I’m a firm believer of the phrase, and the ideas behind it: No Gods, No Masters*. I know this has been a socialist and anarchist ideal for quite some time (and I am so Here For This!!) Now you can hear it in feminist and atheist circles as well. I’m all for reminding people that this ideal is something we can attain, and one way we can do this is by being good without religion.

I am an atheist-- I do not believe in any deities. I love stories, I love the idea of Patron Gods and Goddesses, and I even use the archetypes in my meditations and work. But I don’t believe they exist. They’re just as imaginary as any talking animal in the Bible or Aesop’s Fables. They might be fun (or frustrating) ideas, but they’re still just ideas, and not concrete at all.

Some witches are religious. Some believe in gods, some in this nebulous idea of a Universe, or Universal Conscience. The QueerCoven’s official statement is that we are secular, humanist, and therefore, irreligious. Being a Witch is what we are, not something we [claim to] believe in.

Having said that-- how can we be good without God, is a question every single Atheist I’ve ever met has been asked. Often we get asked it when we come out as atheist for the first time to someone. And by often, I mean (nearly) Every Single Time! Probably 90% of the time. So, we get really used to coming out first, before we can be asked. It’s easier that way.

Can you be good without being threatened with punishment by a deity? Well, of course you can! Just like a kid can be good/behave when they’re told to do so (and often for the sake of a “Look at that, what a good kid you are!”) you, as a grown-ass adult can do the same. You don’t need to be threatened with an eternity of anything, no threats of being reincarnated as something “lesser”, no undertones of finger shaking.

You’re just a decent person, because you’re decent, right? You choose to be a good person, every day, even when you want to be cruel, or mean. You choose to be kind, and to have compassion, and to act on that compassion. You actively cultivate those good parts of yourself, and encourage others to do the same.

Here at QueerCoven, we are actively good without religion. We do good, because it makes us feel good, because we like the outcomes, and because it’s the right thing to do. Witches do that, we work to make things better, to heal things, because that is what being a Witch is.

Here’s some ways we do that, and ways you, too, can be good without religion. No religion out there has a monopoly on goodness, or compassion, or love.

1. Volunteer with, and/or Donate to a nonprofit with a mission that resonates with you! Some of us at QueerCoven work at a nonprofit, but we also have our “pet charities”-- those nonprofits that mean something to us. They range from literacy projects, to animal shelters, from food banks to Planned Parenthood, from The Satanic Temple, to the ACLU-- these nonprofits do good work, we actively help that with our volunteer time, and our money.

2. Give to groups like Modest Needs. Modest Needs is a sorta-kinda GoFundMe for short-term, small amounts that can make a huge difference in the life of the person in need. Imagine if you lost your job: even if you got another one straight away, you’ll have a lapse in pay. That lapse in pay can mean being late for rent, or your car, can mean you’re losing your insurance, get your lights cut, and many other things that cascade when you’re poor. Modest Needs is amazing, and your HeadWitch loves them! You can learn about them on their website.

3. Check our Groups on Meetup that vibe with you. This can lead to awesome opportunities like working to pick up trash beside roads, gathering and delivering meals to people stuck in their houses through age and/or disability, reading to kiddos at libraries, and much more. These aren’t always official “volunteer” opportunities, as often these groups are looser, and not incorporated into a 501(c)(3), but they can lead to friendships, public and community ties, and can bring you joy.

4. Check out your state’s Secular Coalition. You’ll find opportunities to work with other no-gods-needed good people to effect real change! They have “lobby the capital” days, letter writing, and phone call campaigns, and other outreach that concentrates on protecting irreligious people, and bringing us together.

5. Donate books to your library, or funds to your library, to purchase “Banned Books” (or other ways to get those books out there!) Reading is important. There are too many who want to control our knowledge, and we can’t let them do that to us, nor to do that to our communities’ children. Spreading banned books is one way we can help.

You’re probably thinking that these things will tend toward the political. These ideas are geared toward growth, progression, and community-- all Liberal and Progressive ideals.

If you aren’t political, you’re not a Witch-- so this is an important step. Just being a Witch is a politically Liberal and Progressive thing-- it’s taboo, it’s anti-establishment, so get out there, and help bring out that good change!

These ideas aren’t definitive, of course! Your HeadWitch can’t possibly be expected to remember and list everything you can do to effect change and goodness in your community. That's your job! Write to us and tell us about what you’re doing to help your people, and your community. Share ways you heal the harm that religious-regression has brought. We really want to know!

*The phrase is derived from the French slogan "Ni dieu ni maître!" (literally 'Neither God nor master') coined by the socialist Louis Auguste Blanqui in 1880, when he published a journal by that name. http://www.artandpopularculture.com/No_gods%2C_no_masters, retrieved 2June2022