OSTATI ATEIST--FORMIRANJE NERELIGIOZNIH IDENTITETA ME[ETH]U CLANOVIMA ORGANIZACIJA NERELIGIOZNIH I ATEISTA U HRVATSKOJ/To Become or Remain an Atheist--The Formation of Non-Religious Identities Among Members of Organizations of the Non-Religious and Atheists in Croatia

Fenomeni nereligioznostii ateizma izazivaju osjetan interes sociologa religije, osobitoodpocetka 21. stoljeca. U Hrvatskoj nereligioznosti ateizam nisu u novije vrijeme bili cesta tema znanstvenih istrazivanja. Cilj je ovog rada stjecanje prvoga znanstvenog uvida u proces formiranja nereligioznih i ateistickih identiteta. Uz ovako postavljen cilj, rad ce nastojati odgovoriti na specificno istrazivacko pitanje kako se formiraju nereligiozni i ateisticki identiteti medu clanovima organizacija koje okupljaju nereligiozne osobei ateiste u Hrvatskoj. Radse temelji na podacima prikupljenima polustrukturiranim intervjuima sa 22 osobe. Dobiveni nalazi pokazuju da se oblikovanje nereligioznih i ateistickih identiteta kod sugovornika odvijalo u nekoliko (intelektualnih) faza, potaknutih kritickim razmisljanjem koji svoje utemeljenje ima u prirodnim znanostima. S obzirom na (ne)postojanje kolektivnog identiteta, medu clanovima organizacija razlikuju se dva tipa: angazirani i distancirani nereligiozni i ateisti. Kljucne rijeci: nereligioznost, ateizam, organizacije nereligioznih i ateista, identitet The phenomena of non-religiosity and atheism have been provoking the attention of sociologists of religion especially since the beginning of the 21st century. However, in Croatia they have not often been topics of scientific research in recent times. The aim of this paper is to acquire the first scientific insight into the process of forming of non-religious and atheistic identities. Starting from this objective, the paper will try to respond to the specific research question of how non-religious and atheistic identities are formed among members of organizations that gather the non-religious and atheists in Croatia. The paper is based on data collected by semi-structured interviews with 22 persons. The results obtained indicate that the formation of non-religious and atheistic identities among interviewees took place in several (intellectual) stages initiated by critical thinking that had its foundations in natural sciences. With regard to the (non)existence of a collective identity, two types can be differentiated among members of the organizations: the engaged and distanced non-religious and atheists. Keywords: non-religiosity, atheism, non-religious and atheistic organizations, identity