Past Events:

In August, 2023 we had a summary discussion & take aways from 2 recent Humanist conventions

Mike Reid, a former president of WASH and current Asst. State Director for Maryland for American Atheists along with Heatherly, coordinator of the Frederick Secular Humanists (FRESH), which is WASH’s Frederick ,Maryland chapter and a former VP of WASH will provide a summary of e recent Humanist/Atheist conventions and provide some interesting takeaways. Mike and Heatherly attended the American Atheists convention in Phoenix in April and the American Humanist Association convention in Denver in May. They will also discuss what they gleaned for the future of the secularist movement from those events. Both Mike and are long-time activists in the secular community.

Our April 2023 meeting was on the topic of Ideas for tuning the Secular Humanist message

Some background:

What can the secular community learn from communication science about messaging? A start is a short summary of general messaging ideas by Anat Shenker-Osorio, a communications expert and author who has written extensively about the art of messaging. It is online – The Art of Messaging with Anat Shenker-Osorio — In the Arena with Jonathan Stein: https://www.ucsd.tv/shows/The-Art-of-Messaging-with-Anat-Shenker-Osorio-In-the-Arena-with-Jonathan-Stein-31825

People may watch this video and come prepared to discuss their ideas such as “don’t message on your opponent’s turf”. In some arguments we unwittingly embrace the frame of the other side and thus seed ground by agreeing to have their starting point and topic organization. Or the idea that a good message is not to say just what’s popular which may be bland. The better idea is to make popular what you need to say (and want to come about). We need to understand the messaging ordering effect problem. What to say first?

As a start some of the discussable ideas can be based on these arguments:

1. Messages are not neutral: According to Shenker-Osorio, all messages (e.g. “abortion is bad”, “religion is the basis of morality”) contain implicit values and assumptions. These can, unconsciously shape the way people think about and initially how to respond to an issue. Therefore, it’s important to be intentional and put some thought about the messages we put out for consideration and discussion.
2. Emotions are key: We shouldn’t be boring. Shenker-Osorio emphasizes the importance of understanding and engaging people’s emotions in order to create messages that can resonate with them. Fear-based messaging is incredibly effective in conservative thinking, but not so much for freethinkers. By connecting with people on a deeper level, we can continue a discussion and maybe motivate a portion to take action (instilling the idea of agency)
3. How we frame the message matters: The way we frame an issue (why should the government tell a woman if she can have a baby or not?) can have a big impact on how people perceive it. For example, instead of talking about “cutting taxes,” we might talk about “investing in public infrastructure.” This re-frames the issue in a more positive light and makes it more appealing to (some) people. A message like every mind should thrive opens up a possible conversation base on shared values.
4. Practice empathy: To create messages that truly connect with people, it’s important to understand their values, experiences, and perspectives. By being honest and practicing empathy to put ourselves in others’ shoes, we can create messages that are more authentic and compelling.
5. Be positive, but also authentic: People can tell when a message is insincere or inauthentic, so it’s important to be true to ourselves and our values. Authenticity can help build trust and credibility with an audience which shouldn’t be turned off at the start of a message (“Religion is evil”).