WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:05.080 Welcome back to the nonprofits. Today we're talking about atheists and the common good. 2 00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:10.439 This comes to us from David's Speed and basically what this is about is 3 00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:17.280 our author and another scholar wanted to really look into the claim of oh, 4 00:00:17.320 --> 00:00:23.039 religious people are so much better. Look at how much religious people volunteer blah 5 00:00:23.079 --> 00:00:29.679 blah blah compared to non religious people. Well, we have some interesting data, 6 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:32.039 folks, and I'm not going to give it all away because I want 7 00:00:32.039 --> 00:00:36.600 to get the panel in on this. But funny enough, apparently when you 8 00:00:37.399 --> 00:00:43.240 when you average it out, it appears that the average religious person does as 9 00:00:43.359 --> 00:00:48.119 much, if not less, volunteer work than the non religious. I know 10 00:00:48.200 --> 00:00:52.280 we're all shocked here, but Helen, what did you think about this study 11 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:57.399 that I'm really excited about it. I'm very happy because I kind of larrainge 12 00:00:57.520 --> 00:01:03.560 this because I like, I'm just you know, just from my own volunteer 13 00:01:03.560 --> 00:01:06.560 work, like you know, with recovering from religion, for example, I'm 14 00:01:06.599 --> 00:01:11.840 surrounded by a group of very dedicated volunteers um and we've been at a lot 15 00:01:11.879 --> 00:01:15.359 of them, like myself, have been at it for years because we recognize 16 00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:18.879 that there are people in the world that need help. And especially if you're 17 00:01:18.920 --> 00:01:23.319 coming from the seculist humanist perspective, you realize that the only thing we have 18 00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:26.439 to rely on is each other. And also you only get one life. 19 00:01:26.480 --> 00:01:30.760 And when you come from that perspective that there's no reward afterwards. You know, 20 00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:34.519 nobody's no one's paying attention to me, you know, if I'm doing 21 00:01:34.519 --> 00:01:38.159 good or bad things. But if you come from the like you want to 22 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:42.760 do the least harm as possible. It's a really good idea to become altruistic 23 00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:48.560 and extend that out to your fellow people. So I am not surprised that 24 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:52.519 atheists, because of that perspective want to make more of an impact on the 25 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:55.159 world and realize that, you know, why they're here, they got to 26 00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:57.319 do some stuff to make the world better a place. So I am not 27 00:01:57.480 --> 00:02:00.640 I am not surprised at all. And this is a wonderful, wonderful article 28 00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:06.159 to read. And I had a little bit of like, ha, screaty 29 00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:13.479 religious people. We went anyway, Rabel, I'm sorry, I got giddy. 30 00:02:13.479 --> 00:02:16.439 Go ahead, I believe, I guess. I guess. My first 31 00:02:16.479 --> 00:02:21.639 thought, besides you know, being happy of the results, is I was 32 00:02:21.639 --> 00:02:23.719 surprised. I know one had done something like this before. As far as 33 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:29.120 the study goes, I know, um it seems obvious to us who are 34 00:02:29.159 --> 00:02:35.159 always told how great religious people are just de facto versus atheists, But you 35 00:02:35.199 --> 00:02:38.439 know it's uh a. I want to see it done in other countries, 36 00:02:38.560 --> 00:02:43.199 especially the United States, because all this data was collected from Canadian data. 37 00:02:43.520 --> 00:02:46.520 Um yeah, I know that that fake, fake country up there. We 38 00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:54.159 love our Canadian friends, just kidding, just friends. Other countries I would 39 00:02:54.159 --> 00:03:00.800 love to see. I would love to see some breakdowns on racial lines to 40 00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:05.199 see what that looks like, as well as far as volunteering, as well 41 00:03:05.240 --> 00:03:13.000 as just sometimes it's helpful to have the people giving their self report data in 42 00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:15.879 this case, like how much does religion actually matter to you? Because I 43 00:03:15.879 --> 00:03:21.919 think that's an important factor, how much they associate with their religion, because 44 00:03:21.960 --> 00:03:25.199 like the study pointed out, they broke it down into people who are inclined 45 00:03:25.319 --> 00:03:31.080 to volunteer, and they kind of measure that by how much they prayed