Mission Statement
The Atheist Community of Tulsa (ACT) is the largest atheist organization in Green Country and second-largest in the state of Oklahoma and is organized to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals and is open to all who describe themselves as atheists, agnostics, secular humanists, freethinkers, et cetera, or atheist-friendly individuals and support the aforementioned purposes for which this organization was founded.
Web
http://actok.org
E-mail
[email protected]
Founded by
Dan Nerran
Established
2003

History

Atheist Community of Tulsa was unofficially founded as Tulsa Atheist on the online social networking portal, Meetup, in 2003 by Dan Nerren. Gathering once a month at the Zarrow Library meeting room, members traded stories and experiences of living as atheists in what is arguably the buckle of the Bible Belt due to its large presence of Christian beliefs and establishments and being one of the few urban areas in the United States where over 60 percent of the population attends church. Unable to find a place to call home, Tulsa Atheist relocated to Barnes & Noble Bookstore in early 2004 continuing to convene once a month.

Read more: http://actok.org/about/history

Organizational Makeup

ACT is organized as a Not for Profit corporation in the state of Oklahoma. We are governed by the will of our membership, upheld in our organizational bylaws, ratified by our members on January 1st, 2012. Our organizational leadership is all voluntary and comes from our membership.

Community Service

We are a community of people who share many different beliefs, interests and traditions. We are unified not only by our lack of belief in a god or gods, but by our belief in ourselves, our friends and family, our community, and humanity.

“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.” -Jane Howard, Families.

“Are you good without God? Millions are.”

So read a billboard sponsored in part by Atheist Community of Tulsa and erected along I-44 in December of 2009. And with this assertion comes a great responsibility. As morality is not a false dichotomy, it is not enough to stand idly by and — by doing no bad — think we’re doing good. It is for this reason and cause we champion hosting blood/food/clothing drives, holding fundraisers for the poor, beautifying Tulsa by partaking in our own stretch of Adopt-A-Highway, and volunteering at the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless and Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. There are hundreds of rumbling stomachs, teary eyes, and broken hearts roaming the streets of Tulsa as we speak and let’s face it: no amount of prayer will ever meet their demand for food or shelter. No amount of prayer will realize the need for blood or clean road sides. Thus, we strive to show that two abled hands at work can do more than a thousand clasped in prayer – that we can live up to an assertion worthy of being advertised on a billboard. Not only do our members prove everyday they are good without God, they prove to be one in a million.

Below are just some of the organizations or activities with which we have partnered:

Group Events and Activities

As a community group and social club, we take part in many activities that allow our members to interact with one another. Some of the activities we organize are:

  • Astronomy with Atheists - Quarterly and special events to the ACT Observatory in Beggs.
  • Book Club - Members discuss books they are reading.
  • DWA - A bi-monthly social activity at local restaurants including food and drinks.
  • Educational - We hold educational seminars on secular education and raising a child
  • Family Friendly - Trips to the ballpark, a visit to a fire station, as well as many of our science events are kid friendly.
  • FreeOK - Annual Oklahoma Freethought Convention and Conference
  • Nature Adventures - We go on hikes to nature reserves, float trips, etc.
  • Official Meetings - Monthly meeting to conduct organizational business and general discussion.
  • Social Dinners - Monthly family friendly dinner meeting.
  • Special Events - Tulsa Pride, Debates, and others.

Interaction

Our group communicates online through a variety of means. Primarily we use a closed (private) Facebook group for daily discussions and information exchange. We use Meetup and Facebook for managing our events. We also utilize Google+, Twitter, and YouTube, though to a lesser degree.

Related Links

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