childcare funds run dry and we’ve got weeks to go before school starts up, I consider shipping my two oldest off to one of the many vacation Bible schools I see advertised all over the city. Or one of the week-long sleepover camps run different churches of various faiths all over our region of the state. The hours are decent, the price is great (in the case of VBS, sometimes it’s free or just the cost of a T-shirt).
What gets in the way is that we don’t believe in God. And my morals — which I, indeed, have — tell me that I can’t use the outreach of a church for my own personal gain. (Even though, technically, I’m offering up potential converts. Their call!)
All of which is to say I’m intrigued by Camp Quest.
Camp Quest is a summer camp for atheists and/or their kids. Also welcome are “agnostics, secular humanists, freethinkers and other self-identified members of the non-religious community,” according to the Washington Post. While some religious blogs have called Camp Quest a “Re-Education Camp,” some of its campers think of is more as a place where they can be comfortable with the fact that they don’t pray before eating.
Atheist camp is sort of modeled after church camp, where fun is mixed in with deeper thought. According to Camp Quest director Sarah Menon, camp programming includes much philosophical discussion, talk about ethics and critical thinking.
We want kids to know that they should do the right thing” even if they don’t believe in heaven.
But there’s also swimming and hiking and canoeing and lanyard-making. It sounds like a regular camp with no pressure to hide or make excuses for not believing in God.
Where my kids are growing up, there is enough religious diversity that tolerance for non-believing is, while not a given, it’s not something that’s unheard of. But there are plenty of places in the U.S. where one’s agnosticism (or atheism) or irritation with every presidential speech ending in “God bless America” isn’t something that’s freely shared. If you know of places like this, and I certainly do, I can see how great this camp could be.
From the Washington Post:
“I don’t have any freethinker friends at home,” says Jake Monsky, thoughtfully. He’s 11, with blond hair damp from spending his free time at the lake. At some of his friends’ houses, the families pray before dinner. Jake says he bows his head because he doesn’t want to be rude. He likes these friends a lot, but sometimes, he thinks that if he told his friends that he isn’t religious, “then they might not be my friends anymore.”
(Let’s hope they don’t read the Washington Post!)
Do you send your kids to church camp or VBS (or atheist camp)? Do you consider another
Photo: Chairman Meow via flickr
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27 Comments
Bunnytwenty commented on Jul 27 11 at 4:32 pmSounds neat! It’s sad that non-believers have to actually label themselves with a name, though – I suspect that while most Americans consider themselves nominally “Christian,” a large proportion of those people aren’t particularly invested in their religion at all. It’d be nice if we didn’t have to be defensive about it or posit ourselves in relation to people whose life revolves around placating some invisible guy.
Shandeigh commented on Jul 27 11 at 4:32 pmMy little one isn’t old enough for camp yet… but I wouldn’t want to send him to a camp for Atheists… why can’t they just tote it as secular or non-religious. Calling it Atheist makes me think they have just as much of an agenda as a church camp. I plan on exposing my son to a varity of thought… I’m a Christian, his dad is a Taoist.
Mary commented on Jul 27 11 at 5:32 pmMy parents (staunch atheists, the both of them) sent me and my sister to VBS each summer when we were in the 5-8 age range. It was free childcare, so they were all over it. I think it also helped that one of our close family friends was organizing it, so they knew that we wouldn’t be made to feel uncomfortable. Yeah, there was a lot of singing about Jesus, coloring in Christian coloring books, and listening to/enacting bible stories, but there was also swimming, arts and crafts, and playing kickball.
At that age, it wasn’t a huge deal – sometimes I believed in God (usually when I was at VBS), and other times I didn’t, but nobody made a big issue about it.
Mary commented on Jul 27 11 at 5:38 pmOh, I should also point out that when I got older, my parents sent me to hippie camp…which was definitely atheist (most people at camp were atheists, though a few came from various assorted religions), but they never felt the need to stick the label atheist anywhere onto the literature, or even mention it. It was simply a camp for teens without any mention of religion one way or the other.
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Jul 27 11 at 6:20 pmFor older kids who want to learn and ponder non-believing philosophies, I think this is a great idea… in fact, I think they need to be around people of like minds, other than their families. For younger kids, a secular camp sounds very appropriate.
Adrienne commented on Jul 27 11 at 6:51 pmIt sounds as if you invented summer camp. Is it that surprising that atheists like many of the activities Christians do? We just don’t want any of that religion crap.
Sara commented on Jul 27 11 at 7:07 pmSounds kinda awesome.
Madeline Holler commented on Jul 27 11 at 7:20 pmClarification: *I* called it atheist camp (paralleling off of “church camp”). They call it Camp Quest and organize some of the activities (the thinking stuff) around freethinking/humanism, etc.
Manjari commented on Jul 27 11 at 8:25 pmI would definitely send my kids to a camp like this.
Andrea commented on Jul 27 11 at 8:51 pmAtheist camp? Sounds like heaven. Heh.
ariel commented on Jul 27 11 at 9:16 pmSounds great. We’re raising our son to be an atheist, and it’s great to have options like this!
