About Us
If you don’t believe in gods, you are not alone!
Thousands of us near Washington DC feel the same. The Washington DC Area Coalition of Reason is a collaboration of several local and independent nontheist groups. We are friendly and we hope you’ll join us for our local meetings and social events!
If you are unsure about nonbelief, or a private person who has not told friends and family about your views, our groups are a safe environment for you to meet likeminded people.
Each of our groups is different, but we all promote rational thinking as the best way to view the universe and guide humanity’s choices. Separately and together, we socialize, welcome new members, discuss our philosophy, volunteer for charitable causes, and reach out to the community, which for some of our groups includes political activism.
Nontheists are a surprisingly large minority in America, being some 3% to 20% of the population, depending on whether you are just counting committed atheists or including everyone who is unaffiliated with a religious organization. That makes us larger than Jewish people, Mormons, and many other minorities that have great political and cultural impact. WashingtonCoR seeks to increase the influence of the nontheist community in the marketplace of ideas. We deserve a place at the table in public discourse, and to have a normalized role in society. Please help us end discrimination against nonbelievers.
We have much in common with the religious community. We share compassionate human values. Like them, we are hard working, tax paying, moral citizens who care deeply about our families, our communities, our state and our country.
You don’t have to join a group or attend a meeting to help the nontheist cause. Consider a donation to one of our groups. If you are able to speak openly about your nontheism to friends and family, this helps them understand that nonbelievers are just ordinary people, which encourages tolerance. It’s OK to not believe in gods.
Please also join us on our Facebook page.
We’d love to hear from you!
Don Wharton
Washington DC Area CoR Coordinator
[email protected]
Rosalind Kipping
End of Life Issues Coordinator
[email protected]
Don Wharton
Washington CoR Webmaster
[email protected]
Groups
African Americans for Humanism DC (AAH DC)
Ernest Parker, Group Leader
[email protected]
http://www.meetup.com/AAH-DC
African Americans for Humanism DC (AAH DC) exists to bring black secular humanists together, to provide a forum for communication, and to facilitate coordinated action. In an irrational world, those who stand for reason must stand together. African Americans for Humanism DC is a program of the Center for Inquiry DC.
American University Humanist Community
c/o AU Humanist Chaplaincy
4400 Massachusetts Ave.
Washington DC 20016
Benjamin Cook, Communications Director
925-708-6669
[email protected]
To make an open forum for atheists, skeptics, rationalists, agnostics and empiricists. We also actively promote secular values and education through philosophy and Socratic discussion.
Camp Quest Chesapeake
Nick Travis, Registrar
PO Box 176
Vienna, VA 22183
[email protected]
https://campquestchesapeake.org
CQ Chesapeake provides a residential summer camp experience based on secular humanist and freethought philosophy and values.
Capital SMART Recovery Community
Bill Greer, Regional Coordinator
DC, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia
[email protected]
www.capitalsmart.org
https://www.facebook.com/capitalsmartcommunity
Attend free support group meetings to overcome addictions of all kinds using the secular, science-based
SMART Recovery® program.
Center for Inquiry DC
Interim Program Director: Stephanie Guttormson
1020 19th Street NW Suite 425
Washington, DC 20036
202-733-5279
[email protected]
http://www.centerforinquiry.net/dc
CFI DC offers an opportunity to put your principles into practice by joining other rationalists to work for positive change in society.
DC Region Atheists
Don Wharton, Organizer
Washington, DC
202-643-4366
[email protected]
www.meetup.com/DC-Atheists/
DC Region Atheists is formally organized as a chapter of the Washington Area Secular Humanists. The primary emphasis is on informal community building and more engaged secular activism. Our primary web presence will be with the DC Atheists Meetup. The goal of engagement with political and religious groups is seen to be critical in advancing separation of church and state and increasing the positive regard for secularism and critical thinking.
Fairfax Freethinkers
Jared Reeves, Organizer
www.meetup.com/Fairfax-Freethinkers/
Fairfax Freethinkers is a group of people who enjoy critical thinking and intelligent discussions. It is a non-exclusive group that welcomes individuals who are atheists, agnostic, theists, spiritual, etc. If you enjoy challenging your ideas in a non-judgmental environment, and learning something new, this group is for you.
George Washington University Secular Society
President: Will Bonnett
[email protected]
Twitter: @GWSKEPTIC
https://www.facebook.com/TheGwSecularSociety
GWSS intends to unify and represent like-minded individuals who believe in scientific reason and the strict separation of church and state. Our Constitution strictly declares that the Secular Society will aim to end discrimination and intolerance against secular-minded people, as well as to promote awareness of scientific progress and church-state relations in the United States and across the globe.
Hispanic American Freethinkers
Contact: David Tamayo
[email protected]
http://www.meetup.com/HAFree/
Humanists of UUCF
Mary K. Bellamy, facilitator
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax
2709 Hunter Mill Rd.
Oakton, VA 22124
[email protected]
703-506-9612
http://www.meetup.com/Humanists-of-UUCF/
The mission and purpose of the group is to recognize and nurture those within UUCF whose beliefs and values orientation is primarily exemplified by Humanist thought.