and 46 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:36.360 then versus their opportunity to do it, and they measure that by how often 47 00:03:36.439 --> 00:03:39.479 they went to church. But there's another factor of like how much does I 48 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:44.120 feel Like there's a third prong here that would help like close a circle a 49 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:46.240 little bit on some of this data of how much do they actually care, 50 00:03:46.280 --> 00:03:50.800 because there's certain people to go to church who don't care, but they might 51 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:55.159 end up in some kind of volunteer organization just because they're there, you know. 52 00:03:55.199 --> 00:03:59.280 I think that was one thing this study really looked at, was the 53 00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:05.039 opportunity they end up volunteering more than atheists, but they only volunteer more with 54 00:04:05.240 --> 00:04:11.360 inside their church community. So there's interesting. It's a it's a tricky study 55 00:04:11.400 --> 00:04:14.120 to do, but I think they did it pretty well. But I want 56 00:04:14.159 --> 00:04:17.360 more. I want more data this sure, Kelly, do you think that 57 00:04:17.480 --> 00:04:21.879 was really important to point out that a lot of the atheists who were volunteering 58 00:04:21.959 --> 00:04:28.120 were volunteering just in that small area and they weren't really helping a large group 59 00:04:28.120 --> 00:04:31.079 of people or a group of a group of different people. It was all 60 00:04:31.160 --> 00:04:35.439 just for the one specific small community. And I don't know, to me, 61 00:04:35.600 --> 00:04:39.920 that's really not so much volunteering to make toorld the better place. But 62 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:42.839 that's just me. I don't know what to say to that one. In 63 00:04:42.879 --> 00:04:46.800 some cases, that's like you almost forced to do it. In certain churches. 64 00:04:46.199 --> 00:04:49.879 It's like if you're showing up, you're volunteering at X, Y and 65 00:04:49.959 --> 00:04:54.439 Z, and uh good good luck with that. You know. It's like 66 00:04:54.439 --> 00:04:56.720 you can't say no, so even if you don't want to do it, 67 00:04:56.759 --> 00:05:00.560 you're doing it. Yeah, right right. I'm really not surprised at this 68 00:05:00.639 --> 00:05:03.639 at all. I mean, the volunteers here at the ACA are amazing. 69 00:05:03.800 --> 00:05:08.000 You know what a group of great group of people that are to work with. 70 00:05:08.079 --> 00:05:11.839 They're all really dedicated, they're hard working people, and we're all and 71 00:05:12.120 --> 00:05:15.319 all volunteers and look at the awesome stuff that they do here. I've been 72 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:18.839 a part of voluntary organizations for a long time. I've started a couple in 73 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:24.360 the community, and the people that come to the meetings and really help have 74 00:05:24.639 --> 00:05:29.720 always, in my experience anyway, have always been, for the most part, 75 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:32.560 pretty non religious. They weren't atheists, but they're the type of people 76 00:05:32.600 --> 00:05:35.360 that if you ask them if they believe in God, they would tell you 77 00:05:35.480 --> 00:05:39.199 yes, but they never go to church on Sunday, or maybe they go 78 00:05:39.240 --> 00:05:42.560 on Christmas or Easter. You know, you know, you know the type. 79 00:05:42.560 --> 00:05:46.959 I probably got some of them in your family, so that every organization 80 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:50.360 I ever put together, those were the people that really sat on our volunteer 81 00:05:50.439 --> 00:05:55.319 boards that got the work done that of that group. So yeah, that's 82 00:05:55.399 --> 00:05:58.519 this doesn't surprise me at all. M SR. You want to add more 83 00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:01.759 to it, yeah, I think. I think the point that Raphaela just 84 00:06:01.879 --> 00:06:08.279 mentioned was one of the things that was so deeply awesome about this study, 85 00:06:08.519 --> 00:06:13.720 because you know, we're good skeptics here, right, we really shouldn't be 86 00:06:13.720 --> 00:06:16.240 believing stuff without good evidence. I'll go ahead and let y'all know, though 87 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:20.399 I will show you my flaws. I have believed this for years. I 88 00:06:20.439 --> 00:06:25.600 have just totally believed the outcome of this study for years, and one of 89 00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:30.720 the biggest reasons was due to the classification in the United States of religious organization. 90 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:35.759 They are by default a charity. And so if a religious organization is 91 00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:40.199 a charity, and you're saying to me, well, religious people give more 92 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:46.279 money to charities than non religious people, well what freaking charities? Because if 93 00:06:46.319 --> 00:06:49.000 it's just your church, what does that do? How is that beneficial? 