An Atheist camps! What?

Atheist camps! What?

Yes, that’s right. Atheist camps just for your little Atheists (if you have any) and if you haven’t heard of these camps before, they are apparently all the rage. This new genre of summer camps is getting plenty of criticism and campers. This year alone enrollment has doubled with such existing camps and a selection of both day and overnight camps in this specialty are expected for next year. The opinions on whether these camps are considered necessary are adequately supplied but what really makes these camps different, besides their lack of religion?

Edwin Kagin founder of Camp Quest (one such camp not to preach any Christian endocrine) said the atheist camp was founded after the Boy Scouts barred atheists and gays from leadership roles during the 1990s… “We wanted a camp not to preach there is no God," said Kagin, "but as a place where children could learn it's OK not to believe in God." Camp Quest checks out at first, like any other camp offering good old-fashioned outdoor fun. Archery, canoeing, campfire, star-gazing, swimming, and other activities are offered as any traditional camp. Then there is what’s called Free thought activities. These activities are described on their website as “…science games to humanist "life skills" activities.” It appears the idea of these activities is to get campers questioning the world around them. I have a question: Who thought up these games?

Richard Dawkins author of The God Delusion is also taking part in launching similar camps in Britain. This soon-to-be camp will be the first of its kind in Britain where lessons in evolution are planned as activities. Dawkins said the camp is designed to “encourage children to think for themselves, skeptically and rationally”. Schedules will include afternoons packed with conventional camp activities but the mornings will be spent demystifying phenomena such as crop circles and telepathy. What?! There is no such thing as telepathy? But I had so much fun as a kid using telepathy to tell my grandmother I wanted more chocolate milk. What a jib.

The full extent of what these camps entail should be left to the campers and parents. But what I do know is these camps may be at a loss for good camp songs.


Thanks for reading!

Katherine @ kidscamps.com
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