Jenna commented on Jul 28 11 at 1:35 amWe study many different religions at home and while my kids are still too young for camp I would jump at the chance to send them to a camp like this in addition to the more religious camp most of their friends will go to.
Anonymous commented on Jul 28 11 at 5:41 amI don’t mean to start a huge war on here but, just because you choose not to believe in God, doesn’t mean He doesn’t exist. How can you not believe anyway? Explain to me where the beauty of the world comes from, from the colorful sunsets, to all the amazing animals. What is you inspiration for living if you don’t believe in God or Heaven? Where do you think you’ll end up when you die? It is my Christian duty to tell all who are non-believers that the wrath and Judgment of God is certain and right, and you will have to make an account for all your sins before God on the Judgment Day. If you actually read the Bible, you’d see that the disasters and wars and famine that’s going on right now, is not a coincidence but it is the truth that Jesus is coming back soon. And on the day when you seen the Eastern Sky split, and see the Son of God coming down from the clouds with all His Glory, it will be too late to pray then. It says in my Bible on that day He will tell you “Depart from me, for I never knew you”
So please for your kids sakes, and for you’res, at least give God a chance.
LOZ commented on Jul 28 11 at 8:52 amkthxbai
Bunnytwenty commented on Jul 28 11 at 9:37 amAnon: if I promise to take your big book of stories seriously, will you take mine seriously too? It’s the Blue Fairy book – y’know, famous fairy tales. It’s very important that you read it and believe it, because otherwise Rumplestiltskin is totally gonna take your firstborn child.
Walter commented on Jul 28 11 at 9:39 am@anonymous
Just because you believe in your god, doesn’t mean he does exist.
If you’re going to give credit to your god for beautiful sunsets and amazing animals, don’t forget to also credit him for the disfigured newborns who live in agony and pain only to die a couple of months after being born. Don’t forget to credit him with the rapists and murderers in the world. Don’t forget to credit him for tsunamis, landslides, earthquakes, floods and diseases.I find it much easier to believe that life, beautiful sunsets, amazing animals are a product of the natural world. Those horrible things are a product of the natural world too. But that’s the consequences of an unguided process. You get the good with the bad. If all those things are the consequence of a guided (supposedly moral) process, then that “god” is an evil vile being.
Just saying.
Ariel commented on Jul 28 11 at 9:40 amSorry, Anon, I’m teaching my son what religion is – supernatural fairy tales. Period.
bornagainpagan commented on Jul 28 11 at 11:27 am@anonymous, re: proselytizing: The goddess and god will welcome you back any time you choose to open your eyes :-)
ALH commented on Jul 28 11 at 1:03 pmHi Shandeigh and others,
Some of the campers that attend Camp Quest ARE religious. Many are agnostic, or just not yet sure.
How do I know? I volunteer as a counselor at Camp Quest.
Camp Quest is about Freethought, not atheism. The media does not convey that fact well, but if you go to Camp Quest’s website, you can learn a lot more about the goals of the camp.
The primary goal is to create a safe place where kids can express themselves – whether it’s about religion, philosophy or anything else.
We try to encourage them to think and ask questions, and we certainly do NOT tell them WHAT to think. If a camper asks “is there a god?” we respond “what do you think? How could you test that?” etc.
I hope this helps you understand Camp Quest :)
Bunnytwenty commented on Jul 28 11 at 1:33 pmIn other words, ALH, you’re saying that you let kids think for themselves? how scandalous! :)
Voice Of Reason commented on Jul 28 11 at 7:15 pmLoving you, this week, Bunnytwenty!
Linda, t.o.o. commented on Jul 28 11 at 8:57 pm“It is my Christian duty to tell all who are non-believers that the wrath and Judgment of God is certain and right, and you will have to make an account for all your sins before God on the Judgment Day.” Yawn. Sin and god are inventions of man. When you’re dead your dead.
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Jul 28 11 at 9:47 pmFlying Spaghetti Monster FTW! Ramen.
Snuff commented on Jul 29 11 at 11:30 amIt’s an the Atheists job to ignore your annoying comments about God and his wrath. You don’t think Atheists know about Christianity? We don’t want to hear about it as we have heard about it all of our lives… most of us were forced to church and read the Bible and that’s what made us question and not believe in the non sense fairy tales.
Just hearing you say he will come from the sky makes me think… wow you can really believe that?
Jenna commented on Jul 29 11 at 1:36 pm@Anonymous. Not wanting people with a narrow and harmful interpretation of ancient texts shoving their personal view on things down my kids throat doesn’t mean I don’t believe in God.
BBaker commented on Aug 01 11 at 9:10 pmMan, I wish they had something like this when I was a kid. I had to go to VBS and hated every minute of it. It saddens me to think that most children of christian families are exposed to this stuff before they even know the difference between what is real and what is not. They don’t even get the opportunity to choose whether they want to except that religion or not. And if they don’t, they really don’t have any alternatives. Until now! I really hope that someday we can get something like this going where I live.
AGreenhill commented on Aug 02 11 at 1:23 pmLittle Jake is right. They very well might think he’s evil if he tells them he doesn’t believe in their invisible friends… but that risk should be embraced. Non-Christians need to start letting people know that we (their friends and family) are not Christian.
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