94 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:51.720 How is that a good thing? How are you trying to say, oh, 95 00:06:51.800 --> 00:06:56.000 wow, now I'm helping out in the world. You gave ten dollars 96 00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:59.519 to your local animal shelter. I gave a hundred to my church. So 97 00:06:59.560 --> 00:07:02.199 that we could put on a Jesus play. I don't know, That's what 98 00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:05.600 I'm saying, right Like, it just doesn't. So yeah, I was 99 00:07:05.680 --> 00:07:11.759 really really glad that they they did that breakdown of it. Um. I 100 00:07:11.800 --> 00:07:15.560 guess just you know, can we get of this right? Like? You 101 00:07:15.560 --> 00:07:17.600 know, like you were saying, Raphael, like it seems like this should 102 00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:23.720 be something that we should do kind of across the board. But again, 103 00:07:23.759 --> 00:07:28.399 this is just another example of religion co opting all the good things about what 104 00:07:28.439 --> 00:07:30.160 it means to be a person and just saying, oh, no, we're 105 00:07:30.199 --> 00:07:33.680 the only ones you know, Oh that charity only comes from my God. 106 00:07:33.759 --> 00:07:39.480 It can't just be something that you in in yourself, like George, Um, 107 00:07:39.519 --> 00:07:42.839 what else you got on this? Raphael? Sorry you put in tricky. 108 00:07:43.160 --> 00:07:47.199 Um No, I totally agree. Um, I wouldn't be surprised if 109 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:53.639 there's some form of our charities better than secular charities. I'm going to volunteer 110 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:57.040 or give my money to those types. I'll also point out, just like 111 00:07:57.439 --> 00:08:01.399 if you're religious to some you know, in some forms, not in all 112 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:03.720 cases. Clearly you're at church like three or four times a week, you're 113 00:08:03.759 --> 00:08:07.959 at the youth stuff, you're at you're thin. On top of that, 114 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:09.480 you take care of your family, you've got a job, you're trying to 115 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:15.199 do whatever, you're just gonna default to wherever you're you're either not going to 116 00:08:15.319 --> 00:08:18.759 do any charity, which you know, this study showed some people who don't 117 00:08:18.759 --> 00:08:20.519 go to church as much don't do a lot of charity, or you're just 118 00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:26.759 gonna default to that social structure in that church, you know, because you 119 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:28.560 you're out of bandwidth to do that. And you know, it's kind of 120 00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:33.519 like when people say they have nothing to lose from like believing, it's like 121 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:37.120 if your whole life to lose. In this case, you're you're like volunteering. 122 00:08:37.399 --> 00:08:41.320 You're at church all the time. You're volunteering doing stuff that you know 123 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:43.360 really doesn't benefit the community. You know, personally, for me, I 124 00:08:43.399 --> 00:08:48.840 try to volunteer in things that actually like benefit people that may not be like 125 00:08:48.960 --> 00:08:52.200 me, or at least it's community based in some type. So I don't 126 00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:54.480 know. To me, it was like I think you sr and Helen said, 127 00:08:54.519 --> 00:08:56.879 how you know, this is what we've always expected, this is what 128 00:08:56.919 --> 00:09:01.360 I've always expected. But it was also to add to me that all they're 129 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:07.840 like a lot of the volunteerism that these religious people are doing just like evaporates 130 00:09:07.879 --> 00:09:11.039 once you take, like you delete all the volunteering they do for their church 131 00:09:11.360 --> 00:09:15.480 and they're doing nothing. You know, it's there, you know, they 132 00:09:15.480 --> 00:09:18.600 could be doing so much more than whatever they're you know, bringing cookies to 133 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:22.960 you know, the Sunday school or whatever every week. So for me, 134 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:26.080 it was reassuring that, hey, now we have some data points on this, 135 00:09:26.279 --> 00:09:31.320 but also like, that's kind of depressing, Kelly. Do you have 136 00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:35.200 anything to add to that. Yeah, I You know, I've often been 137 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:41.399 asked by atheist or theist, because