The EIU Society for Free Thought has changed leadership and its purpose this year to include more diverse groups of people talking about a wide array of issues.

Leon Mire, the vice president of the EIU Society for Free Thought, said they want to open the group to people of all faiths, not just those who are agnostic or atheist.

“I was a part of it for the last half of it, and it seemed to be more about nonbelievers getting together and discussing political or religious issues and not really trying to have a dialogue with people who are believers,” Mire said.

He said he is not saying the way they ran the group last year was bad because there was some value in it.

“There is some value in having a place for nonbelievers to just get together and talk amongst themselves,” Mire said. “That is something that is often overlooked, that there really is not a community aspect for nonbelievers as there is for believers.”

Mire said believers go to church or other religious places, but there is not a place like that for nonbelievers, and this gave them one place.

Mire said they did encourage Christians to attend.

“It seems like if they did, it was the only time they went there, and I’ve heard from several people that it felt like they were Christian bashing,” Mire said.

Mire said one of his goals for this semester is to open the group up.

“We are trying to be more welcoming to believers, but at the same time we’re not politically correct,” Mire said.

Mire said the group discusses different issues within politics and religion.

“We are not about censoring anyone even if they have an opinion that is offensive to some,” Mire said.

Mire said last year, they had different events like speakers and “Ask an Atheist Day.”

He said they are planning on being in some programs, like the “Ask an Atheist Day,” this year.

“We had a booth in the library quad where people could come up and ask people some of the common questions they have for those who are skeptical of religion, atheist, agnostics, just in general,” Mire said.

He said they are also planning on working with the biological sciences department during Darwin Week.

“We will talk more explicitly about the connection between science and religion,” Mire said. “That is not something that the biology department usually touches because it is not strictly science, but it is something important in people’s minds.”

Mire said the main part of the group’s activities is having its weekly discussions.

“Every week, we’ll have a different topic, primarily relating to religion and philosophy, but also how it relates to everyday lives,” Mire said.

He said one example of a topic is where people get their morality from if they are not religious. He said that is a common question people ask nonbelievers.

Mire said they exchange beliefs of those in the groups about things like the afterlife.

While the Christian presence has increase since last year, he said he is still disappointed that there has not been more diversity in discussions.

“The Christians who have come have said it’s really different from last year, that it is a lot more tolerant and open-minded, but at the same time, it’s not been equal between believers and nonbelievers,” Mire said.

Mire said one big thing is to get rid of the stereotypes between the groups, and the discussions help to break through those stereotypes.

“There are stereotypes that I want to breakdown equally,” Mire said.

Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or slmcdaniel@eiu.edu.