- The Freethinkers’ Provocative Logo
From the beginning, the Reed College Freethinkers were beset by controversy. Led by passionate Signator Leslie Zukor, the group was criticized for using the term “Freethinkers”. Instead of looking the word up on Wikipedia to understand its practical applications, more theoretically minded Reedies accused the club of implying that non-members were not critical thinkers.
“Many of us have thought about religious questions for our whole lives,” one student explained. “And we have found that there are limits to rationality.” While the student was entitled to her opinion, certain students taunted Freethinkers’ members with reckless abandon.
While attendance at the first several meetings was 10 or greater, as time wore on, many club members reported to Zukor that their House Advisors were mocking the club, and that they no longer felt comfortable attending meetings.
This was a shame, because Leslie Zukor only contended that she wanted to increase critical thinking at Reed, where many students felt that Reed was freethinking enough.
