Atheist Internet Outreach Newsletter
Winter 1999 NEWSLETTER
FALSE ADVERTISING
A local house of worship (Lutheran) is located about five blocks from our house. Teri noticed that the subject of the upcoming Thanksgiving sermon was "Who Is There For The Atheist To Thank, Thanksgiving Day?".
Not being inclined to avoid learning something we felt sure we were supposed to know, we decided to don our "Friendly Neighborhood Atheist" and "No Gods No Masters" t-shirts, and headed on down for enlightenment.
There we sat, listening to droning liturgy, accompanied by several hymns (no hers, of course), waiting for the sermon. The congregation dutifully read their scripts, as we learned that Jehovah had set the moon and stars in place, as well as creating abundant showers, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, and stormy winds. We were told to fear the Lord our God.
I was beginning to fear that we'd never get to the end of this snow job.
When the sermon du jour finally began, we were relieved to find out that the booming economy, along with the lowered crime rate, unemployment and inflation, were the work of the Lord. We had always suspected that all that we had been taught in school about economics and socio-political dynamics was just a ruse.
Unfortunately, by the time the sermon ended... and we decided to leave because we found the thought of another hymn unimaginable... we realized that we had been fleeced! Not once did the pastor even mention the word atheist, nor did he address the question so prominently displayed on the church marquee. We were victims of false advertising.
Come to think of it, isn't that what religion is all about?
Thanks to LANCE LACERTE and TERI NOVAK for reminding us why we no longer go to church. Submissions to the newsletter reflecting an atheist point of view are invited.
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SANCTITY AND BLASPHEMY ARE THOUGHT CONTROL CONCEPTS
I heard censorship defended recently on the basis that an art piece was blasphemous of a sacred object, a virgin. It is a stupid presumption that whatever a person or group claims to be religious or sacred merits automatic respect. We may respect it or revile it as we find appropriate. Blasphemy and sanctity are bogus ideas, promoted to interfere with rational evaluation. For World War II Germans it was sacred to kill Americans and Jews. Their clergy told them so and their belt buckles proclaimed "Gott mit uns" (god is with us). And, let's face it, it was sacred for Americans to kill Germans.
There is no reason to be silent for someone's prayers in a public place, school or meeting. To the contrary, silence during these outrages is interpreted as assent.
The courtesy of respect is something one has to offer or withhold. It is idiocy to respect that which is disrespectable. That is one of the silly ideas of the ten commandments: honor your mother and father, etc. Really? Not if they have been rapists, child abusers, Serbian religious terrorists or Moslem fatwah murderers.
America is a free speech country; anyone can claim anything is sacred but there is no obligation on others to respect the claim or refrain from ridicule of it. In fact, religious claims are not just laughable; we should hold them to the same standards as any advertising claims and with the same fraud penalties.
Thanks to BILL VAN DRUTEN of the Lake Superior Freethinkers for his common-sense essay. Submissions to the newsletter reflecting an atheist point of view are invited.
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ON THE OTHER HAND:
Our "Things-Could-Be-Worse-and-Somewhere-They-Are" Department
A man in the state of Bihar, India, was accused by police of the ritual sacrifice of his daughters, aged 18 and 13, during the Hindu festival of Dassera in October, and a London Telegraph report from Faridabad, India, cited the sacrifices of nine children under the age of ten to the Hindu goddess Kali last year to cure their parents' various misfortunes.
In Istanbul, Turkey, three satanists were charged in September with sacrificing a young woman to the devil to stop the country's recent earthquakes.
In Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, at least thirty-four people, most of them elderly women, were killed this year because they were suspected of being witches. Authorities said that most of the victims were women whose eyes turned red from years of standing over cow-dung cooking fires, and villagers often accuse red-eyed women of being witches.
Observers say this is often used as an excuse by family members to get rid of the women and seize their property.
In a less frightening vein, AP reported last month that two fifteen-year old Massachusetts girls face charges for shooting red and green paint balls at the home of a Jewish family, leaving behind abusive notes because the home was not decorated for Christmas.
