Why We Should Get Involved in Interfaith

by Lyz Liddell
Director of Campus Organizing, Secular Student Alliance
FBB Challenge the Gap Advisor

Interfaith. It's complicated, it's controversial, and it's growing like wildfire on college campuses throughout the United States. The recently announced President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge has brought this new trend to a point, and the freethought movement has been hot with discussions about whether or not we should participate.

In many of these new and growing interfaith programs, including the President's Challenge, a hand has been extended to secular student groups. But it's a hand we've been reluctant to accept - whether through disagreement about goals, concerns about being misrepresented or misunderstood, or misgivings about the nature of the programs.

Having worked with several interfaith programs for the last year, I feel strongly that this invitation to participate in interfaith programs is an opportunity that is too valuable to be missed. I'll outline the reasons for my perspective, and I hope you'll consider getting involved in an interfaith program on your campus.

What's in a Name?
The first argument I always hear when I bring up the idea of nontheists participating in interfaith is about the name. Nontheism isn't a "faith," so why would we be participating in something called "interfaith?"

Read the full article at the SSA website