c. 2007 Religion News Service

Editors: Rik van Hemmen in 14th graf is CQ; note “crap” in 2nd graf

(UNDATED) Eric is a sub-deacon at a Greek Orthodox church in northern Michigan with a secret so deep he doesn’t want his last name used because he hasn’t told his wife: he is also a committed atheist.

“Being an atheist and being involved in church-related activities is usually a bad combination,” said Eric, 45. If his wife found out, “I would be pretty much be done. It would embarrass the crap out of my wife.”

Eric said he continues to attend the local Orthodox church because his wife is an active member. At this point in his life, family unity is more important than living out a belief system, he said.

Still, he wonders if maybe she suspects something, what with books by authors like atheist advocate Daniel Dennett lying around the house.

In addition to being a member of his church, Eric also secretly takes part in the Brights movement, a Web-based constituency that works to promote equal treatment for those who hold a naturalistic worldview.

Some Brights say they still attend religious services, but many feel compelled to remain in the nonbelief closet.

Brights also attempt to put a more positive spin on atheism. They do not believe in God, in the idea of a soul, in ghosts or anything else relegated to the realm of the supernatural.

Mynga Futrell, who started the organization in 2003 with the help of her husband, Paul Geisert, now counts close to 35,000 Brights from more than 100 countries. One of the more famous Brights is bestselling author Richard Dawkins, whose book, “The God Delusion,” helped push the subject of atheism back into the popular press.

But according to University of Minnesota sociologist Penny Edgell, Brights working to promote atheism have their work cut out for them. Her 2006 study of atheists found that Americans, for the most part, hold them in low regard.

When asked how they would feel if their child married an atheist, for example, more than four in 10 Americans said they would disapprove. A similar percentage said they believed atheists did not share their vision of America, beating out both Muslims and homosexuals in the category.

Futrell isn’t surprised by the results of the study. Atheists, she said, “get classified with pedophiles and rapists and all kinds of things.”

Bob Altemeyer, co-author of “Atheists: A Groundbreaking Study of America’s Nonbelievers,” said that due to the stigma associated with atheism, many nonbelievers feel the need to hide the fact that they lack faith in God, much like many gays feel forced to conceal their sexual orientation.

In addition, Altemeyer said nonbelievers who become alienated from their family due to religious differences “face a significant price for their decision.”

Rik van Hemmen, 47, continues to attend an Episcopal church in Red Bank, N.J., with his wife because unlike some perhaps more militant atheists, he is unwilling to become estranged from his family.

But unlike Eric, van Hemmen said, “I’ve never made a secret of the fact that I’m an atheist or a Bright.”

The Episcopal congregation has generally been accepting of his participation, van Hemmen said, at one point even allowing him to teach Sunday school. But when there was no longer a desperate need for teachers, van Hemmen said he was the first person not to be asked to teach again.

But the shame associated with atheism or a fear of a lack of family cohesion are not the only reasons that Brights choose to continue to participate in religious life while remaining active members of the Brights community.

Michael Frishberg, 53, of Los Angeles said he continues to celebrate Passover despite his atheistic leanings; he said it’s one way he can hold on to his Jewish heritage.

“There was a time when I was vehemently anti-religious,” Frishberg said. “But now it’s not an issue with me.”

In fact, though Frishberg calls himself “the fearless leader” of his local Brights chapter, he also admits that every once in a while, he still likes to attend synagogue on a Friday night.

“I don’t see there’s any conflict at all,” he said.

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Stephen Katz, 53, a pediatrician and self-described Bright in Allentown, Pa., said he not only continues to celebrate Passover but also has rewritten the Haggadah _ the prayers recited at Passover seders _ so that there is no longer any reference to the supernatural.

But Katz, who said he is a member of a Reconstructionist synagogue, said “even if I wasn’t believing, I didn’t believe I was that different from the others who were saying those prayers,” he said.

Despite his involvement in the Brights movement, Katz said that in some circles he feels uncomfortable using the term “Bright” to refer to himself, noting that some might view it as conceited.

“Frankly, I think it would be offensive to some people,” he said, “and I have no need to offend.”

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