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SPOTLIGHT ON AAI MEMBER SOCIETIES:
Colorado Atheists and the Persistent Vandals
People who ask us at Atheist Outreach where they can find groups in their area frequently say they want to promote the positive side of atheism. They're interested in letting the world know what we atheists are really like... that we're ethical people who care about our own species as well as others, and the environment. Considering the historical as well as ongoing demonizing of nonbelievers by politicians and clergy, such as the recent comments of Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights' William Donohue, who referred to atheists as "losers" and "creeps", becoming involved in charitable activities is one way that atheist groups can change that perception. But the recent experiences of our two Colorado groups have not been altogether positive ...
Atheists of Colorado (AOC) in Colorado Springs joined the state's Adopt-a-Highway litter control program sometime in 1996. Four times a year, AOC members walk both sides of the Interstate, picking up the accumulated trash within our designated mile, cleaning a total of three miles including the median. It's hard work and not terribly appealing, but rewarding nevertheless. Best of all, occasionally someone tells us how good it feels to see the group's name on the highway signs and to know that others exist who feel the way they do.
One day, after we'd been foster parents to our adopted portion of the Interstate for quite a while, members driving by noticed that the word "Atheists" in the group's name had been nearly obliterated by something that had been sprayed or painted on the sign. No other sign nearby had been touched. There's little doubt that vandals deliberately targeted the signs specifically because of the "A" word.
When we notified a state Transportation Department employee in the Southern Colorado regional office, she was very nice. They were grateful for our being in the program for almost two years, she said, and felt awful about the vandalism. Someone would be sent out there to try to clean it up. Failing that, the sign would be replaced.
That was in March of '98. By October, when the sign still showed the remnants of the earlier graffiti, one of our members contacted her again. She said a crew had done their best to clean up the signs once, but now the Department planned to replace the entire sign with a new, smaller design.
However, this time, there was a noticeable change in her attitude. She said that if the signs were vandalized again, we'd have to change the group's name from Atheists of Colorado to something less "controversial." With a nod to the irony of our situation, our member suggested "Good Christians" as an alternative, but the Transportation Department employee wasn't amused.
Fast forward six months, to April of '99... A group in the northern part of the state, Atheists of Northern Colorado (ANC), had been organized the previous year, and we'd decided one of our first actions would be to get ANC involved in the Adopt-a-Highway program, too. We reasoned that it would give members a shared goal, and a chance to get to know one another better. For some reason, people seem to feel remarkably at ease when they're walking down the road together picking up trash. Because of the signs' new design, each end of our section of highway was marked by the new, colorful "Spruce Up Colorado" sign, with purple mountains, evergreen trees and the Columbine, the state flower, at the top, and a smaller nameplate displaying the group's name at the bottom... altogether a much nicer design than the old, green highway signs. But before we could get out for our first cleanup... in fact, within six days of the signs first being erected by the state... someone vandalized them.
These vandals made those in Colorado Springs look pretty unmotivated. They had painstakingly painted a black tar-like substance over the small nameplate containing the name of the group, from top to bottom and edge to edge, leaving the upper portion of the sign completely untouched. The words, Atheists of Northern Colorado, were no longer visible.
Yet life does go on, and trash keeps piling up on the roads. So, wearing government-issue bright orange vests, we diligently attempted to clean the signs as much as possible so that motorists going by would have some inkling of the name of the group, and then we cleaned up the road as we'd signed on to do. The incident was reported to the Northern regional office of the state Transportation Department, as well as the local police and sheriff, and two newspaper articles were published as well. My husband and I checked on the signs every other day.
Then in early August, the state replaced the obliterated nameplates on each sign with sparkling new ones. Being the rational folks we are, we kept our fingers crossed. Only three days later, someone had again covered over the name on one of the two signs, serving as conclusive proof that finger-crossing works no better than prayer.
At this point, we were even more sure that we didn't want to let these bigots defeat us. One of our members bought more gunk cleaner and tried valiantly to clean the vandalized sign; he was harassed by nearby residents while working at it. We reported the graffiti to the police again. We speculated about the perpetrators, convinced as we were that they live near by, and talked about what kind of guerrilla tactics might work. No matter how much elbow grease was used in cleaning the sign, the painted nameplate remained completely dark except for the word "Atheists", which, sitting as it was on a now colorless background, was fairly visible. It was the best we could do, so we decided to live with it, but to remain vigilant.
