Atheism Camp: "Camp Quest" - Freethought Camp of Child Indoctrination

A particularly revealing article about an Atheism / Freethought summer camp for children was published in 2008 AD that seemed relevant to our recent consideration of Camp Quest and the likes.1 While the article painted a favorable picture of the Camp Quest it ended up revealing Freethought precisely for what it is: a politically correct facade for a very restricted, well within the box, system of atheist group think.

In the relatively near future Atheism is Dead will critiqued "Freethought" as dogmatized by Dan Barker: the Barkerian sect.

Camp Quest has "Beyond Belief" as its motto and was established in 1996 AD. It "is a non-profit backed by the Albany, N.Y.-based Institute for Humanist Studies." It is described in the article as "a niche getaway for children who are agnostic, atheist, or just not sure what to believe." The camp is currently in 5 states and accommodates kids between the ages of 8-17. The article was a bit confusing in stating that in 2007 AD "the camps accommodated 150 kids": from the wording it was difficult to discern if 150 kids were divided amongst the 5 camps or if there were 150 in each camp.

Let us consider the camp and its purpose from both sides: the politically correct side and the side of reality.

The politically correct side paints a picture of the Atheism / Freethought Camp Quest as a being neutral on the issue of religion, theism or lack thereof. It paints a picture of Camp Quest as teaching children how to think critically for themselves and make their own decisions about what to believe or not believe.

Kids who attend the camp are not required to be atheists, or anything at all.

"We really try not to label the kids," she [Amanda Metskas, president of Camp Quest Inc.] said, "When a kid is 8 of 10, asking them to say, 'I'm an atheist' or 'I'm a Catholic' - at 8 or 10 we don't think that kids are able to make a decision about their worldview."

There we have it: there are no requirements and the kids are too young to label themselves and by extension, be labeled.

An interesting aspect of the Atheism / Freethought Camp Quest is that "Campers are exposed to science and learn about evolution." This seems rather odd, certainly there are science camp where the focus is science for kids who are excelling in and are interested in that field of study. But why teach "science" and particularly "evolution" at Camp Quest? After all, the average American (the overwhelming majority of the population by a long shot) study science and evolution for a minimum of a dozen years (and in public schools classrooms where atheism is smuggled in through the backdoor in the guise of science; or actually it is brought in right through the front ensconced in textbooks).

Here we appear to get a hint at the underbelly of the Atheism / Freethought Camp Quest's reality. Many absolute materialists of every sect claim to rely on science and evolution as not only favoring their worldviews but disproving supernaturalism. However, science and evolution actually have absolutely nothing to offer absolutely materialistic worldviews (see Omni-Science). I believe that it would not be too much of an inference to deduce that Camp Quest misapplies "science" and "evolution" and manipulate the speculations inherent within "science" and "evolution" to confuse the children with regards to what has been observed and can be reproducibly experimented upon, on the one hand, and what is pure worldview based speculation with a fa&#a7;ade of "science" and "evolution," on the other.

Whilst speculating about the Atheism / Freethought Camp Quest's misappropriation of "science" and "evolution" let us consider Camp Quest's other side. The side of reality is what the Camp Quest's obvious purpose is as may be readily discerned from the description of the camp, its activities and the reasons that parents offer for sending their children there.

At mealtime, kids learn about what the camp calls "free-thinkers" through history-defining them as people who questioned or rejected religion. Examples include people who believed in some version of a higher power, but held ideas conflicting with the social norm.

From the outset, let us note that "Freethough" is a system of thought whose aim is particularly to "question or reject religion." Who was both a "free-thinker" and also "believed in some version of a higher power" is not stated in the article. However, it must be kept in mind that believing in "in some version of a higher power" does not necessarily amount to theism. In fact, Arthur Schopenhauer referred to pantheism, "some version of a higher power," as a "polite form of atheism."2

In one exercise, counselors tell the kids about different invisible creatures that live in the camp and then challenge the campers to prove that they don't exist_In each instance, the campers are told they can't see, touch or taste the creatures.

Before consider why they would conduct such as exercise please note that they are, yet again, presenting a very restrictive form of thought: if you cannot "see, touch or taste," i.e. experience through the senses it must be impossible to prove. I wonder what the camp's leadership would say about, for example, wind: you cannot see it (you only see its effects), you cannot touch it (you only feel it, or feel the particles which it is pushing aloft) and you cannot taste it (air pollution being particles being pushed aloft). Or black holes or subatomic particles or abiogenesis or thoughts, etc.

But why bother discussion invisible creatures? We touched upon this question in Atheism is Dead's pervious consideration of the Atheism / Freethought Camp Quest (found here) but will consider it again here as the article states,

The point is that a belief isn't automatically valid just because it can't be proven wrong. The exercise is supposed to help kids who don't believe in God prepare for questions from their peers who ask them to prove a higher power doesn't exist.

Clearly, this is nothing but a catechism of atheistic polemics. That is to say that the children as specifically being told what to say when their belief in absolute materialism is questioned: when you are asked ___________(fill in the blank) you just say this ___________(fill in the blank).

Moreover,

If campers manage to prove the creatures don't exist, the prize is a $100 bill from before 1954 - when the government put "In God We Trust" on U.S. currency.

$100 would certainly be a nice award for an 8-17 year old but why a bill from when the government put "In God We Trust" on U.S. currency? This is yet another clear window into the Atheism / Freethought Camp Quest's purpose: not actual Freethought but very, very restricted worldview biased catechized polemical thought. Moreover, in our previous consideration we also learned that they gift the successful children with glorifications of Charles Darwin and Richard Dawkins.

Lastly, we will hear from the parents. They do not even make an attempt to prop up the politically correct fa&#a7;ade but make it clear that they send their kids to the camp in order to restrict them. They are being sent to be amongst people who think exactly like parents do and who will not question their kid's beliefs but reinforce in the kids that which the parents want to indoctrinate them into believing. Camp Quest is an Atheism / Freethought support group:

When Joe Fox sends his daughters away to summer camp, he's confident they'll be surrounded by kids who share his family's beliefs and values.

Another family sends their 14 year old son and 9 year old daughter because they want them "to have a sense of belonging."
Their father states,

Camp Quest has helped his family, especially his children, become more confident about their own disbelief.

And stated,

it's extremely nice to find similarly minded people with the same worldview.

While the Atheism / Freethought Camp Quest's president may believe that the kids are unable to make decisions "about their worldview" the camp certainly appears to push them in one single direction. They are part of the reason for the rise of atheism in America.

But what is wrong with wanting your very own children to believe like you do and to purposefully place them in environments in which their beliefs will not only not be challenged but be reinforced by adults in authority over them?
That is certainly understandable but is only part of the issue. The point is that if that is what you are doing then be as honest as the parents and not as politically correct as the newspaper article or the Atheism / Freethought Camp Quest's leadership who pretend otherwise.

1. 1. Valerie Bauman, "Agnostic camp nurtures 'freethinkers'," The Washington Times, May 24, 2008
   
2. 2. See Ernst Haeckel, "Monism" from his The Riddle of the Universe (1900)