Oklahoma Atheists
The Oklahoma Atheists is an American organization founded by Kim Shultz in 1999 to establish a community of atheists, freethinkers, and other non-religious people living in Oklahoma City and throughout the greater Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The organization is a local affiliate of the democratic society Atheist Alliance International and therefore has ratified formal by-laws and holds elections for officers annually.
While the group engages primarily in social activities, such as meet-ups, it also organizes and hosts the occasional public lecture, debate, or protest. For example, in 2009, AOK coordinated with of Norman, Oklahoma to co-host a streaming webcast of a theological debate between Christopher Hitchens and William Lane Craig at Biola University.In 2003 the group created a standalone committee called "Stop Theocracy in Oklahoma Policy" in order to protest the National Day of Prayer by celebrating a National Day of Reason in its stead. This effort evolved over time into an inclusive and ecumenical celebration of religious liberty on the South Steps of the Oklahoma Capitol, known as the Interfaith Day of Prayer and Reflection, which was held for years on the Capitol Steps. In 2010, the National Day of Prayer was moved to the south steps and the AOK once again organized a protest of the prayer event, focusing on issues relating to the integration of church and state and the endorsement of religion by government officials.
