Who we are

We’re your neighbours, your family, your friends, your colleagues, and your peers. You may not think you know anyone who doesn’t believe in God, but the chances are that you do.

In many cases, Atheists are reluctant to make their (lack of) beliefs known to others. The reasons for this are mostly to do with long-held social stigmas. Even today, many people see Atheists as being deceitful or untrustworthy. A recent poll conducted in the United States showed that Atheists are the least trusted minority in the country, and the least likely to be elected to public office.

Why an “Atheist Community”?

According to Statistics Canada, nearly 20% of Canadians claimed no religious affiliation in the most recent national census. This number is even larger in younger age groups — in some cases approaching or surpassing 50%. As the population ages, Canadian society is undergoing broad and rapid secularization.

Why, then is there such a plethora of religious groups on campuses across North America while groups representing the non-religious student population remain virtually non-existent?

In the United States, The Campus Crusade for Christ has an annual operating budget surpassing $250 million, outstripping virtually all other campus groups in terms of outreach capacity. Dalhousie University alone has a total of eight officially recognized religious groups. Until this year (with the founding of the DAC), Dalhousie’s non-religious students have had no real representation.

The Dalhousie Atheist Community was founded with the intention of developing a positive and humanistic social community, by:

• Promoting friendship and harmony among members.
• Emphasizing the application of doubt, skepticism, and science.
• Organizing a variety of social events.
• Nourishing the well-being and happiness of our members.

We believe that the DAC is the first step in creating a robust community of secularists in the Halifax area and around the province.

A Transnational Approach

The Dalhousie Atheist Community is part of the Center for Inquiry — On Campus, which supports  a growing network of campus freethought, atheist, and humanist groups around the world.

The Center for Inquiry is a non-profit educational and advocacy organization dedicated to promoting reason, science, and free inquiry in all areas of human endeavor.

A copy of the DAC Constitution can be obtained at our page on the Student Union’s TigerSociety website.