Camp Quest

The Camp Quest, founded in 1996 is the first holiday camp in the United States and Canada for non-religious children or the children are not theistic parents.

This includes atheists, agnostics, secular humanists, skeptics scientifically motivated, non-theistic rationalists, freethinkers, brights, anti-religious and other supporters of naturalistic worldviews. The camp will be as God- free alternative to religious camps, such as Vacation Bible Schools, organized.

History

In November 1995, a meeting was held in the Council For Democratic and Secular Humanism (now the Council for Secular Humanism CODESH, ) instead, on the discussed was how secular humanism would be encouraged. Edwin Kagin, a member of the Free Inquiry Group of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky ( FIG), lawyer and scouts, this presented the idea of a secular holiday camp to meet with the purpose of the exclusion of Nichttheisten from the Boy Scouts of America. Although many participants doubted the feasibility and some were opposed in principle, encouraged Paul Kurtz Kagin and the FIG to make the camp.

The first camp began in 1996 as a FIG- project, with Kagin as camp leaders. During the first two years, the camp was held in a facility which is the Bullitsburg Baptist Assembly was in Boone County ( Kentucky). In the third year, the FIG decided to move to the nearby YMCA camp. The Northern Kentucky Baptist Association tried to seek redress and to be able to restrict the use of their camp grounds, depending on the religious faith. At their request, the then deputy of Kentucky, a law ( House Bill 70) brought a then, the religious organizations of the general anti-discrimination requirements precluded by laws regarding public facilities. This Act was in 2000 a veto of the Governor.

In 2002, the Camp Quest then moved to its present site. It is a further investment of the YMCA in Hamilton, Ohio, about forty miles north of Cincinnati. The camp was converted into Camp Quest Inc., an independent non- profit organization. Edwin Kagin and his wife Helen remained until her retirement after the summer of 2005, to co-directors of the camp. The current camp director August Brunsman IV is also Managing Director of the Secular Student Alliance. The program director Fred Edwords serves as spokesperson ( Director of Communications ), the American Humanist Association.

Events and Activities

The events and activities of the camp will introduce participants to the history and ideas of free thought. Participants can about science, learn the scientific method, critical thinking, world religions and the separation of church and state. Bible stories and metaphors are discussed against the background of cultural education. It is explained to the children that ethical behavior does not depend on religious belief and a religious doctrine that faith and doctrine sometimes be an obstacle for ethical and moral behavior that non-religious people are also good, and that they are capable of, without limitation, to lead a happy and meaningful life.

The camps include everything that is common in summer camps: Camp fire, Canoeing, craft activities, theater, games, hikes, singing, swimming. In addition, suggestions are incorporated from mystical campfire stories or trying to debunk the theories of creationism on walks or in the fossil hunting. There cooperative as well as competitive sports can be used.

Unicorn Proof The approach of the camp is to encourage critical thinking and to provide an introduction to logical fallacies. For this purpose, often the story of two invisible unicorns is used, who live in the camp. Participants are told that in the stock live two unicorns that are neither visible nor audible, touchable, smelled or tasted, which can not hurt them, who eat nothing and leave no sign of their presence. An old book, handed down over countless generations, proves that unicorns exist, although no one is allowed to see the book. Each participant who can prove that unicorns do not exist, wins a godless hundred -dollar bill ( before 1957 issued when the U.S. Congress determined that "In God We Trust" ( In God We Trust ) printed on the bills should be ). Since the announcement of this price in 1996, no one has won it.

Purpose and identity

The motto of Camp Quest explained that the camp is to " determine the conditions of human existence (human condition) to improve, by rational research, critical and creative thinking, scientific method, self-respect, ethics, competency, democracy, free speech and by the separation of church and state, as it guarantees the Constitution of the United States. " The purpose is a free of religious dogma summer camp to offer interested children, regardless of their personal beliefs. The camp is committed to the extension of tolerance, as well as empathy, self-esteem, communication skills, common sense, critical and creative thinking, cooperation and ethics.

The logo of the camp is based on an idea by Edwin Kagin and a work of art to his daughter Kathryn. The letter 'C ' and ' Q' are combined in a way to infinity symbol. The letters CQ ' are usually accompanied by her Morse code. This means in the radio operator language as " someone wants to talk? ".

List of Camps

• Smoky Mountains, a project by the Rationalists of East Tennessee, held its first camp in 2002.
• Michigan, founded in 2003, held its first camp after a few setbacks in August 2006.
• Minnesota, first event in July 2004.
• Ontario, the first event in August 2004.
• West, a project of the Atheist Alliance International, held its first camp in Sacramento, California, from July 2006.
• UK
• Switzerland, first camp will take place in August 2013 in Mundaun, Graubunden Canton instead.

In popular culture

The The Colbert Report on Comedy Central was referring to during the show under the title " Down with the danger" in a satirical way to the Camp Quest as a threat to the safety and moral identity of the United States of America:

" I'm talking about Camp Quest, a network of summer camps that serve the recreational fun of a strictly atheistic and agnostic perspective. As her slogan is: ' It goes beyond faith !'. Although the Camp Quest offers the usual camp activities such as hiking and horseback riding, the children learn, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer also the canon of rational thinking, critical thinking and scientific research '. And in one of the activities, participants must try to prove that invisible unicorns, as a metaphor for God, do not exist '. Participants will also receive untenable philosophical challenges, such as to prove that Tetherball fun. "