Nonreligious Students on College Campuses

In a survey of the Class of 2012, Tufts University’s Office of Institutional Research and Evaluation found that of the 801 respondents, 267 (one-third) indicated they had no religious preference. Other recent studies such as the American Religious Identity Survey and the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life confirm that 1 in every 4-5 college-age students in America today is nonreligious, making this group one of the largest constituencies on campuses today.

That means that some of our brightest young minds are receiving little to no opportunity to explore their deepest values except from within a narrow religious frame of reference. In his recent research, the Harvard Kennedy School’s Robert Putnam has observed that young Americans are “vastly more secular” than their older counterparts and worries that young people will lack the kinds of resources that would make them “better” people and our society a better place.

Even with a tiny budget, the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard is providing a model of a flourishing Humanist community that, without supernaturalism, affirms the ability and responsibility of all us to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.

HCH offers a full-service secular ministry and community through small group discussions among a variety of audiences as well as non-credit seminars on topics such as compassionate communication and voluntary simplicity. And HCH offers participation across campus- wait, make that across campuses in the broader Boston community, in the extremely popular large public events with leaders who live Humanist values.

A Call To Action!

The sole financial support of the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard comes from those who value the student gatherings, individual meetings with Chaplain Greg Epstein, and public meetings with people like Lt. Dan Choi, Stephen Batchelor, Salman Rushdie and Josh Whedon. If you are among those who value these programs, let us know with your kind support.

We would also be ple ased to discuss ways in which you can make your greatest impact on HCH. One way is to name the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard in your will. Other ways include life income gifts and a variety of tax-saving gift opportunities. For more information, contact Maureen George, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it