Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of science, logic, and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, tradition, religion or any other dogma.

Applied to religion, freethinkers have generally held that, given presently-known facts, established scientific theories and logical principles, there is insufficient evidence to support the existence of gods, devils, spirits or any purported supernatural phenomena. Freethinkers therefore tend not to be religious, and include atheists, agnostics, humanists, and those with naturalistic world views.

uganda_map Kampala is the capital city of Uganda

Freethought Kampala is a club that seeks to:

  1. Encourage dialogue between freethinkers in the Kampala area .
  2. Promote reason, logic, science and critical thinking in this highly superstitious society.
  3. To advocate for the use of science and reason in any discourse on national, political or social issues, where relevant.
  4. Interact, and share ideas, with freethinkers from all over the world.

We respect every Ugandan’s right to practice religion (as the constitution stipulates), and we recognise that religion has played an important role in education and provision of healthcare services in this country, and continues to provide an important sense of community among believers.

But we also recognize that certain types and expressions of religious belief do cause some problems in Ugandan society. Such as:

  • Pastors conning thousands of believers by stage-managing fake miracles
  • Many HIV positive believers dying because they were abandoning ARVs based on unsubstantiated miracle testimonies,
  • Making people believe that they have been bewitched or are victims of ‘generational curses’
  • Being a tool of manipulation of the public by politicians. Politicians across the board have continuously used religion to shift the burden of their failings from themselves to the general population by blaming them for not being religious enough or not being sufficiently faithful to ‘God’.

There are also problems associated with cultural beliefs, such as the belief in the efficacy of witchcraft. Believing that witchcraft works motivates some individuals to pursue it as a viable course of action in order to solve all manner of socio-economic problems they may be facing. The rise in incidences of child sacrifice can be attributed to such beliefs being pervasive, even when there is absolutely no empirical evidence to suggest that witchcraft is in any way efficacious.

Our desire is to specifically address these and other detrimental aspects of extreme fundamentalist religious and cultural beliefs in this country that even our educated religious peers are aware of, but seem reluctant to challenge directly, boldly, and publicly.

We are also interested in promoting critical thinking based on reason, logic and the scientific-method as the framework for solving problems, rather than recourse to the supernatural.

You can contact Freethought Kampala at: freethoughtkampala@gmail.com

 

The Freethought Kampala Blog:

On this regularly updated blog, issues pertaining to freethought are discussed.

Various freethinkers offer their personal views regarding cultural and religious beliefs, and critically analyse tenets of various religions and their respective scriptures. They also offer commentary on current news events that pertain to religion and other superstitions.

Details of Freethought Kampala’s events can also be found on this blog.

 

Freethinkers’ Night:

Every last Thursday of the month, we meet at 4 Points Bar & Restaurant in Centenary Park for Freethinkers’ Night. Each month we discuss a different topic, and sometimes we invite special guests to contribute their ideas to the proceedings. We occasionally have video presentations if the subject matter for the evening requires it.

All sorts of people attend Freethinkers’ Night, including atheists, agnostics, Christians (of various denominations), Muslims, pantheists, panentheists, and even African traditionalists. The debates we engage in are lively and exciting, and despite our differences in opinion, throughout the proceedings, a friendly atmosphere is maintained.

Freethinkers’ Night is one of the ways we are engaging with the public, in our effort to promote critical thinking.

Information concerning upcoming Freethinkers’ Nights can be found on this blog.

 

Freethought Kampala on Facebook:

Freethought Kampala on Facebook

Here’s why you should check out our Facebook page:

  • It’s fun, with very exciting daily exchanges taking place between members
  • It’s informative, with interesting science stories posted on a daily basis
  • You can get in touch directly with any of the members of Freethought Kampala
  • Updates on all planned events

 

Conclusion:

If you are a person living in the Kampala area,  whose opinions are based not on religious or cultural dogma – but on reason, logic, and science – and are interested in associating with like-minded individuals, you are invited to be a part of Freethought Kampala.

In case you’re from outside the Kampala area (or even Uganda) and you’d like to share some insights with us, or offer suggestions, you’re more than welcome to do so. E-mail us.

 

Cheers!