The Secular Student Alliance is a group providing neutral ground for young adults to gather, discuss and explore world views. The non-profit group has affiliates on college campuses countrywide.

The College of Southern Idaho's SSA is a new group, but growing, said co-advisor Brent Jensen.

"We're an outlet for people, nonbeliever, agnostics, secular humanists," he said. "It's like we're a denomination of non-believers that gather to tell our own stories of how we came to our worldview."

The SSA has about a dozen student members and the group is in the process of becoming a recognized club by the college.

In a valley filled with believers, group advisor Jerry Cox said the group gives an outlet to students who are skeptical.

"I grew up in Twin Falls; there was no outlet for doubts or unbeliefs. It's not OK to talk about home, church or school," Cox said. "This is a safe place for like-minded people."

The mission of the SSA, according to Secularstudents.org/csi, "is to organize, unite, educate, and serve students and student communities that promote the ideals of scientific and critical inquiry, democracy, secularism, and human based ethics. The bulk of our efforts go into starting and supporting high school and college groups that choose to affiliate with us."

Jensen's own journey into SSA started years ago. He was raised Roman Catholic but never believed in the Virgin Birth and "considered Jesus nothing more than a charismatic figure."

"For me the turning point was 9/11 and the Bush administration's attempt to move the country into a theocracy," Jensen said. "That dogmatism wasn't working."

Cox's journey was similar. He grew up in a Mormon household, served a mission to Germany and married young in an LDS temple.

Cox lays his story out on the group's Facebook page. "At 37 I finally dug into Mormon history, which led to further investigations into religion in general, God, cult-psychology, and humanism. I emerged from all that having lost my religion, my faith, and my wife of 16 years; but what I gained was personal integrity, authenticity, and truth."

On Tuesday, the SSA is hosting a free public screening of Julia Sweeney's one-woman play, "Letting Go of God." Advisors hope the event will spur interest and attract members.

Blair Koch may be reached at 208-316-2607 or blairkoch@gmail.com.