By Baylee Pulliam–

“Why do people believe in God?” Joe Bosemer asked as a part of Ask an Atheist Day, an Oct. 27 event by the Secular Students Association.

“I just don’t understand it, and some [who believe in God] get so offended when you ask them,” said Bosemer, a senior health and physical education major.

At the event, representatives from the largely agnostic and atheistic Association set up tables in the Swain Student Activities Center, and invited passersby to ask them questions.

“Probably the most interesting [questions] we get asked are the morality ones,” said first year electrical engineering masters student Nick Searcy, who was working the event for the Association. “You know, ‘how would an atheist know what’s wrong and what’s right,’ kind of questions.”

Senior electrical engineering major and baptist Ryan Frazier said he discussed morality with the Association representatives at the event.

“I just asked him ‘where does a humanist get their morality from?’” Frazier said.

The result was a “pretty long and interesting discussion. We both brought really different views to the table, but he had some really respectful and intelligent answers,” Frazier said.

The Association is in their third semester as an organization. This is their second year operating Ask and Atheist Day. Searcy said they want to offer the event once per semester.

“Atheist is kind of a terrible identity,” Searcy said. “This is a chance to break down some barriers between us and other [students] so they can kind of see us as real people.”

For the most part, Searcy and the other members of the Association said student reception has been accepting.

“Some people feel threatened, but no one’s ever gotten violent,” said fourth year physics major Patrick Mullaney, who was also answering questions at the event.

Searcy said he hoped future events would help to spread acceptance for atheism and agnosticism.

“Even if they don’t agree with us, [students] can still appreciate our views,” Searcy said. “It’s not like we’re trying to force them.”

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Photo: Erin Standridge/The Louisville Cardinal