Secular Humanists of America Forms on UWM Campus

Being considered under the student organization category “religious” was most likely not Alexi Martinaios’ first choice for UW-Milwaukee club, Secular Humanists of America, which he started in January 2018.

“My name is Alexi, I am the president and founder of the Secular Humanist club on campus,” Martinaios said when he stood behind the podium in the Fireside Lounge at UWM.

Just over twenty people gathered to hear atheist, Aron Ra speak in an event hosted by the Secular Humanists of America at UWM. Born L. Aron Nelson, but going by Aron Ra he has 169 thousand subscribers on YouTube and several videos with over 300 thousand views each.

Ra entered wearing all black, his long hair hung down, both from his head and his signature facial hair. Taking a hard line on religion, he spoke critically of God and all higher belief.

“The issue between religion and science is whether you value truth or not,” Ra said.

This was Secular Humanists of America’s first event. Martinaios created the organization because he thought that UWM should have a community for the secular, atheist and agnostic population.

“I wanted to [start the club] with the secular community on campus because on average members of the secular community are not as happy,” Martinaios said. “There is a lack of community in the secular community and there’s a lack of unifying force there.”

Aside from Secular Humanists of America, there are currently no other student organizations at UWM involving atheism, secularism or agnosticism.

Martinaios will sometimes bring up the conversation of secularism and belief in places where some wouldn’t expect it, such as with strangers in the library.

“It’s part of who I am so it inevitably comes up in conversation,” he said. “I just try to politely explain to people that I think it’s possible that science can answer questions of spirituality and consciousness of ethics and social cohesion.”

Benjamin Gerard, a senior at UWM, met Martinaios in Student Association about two years ago. It was a predictable friendship as Gerard says that Martinaios was always very eager and present.

This semester, Martinaios approached Gerard regarding a student organization that he was starting, Secular Humanists of America.

Gerard is involved in several religious groups on campus, but believes that his involvement in this organization is not contradictory to that.

“We may have different opinions, but we can agree on something,” he said. “There is no question that he is the heart and soul of the group.”

In a message, Gerard described the fundamentals of the group as being “critical analysis and secularism.”

The organization tries to meet every other week, and while they often talk about intellectual issues, Martinaios also thinks that there is value in friendly, not always serious, community.

“I don’t think it would hurt to have a community on campus that occasionally sits around, eats some food, talks about whatever, has fun and you get to come over and just be secular,” Martinaios said.