Why is this organization needed in Kansas City?
As atheists, we are a minority in this area, and the greater portion of the population still sees us as the misanthropic caricature commonly portrayed in pop culture. We’re changing that. As we work for awareness and acceptance, we’re also fighting the perception that this is a Christian nation and all that entails.
Do you all hate Christians/other people of faith?
We believe in judging people by their words and deeds, not their personal faith identification. Just as there are many examples of faith expressions that are harmful, we have been honored to meet people of faith who not only respect our position, but seek to protect it. We regularly point people to our partnerships with local Christian organizations who welcome us to come volunteer as proof that religious affiliation isn’t a hard boundary for us. At the end of the day, serving not only atheists and secular people, but also our neighbors in need, is a much higher purpose to which we aspire.
In a general sense, atheists value the application of critical thinking skills as a means of evaluation. Regardless of religious affiliation, we believe in looking at empirical evidence, including initial motivations and real outcomes, prior to drawing conclusions or passing judgment.
What is KCAC’s stance on diversity, inclusion, and the LGBTQIA+ community?
We believe critiques of atheist groups that hold them, and specifically us, accountable for being majority-white are valuable and important. We will always seek sensible methods with strategic value to increase our diversity while making every effort to avoid tokenism (seeking to recruit people of color just because they are people of color, especially to hold them up as examples of “how diverse we are”). We are wide open to working with people of color and indigenous ancestry who have a genuine interest in increasing the capability and reach of Kansas City Atheist Coalition, who also possess the skills and drive to make a positive impact.
We believe systemic racism and oppression have existed, and do currently exist, and must be addressed, resisted, and overcome.
We firmly decry the highly elevated rates of discrimination, violence, abuse, and murder against trans people and all members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and stand with them in complete support.
We believe that the rights of people who menstruate are human rights and stand firmly against efforts to legislate against bodily autonomy.
To ensure our events, including online gatherings and official Board meetings, are as inclusive and welcoming as possible, we insist on the recognition of any involved person’s current gender identification and preferred pronouns amongst our members and leadership.
Where do you hold meetings?
We don’t yet have regularly set meetings other than an online Open Board Meeting every month. Due to the COVID pandemic, we have avoided scheduling any in-person events or gatherings. As part of our 2022 initiatives, we are developing strict, sensible guidelines for attendees, volunteers, and leadership to follow that will allow us to create and promote gatherings. We will also offer online-only venues to give our community members opportunities to interact in the near future.
How can I support your organization?
Become a member; it’s just $25 if you join at any of our events, or $30 if you join online. Membership includes a KCAC T-shirt and button! Attend our events; check the site and RSVP on our Facebook page. Contact us at [email protected] to be added to our mailing list and receive email notifications of our events. Donate; we constantly have works in the pipeline that could use funding.
If you’re a high school student in the Kansas City metropolitan area, consider starting a Secular Student Alliance chapter at your high school. If you’re a student at a Kansas City area university, consider starting an atheist student group within your educational institute as well. Contact us and we would be glad to help you with this.
Are there volunteering opportunities with KCAC?
Yes! We want to be clear: all positions are on a volunteer-only basis. At present, all who work to enable KCAC’s strategic goals, including every member of the leadership team, work strictly on a volunteer basis.
We do not discriminate based on religious beliefs. All we require for any volunteer is a genuine desire to grow our organization in healthy ways that will benefit the secular community of Kansas City. If you don’t consider yourself to be an atheist, but still believe our mission is good and vital, do not hesitate to contact us to inquire how you could help.
We are seeking to work with volunteers who can help in the following areas:
- Social Media Management – Monitoring, scheduled posting, and creation of campaigns
- Financing/Investment – We are very interested in working with someone with financial and investment experience to explore options to maximize our impact from donated funds.
- Grant Writing – We are looking for experienced grant writers who would be willing to offer assistance.
- Inventory Management/Order Fulfillment – Maintaining stock counts and ensuring quick delivery of promised items to new members, and shipping items purchased from our web shop.
- Board of Directors – We value a diversity of opinion among the Board and are always excited to talk with people who believe they have the ability to grow our impact and reach, to better serve our secular community.
- Reach out to us if you have other skills you’d like to use to benefit our efforts. We’re always open to suggestions from the community, and always happy to meet an inspired individual with a desire to help.
If you are interested in any of the volunteer opportunities above, please contact us by messaging us on our Facebook page or contact Jordan McKinney.