The NPR affiliate in Kansas City ran a wonderful story about the inaugural Camp Quest Kansas City which took place earlier this month:

Parent and volunteer David Spake says that too often, even non-religious camps make assumptions about religion by leading prayers or non-denominational worship services. “So, you think well that is no big deal, but it is for some people,” he says. Spake says he was excited that Camp Quest could provide an alternative experience for his daughter, Avery. “Being just a child in school, and having parents who are Atheist or Humanist and the children tend to grow up more critically- asking questions about religion,” he says. “And, I will tell you, there’s a lot of kids who feel threatened by that and as a result, like my daughter, she has been ostracized a bit at school where we live at because she is asking hard questions.”

I have yet to meet a student or counselor who didn’t absolutely love their experience at the camp.

The kicker in the article, by the way, may have been this nugget:

Local president Lindsay Burns says she had trouble finding a welcoming campsite in Kansas City. “I did have one person who asked me if I was an atheist, and when I told him I was an atheist he actually told me that he wouldn’t have any animal sacrificing on his land, and hung up on me,” says Burns.

*Sigh*

We don’t sacrifice animals. Only babies. When will they ever learn…?

If you’d like to donate to help organizers run this camp in the future, you can do so right here.