I'm an atheist, why I volunteer to 138 00:09:41.480 --> 00:09:45.039 do things that Why? Why is it important to me to make the world 139 00:09:45.039 --> 00:09:48.879 a better place? And I think, and I don't want to speak for 140 00:09:48.919 --> 00:09:52.639 everybody here, but wouldn't I answer that question? And I think a lot 141 00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:56.080 of atheists volunteer for the same reason is that we only have this one life. 142 00:09:56.159 --> 00:10:00.519 We got to make it count. We only have one chance. Why 143 00:10:00.600 --> 00:10:03.639 wouldn't we want to make a better place. Why wouldn't we want to make 144 00:10:03.919 --> 00:10:11.320 somebody's suffering a little a little more alleviated. Why wouldn't you want to change 145 00:10:11.320 --> 00:10:15.840 the system system so it works more fairly for everyone. Why wouldn't you want 146 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:20.240 to stand up for marginalized communities and fight for their rights. Why why wouldn't 147 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:22.279 you want to stand up in front of people and get them organized and talk 148 00:10:22.360 --> 00:10:26.759 them into joining you. I don't understand why anybody wouldn't want to do anything 149 00:10:26.840 --> 00:10:31.879 to make the world a better place. And I'm honestly I wish I had 150 00:10:31.879 --> 00:10:35.159 the energy I had I don't know, like three hundred ninety years ago when 151 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:37.519 I was young, so I could do it all over again because I had 152 00:10:37.639 --> 00:10:43.039 so much fun doing it And I don't have I don't have high morals, 153 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:48.720 I don't have high motives. I'm a selfish altruist. I look at the 154 00:10:48.759 --> 00:10:50.759 world and I think, if I make that thing better for the world, 155 00:10:50.919 --> 00:10:56.440 I'm making that better for me too. So I think everybody just needs to 156 00:10:56.480 --> 00:10:58.320 go out with that kind of mindset and go out and be selfish, go 157 00:10:58.320 --> 00:11:01.399 out and change the world and be a little selfish. That's all I think 158 00:11:01.399 --> 00:11:03.840 people should do. Helen, you want to add to that, Yeah, 159 00:11:05.440 --> 00:11:07.919 Like, I wasn't surprised by this at all, um, because you know, 160 00:11:07.960 --> 00:11:11.600 I'm a volunteer with these in volunteer for how far you just get it. 161 00:11:11.799 --> 00:11:16.759 You meet people that want to help, you know, and I just 162 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:20.039 I just love it. How Like, you know, the religious community likes, 163 00:11:20.039 --> 00:11:24.159 you know, snother noses up at us and be like, you know, 164 00:11:24.279 --> 00:11:26.039 well, because they have normal morals, they don't care about other people. 165 00:11:26.120 --> 00:11:30.080 I'm like, yeah, but you you volunteer because you're worried that your 166 00:11:30.279 --> 00:11:33.720 your sky God is gonna be mad at you and you're not gonna give rowning 167 00:11:33.799 --> 00:11:35.679 points, you know, so you can make it into like you know, 168 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:39.960 this heaven you know that doesn't exist. But okay, that's fine, you 169 00:11:41.000 --> 00:11:46.960 know. I we do it because we recognize the benefits of helping your fellow 170 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:50.159 human beings. Because, as you said, Kelly, it comes back to 171 00:11:50.279 --> 00:11:52.440 us. And I want to live in a nice world where everybody's kind to 172 00:11:52.480 --> 00:11:56.240 each other and helps each other out. I want to live there. That's 173 00:11:56.279 --> 00:12:00.360 a good place to lead because I like pleasure and I like to feel and 174 00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:05.080 helping people helps them feel good, and then I feel good and everybody's happy. 175 00:12:05.159 --> 00:12:09.279 That's nice. And and when you come from that, you know more 176 00:12:09.399 --> 00:12:13.879 punishment mentality. You're one, you know, you're if you're in church, 177 00:12:13.879 --> 00:12:18.559 you're compelled to do it. It's not coming from a place of self service. 178 00:12:18.679 --> 00:12:20.120 It comes from a place like I'm going to be guilted into it. 179 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:24.360 I'm going to be shunned. I'm going to be treated that if I don't 180 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:28.200 give this time that I don't really care about the church in my church community. 