Secular Humanists Organize as Twitter
AHA Communications Associate Brian Magee interviews members of a popular group on Twitter calling themselves ASH, or Atheist Super Heroes.
As anyone who uses Twitter knows, deep and meaningful conversations are difficult and certainly not the norm. But that hasn’t stopped a growing organized group of secular humanists and atheists from meeting that challenge head-on by inviting questions about all aspects of the godless point of view.
The group is known alternately as the Atheist Secular Humanists or the Atheist Super Heroes with a website by the latter name, but generally use #A_S_H or #ASH in the Twitterverse. They currently have over 100 members who are “willing to discuss difficult topics with people of various backgrounds in a patient and polite manner” but are also “willing to kick ass when necessary” while “making a real difference through the promotion of positive atheism and free thinking.”
The group is managed by three people with the Twitter handles @CaptnAtheist, @WondieBee and @DJDuckus. WondieBee told HNN that it’s a fun and productive effort—in more ways than one.
“Yes, it is fun—it almost has a family feel to it as we get to know one another and ‘hang out,’” she wrote. “Members learn who they can reach out to for expertise on certain topics. They have found similarities in one another, i.e. background, hobbies, interests etc. We have even had a couple come out of ASH!”
WondieBee added that there is also a serious intent behind what’s going on. “While ASH started out as a bit of serious fun under the flag of Atheist Super Heroes, we always had a serious intent in mind—that of no longer being silent atheists [and] to share/spread the concepts of humanism and secularism, hence the dual acronym,” she stated. “Though we are a group, we are all still individuals. Each of us brings our own experience.”
The ASH did not come from nowhere. It is the combination of three previous Twitter groups that went by the names AtheistAvengers! (started by CaptnAtheist), AtheistJusticeLeague (started by WondieBee) and AtheistXmen, which are all now united under the new banner.
Having this group on Twitter “makes it easier for likeminded twitter people to find us,” WondieBee wrote. “Also, some people, when they leave religion, still enjoy being part of a group and/or miss that part. For others, they just enjoy being a part of a group with likeminded ideas.”
Brian Magee is the communications associate for the American Humanist Association.