The Fellowship of Reason, founded by Martin L. Cowen III in Atlanta, Georgia, exists for people who believe churches are important elements of a moral community, but don’t wish to identify with any other organized religion. Its popularity lies largely with irreligious nontheists and naturalistic agnostics.

   The church has humanistic foundations, and serves as a forum for members to support eachother, discuss philosophies, recognize achievements, promote purposeful reflection, and celebrate important values. Their main philosophical stance leans toward eudaimonism, which means valuing human happiness and common welfare above all else.

   Their overarching philosophy also draws from Objectivism, described by Ayn Rand as “in essence, the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.”

   They also synthesize ideas that David Norton sums up through his quote, “From the humanistic standpoint, a philosophy that seeks converts is a contradiction in terms. The function of humanistic philosophy is not to impose invented forms upon human life, but to elicit and clarify the forms the lives of persons implicitly possess.”

   The organization aims to assist in allowing its members to more easily ascend Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, toward self-actualization, thus stressing spontaneity, autonomy, peak experiences, efficient perceptions of reality, comfortable acceptance of oneself, centering one’s tasks, continued freshness of appreciation, fellowship with humanity, profound relationships, comfort with solitude, and a non-hostile sense of humor.

   Also important is Joseph Campbell’s maxim, “Follow your own bliss.” This, put together with Aristotle’s teachings, and Stoicism, ends up describing the Fellowship’s eudamonistic stance quite well. But besides this, the church has six more specific tenets, conveyed through an acronym called FROLEC.

Fellowship: They gain greater awareness of themselves through friendships with others of similar values.

Reflection: They take time to quietly reflect on the challenges of their lives in order to improve their ability to meet them.

Orientation: They remind themselves of their chosen values and principles regularly.

Learning: They discuss philosophy and literature to learn to live more wisely.

Enjoyment of Art: They enjoy art as a means of gaining emotional fuel.

Celebration: They participate in ceremonies that symbolically mark significant life events or uphold important values.

Authorial Opinion

   Though I’m generally unimpressed by the notion of organized religion, I do see that churches and other places of worship fill an important niche in most communities. Why shouldn’t there be an equivalent place for the growing irreligious population?

   Sure, some regions have Humanist, Deist, Pantheist, or other similar places of worship, but any organization that increases the number of places, like these, for freethinking philosophical development, can count on my support. I would even consider joining a church like this someday, if it were free.

   Ironically, it is my reason-based opinion, that a reason-based approach to life is the best approach to life, and since this is what the Fellowship of Reason endorses, it has my blessing, so-to-speak. Reason is in the name for a reason, after all.