Happy Campers?
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The Times reports that Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, is helping to launch the first atheist summer camps. They will rival the summer holiday schemes usually run by church groups, scouts or guides. “Budding atheists will be given lessons to arm themselves in the ways of rational scepticism”.
Samantha Stein, leader of the camp in Bruton, Somerset says “we are not trying to bash religion, but it encourages people to believe in a lot of things for which there is no evidence”. As well as the usual activities of canoeing, windsurfing and so on, children will be encouraged to attend workshops on critical thinking. The American equivalent offers sessions including “Socrates Cafe” which debates issues such as definitions of knowledge, art and justice. In the UK young people will be looking sceptically at issues including crop circles and spoon bending along side the existence of God. A competition will be running throughout in which children can win £10 if they can prove that unicorns do not exist.
How popular will these camps prove to be ? I question whether the UK will subscribe to this Dawson’s Creek version of existence where young people spend their summers debating philosophy whilst negotiating their personal relationships and worrying what to wear?
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