My name is Christjahn Beck, and I am the current president of the ISU Atheist and Agnostic Society.  

Every Wednesday, I spend four to five hours either at a booth in the south atrium of the Memorial Union, or once the weather is nice, in the free speech zone outside of Parks Library. This event is called Ask an Atheist.

Since my time at Iowa State is coming to an end, I thought I would offer a few observations about how our presence is usually received. Most of the people we encounter are very pleasant. Whether they agree with our position or not, most of the people I greet with a smile and a “hey, how are you?” respond graciously and go on with their day. For this group, I want you to know I appreciate it. I know that my position can be perceived as offensive and I commend you for your ability to maintain civility in spite of that.

Beyond this, as you would expect, we get many people who want to talk to us about why they have faith. These people, too, are generally very respectful. For those of you who are genuinely interested in having a discussion, I want to thank you as well. I have had so many fantastic conversations with people of faith in my time at Iowa State that I could write a book about it. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

However, a full third or fourth of the people that I greet avoid eye contact with me so aggressively that I am afraid they are going to pull a muscle. Still, others offer snide remarks, laugh condescendingly, or, my personal favorite, say, “I love Jesus” in a tone that is normally reserved for telling someone to go to hell. Pun intended.  

On even rarer occasions, people will walk by and cuss at us or insult us.  While this is relatively infrequent, it happens often enough that any one of us who have sat at the “Ask an Atheist” table with any regularity have likely experienced it multiple times. On two occasions, in fact, I have been in the middle of a great conversation with a student of faith when a fellow believer walked by and released a burst of profanity. Both times the students I was talking to very kindly apologized for the behavior of their ideological cohort, even though they did not need to. Apology accepted.

Still others, including some alumni, want to warn us about how the decisions we are making are going to send us to hell.

And for what?  Simply thinking the way that we do and having the nerve to say so publicly?

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with AAS here at Iowa State. I have met some incredible people, made some true friends and had some conversations that I will cherish for the rest of my life. However, I have also experienced resentment, anger, animosity and condescension to a degree that is remarkable coming from people who commonly espouse love and forgiveness.  

At Ask an Atheist, we do not force conversations on people who do not want to have them. We are not going door to door. We simply want people to know that we are your fellow students and that we are not scary. So next time we say “hi,” please do not feel like you are betraying your own principals by saying “hi” in return. It is not a trap. We are just trying to be nice. Moreover, for those of you who feel compelled to be rude to us, consider whether you are appropriately representing the values you claim before your do.

See you next Wednesday.