Machar
The Washington Congregation for Secular Humanistic Judaism
Rabbi Jeremy Kridel
P.O. Box 24014
Washington, DC 20015
202-686-1881
[email protected]
www.machar.org
Machar is a member-driven community which thrives on diversity. Our member families often come from different cultures and backgrounds, connected by our nontheist beliefs and ways of teaching our children in our Jewish Cultural School. We are a community member of the Society for Humanistic Judaism, which supports communities across the US and in Toronto Canada.
Maryland-DC Chapter
Washington Area Secular Humanists
Gary Berg-Cross, Coordinator
13 Atwell Ct
Potomac MD, 20854
240-426-0770
[email protected]
http://wash.org/chapters/mdc/
The Maryland DC (MDC) Chapter of WASH meets the third Saturday of each month, September through June, unless otherwise noted. Meetings are held in libraries of the Montgomery County system in Maryland near Washington DC. Currently we are meeting in the Chevy Chase Library, 8005 Connecticut Ave. Chevy Chase, MD.
Northern Virgina Chapter
Washington Area Secular Humanists
Mary Bellamy, Coordinator
http://www.meetup.com/humanism-218
http://wash.org/nvc/
The Northern Virginia Chapter of Washington Area Secular Humanists meets in Oakton with Humanists of UUCF. We aim to promote scientific literacy, critical thinking and a forum to explore humanist principles and how they relate to all aspects of the human experience.
Northern Virginia Ethical Society (NoVES)
P.O. Box 984
Vienna, VA 22183
Kelly Huyghebaert, Board Member
[email protected]
http://www.noves.org/web/
The mission of NoVES is to bring out the best in others and thereby in ourselves, strengthen our relationships with one another, and build a more humane world by offering a humanistic program that promotes ethical growth and learning, builds and sustains community and implements ethical action beyond our Society.
NoVA/DC Metro Parenting Beyond Belief
Jacquin Pierce Allen, Organizer
http://www.meetup.com/NoVA-DC-Parenting-Beyond-Belief/
In a world divided and dominated by religion, secular parenting can be a lonely endeavor. This meetup group offers friendship and support to parents who are raising their children without religion.
NoVA-DC MAAF
Rosalind Eaton, Outreach and Operations Coordinator at MAAF
202-656-MAAF (6223)
mailto:[email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/groups/NoVA.DC.MAAF
NoVA-DC MAAF is the local chapter of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers. Members of the military, veterans, family and friends, and civilians are all welcome.
Secular Student Alliance (George Mason University)
Contact: Zach Ashton
[email protected]
Facebook :https://www.facebook.com/groups/225559837461651
Twitter :https://twitter.com/gmu_ssa
Secular Student Alliance of Prince George’s Community College
Aina Haya
[email protected]
Lasan D-Bangura
[email protected]
301 Largo Rd
Kettering, MD 20774
https://www.facebook.com/SSAofPGCC
The mission of the Secular Student Alliance is to promote the ideals of scientific and critical inquiry, democracy, secularism, and human-based ethics. We are an affiliate of http://www.secularstudents.org
Secular Students at Howard University
Ricco Hill, President
[email protected]
Twitter: @SecularHU
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SecularStudentsHU
Secular Students at Howard University provides a community for student freethinkers, atheists, agnostics, skeptics, rationalists, humanists, and those who want to explore ideas from a rational, scientific, and non-theistic perspective.
Sunday Assembly DC
[email protected]
http://www.facebook.com/sundayassemblywashingtondc
http://www.sundayassemblydc.com
The Sunday Assembly is a godless congregation that celebrates life. Our motto: live better, help often, wonder more. Our mission: to help everyone find and fulfill their full potential. Our vision: a godless congregation in every town, city and village that wants one.
UMD Freethought
University of Maryland
David Markum, President
College Park, MD, 20740
[email protected] (Justin Skovholt, contact)
http://sites.google.com/site/umdfreethought/
UMD Freethought aims to unite to create a community for the non-religious and non-religious-friendly at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Washington, DC Atheists, Humanists, and Agnostics
Roy Speckhardt, Organizer
1777
T ST NW
Washington, D.C. 20009
[email protected]
http://www.meetup.com/DC-Atheists-Humanists-Agnostics
DC-AHA meets in DC, and close-in locations for social, activist, educational, and philanthropic events.
Washington Ethical Society (WES)
Amanda Poppei, Leader
7750 16th St. NW
Washington, DC 20012
[email protected]
http://www.ethicalsociety.org
Welcome video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEwiWAfbWRc
WES is a humanistic congregation that affirms the worth of every person. Our Sunday Platform Service is the heart of our community life. This is where we gather to reflect, to share companionship, and to refresh and renew our commitment to creating a more ethical world.
Friends
Our friend groups are not members of the Washington CoR but support our mission.
The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science
Robyn E. Blumer, Executive Director
1012 14th St., NW, Suite 209
Washington, DC 20005
202-733-5278
[email protected]
https://richarddawkins.net
“Science is the poetry of reality.” — Richard Dawkins