181 00:12:28.519 --> 00:12:31.200 You know, you're not tithing the right amount of money. You know, 182 00:12:31.320 --> 00:12:35.720 these different things. And also like, yes, money is really important 183 00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:39.919 to a law of an organizations, but that's easy. Running a check is 184 00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:43.480 the easy thing to do. Putting the time and effort in to do those 185 00:12:43.519 --> 00:12:46.039 things and to push yourself to be like you know, you're working a forty 186 00:12:46.200 --> 00:12:50.320 r a week and you push yourself to go do something else for somebody else 187 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:54.639 that takes that takes a little bit more effort for you to go. You 188 00:12:54.679 --> 00:12:56.720 know, I'm going to go, you know, pick up trash on the 189 00:12:56.759 --> 00:13:00.000 side of the road, or you know, do a beach cleanup, or 190 00:13:00.200 --> 00:13:03.080 volunteer you know with my local Girl Scout troupe, you know, or volunteer 191 00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:07.519 with a Seculist organization. You know. Um, any anything that you care 192 00:13:07.559 --> 00:13:11.480 about, you can do something about. But when you're kind of force into 193 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:16.080 it, the passion isn't there because you're being volunteered to do it, you 194 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:22.039 know, and and to be a volunteer but also be a productive, willing 195 00:13:22.120 --> 00:13:26.600 volunteered that actually wants to help. You have to have some kind of passion 196 00:13:26.679 --> 00:13:30.159 and want to do it. And I think that's why atheists do it, 197 00:13:30.200 --> 00:13:33.840 because we have a passion and then want to make the world a better Any 198 00:13:33.919 --> 00:13:41.159 other notes as are on that thought, yeah, I mean just a quick 199 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:46.480 one. It definitely talked about opportunities being an important aspect of how much people 200 00:13:46.559 --> 00:13:50.840 volunteered, um, and so in part that could just be something to do 201 00:13:50.039 --> 00:13:56.279 with the failings on the secular organization side of not getting out those opportunities, 202 00:13:56.360 --> 00:14:01.519 right um. And that's that's, you know, not to say that that 203 00:14:01.559 --> 00:14:05.080 we don't obviously there's there's lots and lots of places, by the way, 204 00:14:05.080 --> 00:14:07.759 I don't know if you guys know, but the ACA has a website. 205 00:14:07.759 --> 00:14:11.200 There's lots of places you can find out how to volunteer. But like maybe 206 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:18.080 maybe we just really need uh more of a push to let people know, 207 00:14:18.279 --> 00:14:22.600 hey, there are places that you can come and give your time to without 208 00:14:22.679 --> 00:14:28.159 having to sit through a whole Catholic mass or sermon. Right um, what 209 00:14:28.200 --> 00:14:30.759 do you think on that Kelly, Oh, you're gonna call me again, 210 00:14:30.879 --> 00:14:33.240 darn um. No, I think you're right. I think you're right, 211 00:14:33.320 --> 00:14:39.519 definitely. And there are there's tons of places out there to or to volunteer 212 00:14:39.559 --> 00:14:43.039 at, and it takes getting up and off your button go look for him. 213 00:14:43.159 --> 00:14:46.799 Honestly, there are out there. There's every I'm dating myself, but 214 00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:52.639 every local newspaper, every local internet group on forums on the internet. All 215 00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:56.759 the local forums will have places that are meeting, or we'll have groups that 216 00:14:56.759 --> 00:15:01.000 are meeting, groups that are trying to do something in the community. One 217 00:15:01.039 --> 00:15:03.840 of the things I got involved wood several years ago is my little Talent has 218 00:15:03.840 --> 00:15:07.600 a festival that they put on every year. I'm not doing it anymore. 219 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:09.600 I kind of got a little bit busier with everything else. But when they 220 00:15:09.679 --> 00:15:13.120 first started doing the festival, I got involved with it with it and I 221 00:15:13.159 --> 00:15:16.799 started helping organize the art and craft show for the book, and it was 222 00:15:18.039 --> 00:15:20.639 just something fun to do. I got to meet a whole bunch of people 223 00:15:20.679 --> 00:15:22.559 I had just moved to town, and he got me to know everybody, 224 00:15:22.840 --> 00:15:26.080 got me to know everybody and become a part of my community, and it 225 00:15:26.159 --> 00:15:31.360 was great. It was a really great experience, and there's always things like 226 00:15:31.480 --> 00:15:35.159 this to do. You just have to go look for him. That's it. 227 00:15:35.200 --> 00:15:37.360 You have to be willing to look for him and go look for him 228 00:15:37.399 --> 00:15:39.279 and find something that you're interested in, because there's a lot of things out 229 00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:43.360 there to be interested in. Yeah, and I think that's an awesome point 230 00:15:43.399 --> 00:15:45.759 to end on. You know, there is a heck of a lot of 231 00:15:45.799 --> 00:15:50.519 great places to volunteer if you want to with secular organizations. So thanks so 232 00:15:50.600 --> 00:15:52.360 much for watching and listening, folks, And if you want to hear more 233 00:15:52.440 --> 00:15:54.000 from the nonprofits, click here.