Connecticut Coalition of Reason

CT Coalition of Reason Pages

About Us

The Connecticut Coalition of Reason is made up of Atheist, Freethought, and Humanist groups working together in the state of Connecticut (see below). Our twin goals are to build a community among the like-minded and raise public awareness that people who don’t believe in gods can be decent citizens who contribute to the larger society.

So if you are of a secular mind, you aren’t alone.  Thousands of your friends and neighbors in this area think and feel as you do. And there are local groups that advance your views and welcome your participation! This website will help you find events to attend, activities in which to participate, people with whom to socialize, and groups to join.

After all, like everyone else, we all benefit from a supportive community for friendship, learning, social service, and activism.  Moreover, Atheists and Agnostics make up a significant portion of the population nationally, globally, and right here in Connecticut; outnumbering most religious and other minorities combined. For example, 42% of Connecticut residents identify as non religious.  This places us as one of the largest minorities in the state.  Yet we don’t enjoy the benefits of our numbers because we aren’t well organized.  This coalition is here to change that.

To the traditional religious community we want to say that, although we nontheists are without a belief in the supernatural, we do share the compassionate human values that most people embrace.  As hard working, tax-paying, ethical citizens, we care deeply about our families, our communities, our state, our nation, and the world.

If you would like to know more about the Connecticut Coalition of Reason, we invite you to explore these pages and join our conversations on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Groups

Connecticut Valley Atheists The mission of the Connecticut Valley Atheists is to promote a positive perception of atheists and atheism through community activities, charitable works, and sponsorship of educational events.  We seek out and encourage like-minded people to join us and contribute to our efforts.

The Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Fairfield County Celebrating Jewish values and culture in a non-theistic way!  The Congregation for Humanistic Judaism is a welcoming, supportive community founded in 1967 for secular Jews and their families to affirm, celebrate, and enrich Jewish identity and values.  CHJ believes in personal responsibility to fulfill the Jewish ideals of loving-kindness, justice, and good deeds.  Humanistic Judaism is a recognized branch of Judaism, active worldwide, and coordinated in North America by the Society for Humanistic Judaism.  CHJ has a full program for children including a Sunday school leading to Bar/Bat Mitzvah, a full program for adults with cultural and intellectual activities, and engages in Jewish holiday observances.  Interfaith families are welcome.

Hartford Area Humanists We are a society of Humanists, most of who live in the Greater Hartford area.  We organize social events, discussion groups, dinner meetings with guest speakers, outdoor activities, and philanthropic endeavors.  As a community, we seek to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.

The Humanist Association of Connecticut HAC is an organization for Humanists in the South and Central Connecticut areas, and is based in the Hamden/New Haven area. Members come as far afield as Hartford, Litchfield, and lower Fairfield counties. Members have diverse social, religious, and political backgrounds.  Several members are Unitarian-Universalist ministers.

Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield County The Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield County (HFFC) seek to promote Humanism and free thought in our community. Humanism is a progressive lifestance that, without supernaturalism, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead meaningful, ethical lives capable of adding to the greater good of humanity. Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint which holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism rather than authority, tradition, or dogma.  Our bywords are Reason and Compassion.  We look for evidence as the basis of our beliefs about the world and we embody compassion as our approach to others. We seek:

  1. To provide a forum for mutual and public education,
  2. To establish a mechanism to counter religious fundamentalism, and
  3. To form a warm, supportive community of like-minded people.

We welcome all who wish to participate.

The New Haven, CT, Recovering From Religion support group The primary focus of a Recovering From Religion support group is to provide ongoing and personal support to individuals as they let go of their religious beliefs. This transitional period is an ongoing process that can result in a range of emotions, as well as a ripple effect of consequences throughout an individual’s life. As such, the support meetings are safe and anonymous places to express these doubts, fears, and experiences without biased feedback or proselytizing. The group will meet every Thursday evening at 7:00 PM, barring inclement weather or if the date falls on a holiday. The meeting will be held virtually via Zoom. Attendees are welcome to share, but may also decide to remain anonymous if they so choose.

Secular Connecticut Secular Connecticut brings together non-religious Connecticut residents to influence government officials, legislation, and regulations.  We are unlike any other nontheistic state organization—we bring together interested organizations and individuals for the exclusive purpose of lobbying government officials.