Charlotte Atheists and Agnostics

In October, our members came together to collect funds for the Shelter For Battered Women in Charlotte, NC.  Each month, Charlotte Atheists and Agnostics works within the community to donate our time or resources to a secular organization.  This is consistent with our Mission Statement: To create and foster a close-knit community of non-believers and to put a positive face on atheism through education, public outreach and community service. We're proud to be able to help the Shelter For Battered Women and we look forward to more projects to better our community.

Click here to see the letter they sent us, thanking us for our donations.

Charlotte Atheists and Agnostics opposes the anti-LGBT amendment to the North Carolina Constitution.  The primary motivation to ban marriage between two adults, who happen to be of the same sex, is religious in nature.The recent legislation passed by the state legislature to modifythe state Constitution is little more than political pandering to religious voters. But this is nothing new for North Carolina's politicians. For well over one hundred years, they have used the religious views of their constituents to suppress the rights of minorities through our state Constitution.  For example, in 1875, the Constitution was amended to ban interracial marriage for religious reasons. Likewise atheists are barred from holding public office (see Article 6, Section 8).In a little over an hour – a lunch break – they repeated history and put an amendment up for vote that would further disenfranchise homosexual couples. They should be ashamed.

As non-believers, we rely on reason and evidence to make the best decisions possible. Based on the information we have it is clear that two homosexual adults are able to enter into loving, committed relationships just as well as heterosexual adults. If we take religion out of the equation, there is no reason to deny these people equal access to the benefits conferred by state recognition of their marriages.  Here are just a few examples of state benefits our legislators feel same-sex spouses do not deserve: assumption of spouse's pension upon death, automatic inheritance, child custody, immunity for testifying against a spouse,insurance breaks, and medical decisions on behalf of spouse.

It is our view that this amendment be opposed by North Carolinians on multiple grounds. First, we urge a separation of Church and State. We believe that any religious belief, or lack of it, should be a personal matter to be considered in one's home or place of worship and thus should not be a factor in this or any Constitutional amendment. Second, we believe that all citizens, including those that are LGBT, should be treated equally and fairly under the law. This amendment is discriminatorytowards hundreds of thousands of gay citizens who work hard every day in our offices, teach in our schools, attend our churches, and volunteer in our parks. They deserve the same rights and benefits as everyone else.

Charlotte Atheists and Agnostics (CAA) is pleased to announce their sponsorship of Pride Charlotte LGBT Festival.

Pride Charlotte is a series of events culminating in a one-day festival in uptown Charlotte, NC on August 27^th, 2011.

“As an organization, we are very supportive of what the LGBT community has been working on: public outreach, engagement, and community service.  These goals are part of our mission statement so we see many parallels,” said Shawn Murphy, President of Charlotte Atheists and Agnostics.  “This event is a great way for our members, both gay and straight, to have fun and show our support.”

Charlotte Atheists and Agnostics was started in 2001.  With approximately 1,200 members, its purpose is: To create and foster a close-knit community of non-believers and to put a positive face on atheism through education, public outreach and community service.

For more information, please contact  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more info on Pride Charlotte, please visit http://www.pridecharlotte.com

On June 22^nd through the 26^th, the Unitarian Universalists held their annual General Assembly in Charlotte, NC.

 As an affiliate of the American Humanists Association (AHA), Charlotte Atheists and Agnostics (CAA) represented that organization at the conference.  The conference was estimated to be attended by over 5,000 people and was a milestone event – the 50^th anniversary of the General Assembly.

“This was a great opportunity to strengthen our ties with AHA  and promote CAA to non-believe conference attendees,” said Shawn Murphy, President of Charlotte Atheists and Agnostics.  “The organizations involved are promoting humanist values.  Being good for goodness sake – and that doesn't require a God.”

Over the course of the convention, CAA members spoke with attendees about the organization, handed out pamphlets, and took part in a rally to support LGBT rights.

Charlotte and Atheists and Agnostics is a local, non-profit organization formed with the objective To create and foster a close-knit community of non-believers and to put a positive face on atheism through education, public outreach and community service. 

For more information please go to http://www.charlotteatheists.com