Then, suddenly, the vandalism stopped. And as the weeks went by and autumn came and went, it seemed we might have outlasted them. Because I live nearby, I continued to check on the signs periodically, just in case the bad guys were so naive as to think they could outlast us.
Still, you can never underestimate the persistence of a bigot on a mission. In mid-December, probably right about the time they were considering what kind of Yule tree to buy, the bad guys traded their paint can for a wrench, and stole the entire nameplate off the sign! Once again, we alerted the Sheriff, and I called the Northern office of the state Transportation Department. As happened with AOC in Colorado Springs, this conversation was less friendly than before... either we could change our name to something less "controversial" or leave the program, I was told. I protested that the agency was allowing the vandals to decide who participates in the program.
And that's where the matter stands, for now. ANC's members have not yet decided what to do. Both AOC and ANC would like to continue their participation in the Adopt-A-Highway program; in fact, when AOC's came up for renewal, we voted to sign up again. But so far those signs haven't been vandalized a second time. If that happens, the state agency has made it clear that the signs wouldn't be replaced a second time either.
Clay Evans, one of the journalists who wrote about all this, was told by the state agency that a new policy was drafted primarily because of problems with signs sponsored by the two atheist organizations. He wrote in the Boulder Daily Camera that the state is "essentially surrendering to vandals".
As he put it in his column: "If you ask me, the atheists are the real beleaguered group."
I suppose some might say I'm making much ado about nothing. But as a symbol of the willingness of many religious people to do whatever they can to stop us from participating in public life AS ATHEISTS, it seems to me that it speaks volumes. I just can't help wondering why a society which boasts of having the most freedom in the world cannot tolerate the existence of those of us who choose to exercise our right to freedom FROM religious superstition.
by SANDRA FEROE
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IN THE NEWS. . .
The Associated Press reported last month that Chicago will be the first stop next summer in a Strategic Cities Initiative tour that will bring thousands of Southern Baptist missionaries to the city. An inter-denominational coalition of religious leaders has asked the denomination to reconsider, fearing it could spark violence against Jews, Hindus and Muslims, who have been the subjects of Southern Baptist prayer books and the object of conversion to Christianity. Chicago and suburbs have been the scene of some violence, including vandalism at a mosque and a shooting at a synagogue, against the three groups. Hindus, who have been described in the denomination's prayer booklet as having "darkness in their hearts that no lamp can dispel", have staged protests in Boston, Houston, and in India.
Some of the apocalyptic end-times rhetoric of 1999 was fueled by the large amount of seismic activity during the year in various parts of the world. Waverly Person, head of the U. S. National Earthquake Center in Golden, Colorado, received many calls from bible readers asking whether its many dark predictions of quakes signaling the end of the world might be coming true.
"According to long-term records," Person said, "we should have 18 major earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 to 7.9, and one great earthquake of 8.0 and above, annually. Over the past ten years or so, we've been well below that average. This year we have had 17 major earthquakes and no greats."
He also noted: "Earthquakes great and major occur in unpopulated areas, and nobody talks about that. We only talk about the ones that kill a lot of people... My answer to the people who call has been, no, this year is not unusual."
Dozens of folks in the town of Weatherford, Texas claim that gold teeth, crowns, plates, bridges and bands have materialized in their mouths after attending a ten-week revival at the New Life Community Church.
"I'm not saying it's pure gold," Mary Carter told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "But it sure does glitter and shine... it came from God, from Jesus."
Pastor Connell of New Life Church said that while some people have reported gold crowns in their mouths only to later recall receiving them from dentists years earlier, most of the dental work is the work of God. "The question is, why gold teeth?" Connell asked. "Why not perfect health? We just feel God is touching us and saying, 'Have a little gold.' It's a sign."
But local dentists like Thomas Novak are skeptical. "If God is going to change it to gold," he offered, "why doesn't he change it to tooth?"
I'd want to know what kind of cement God is using to keep that gold in."
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ATTENTION: TEEN WRITERS WANTED!
The Atheist Outreach Newsletter has been online for about eighteen months. During that time, atheists have contacted us from all over the world. A growing number are teens, some as young as 14. All of us know from experience that it can be difficult to be a nonbeliever in a religious society... but it's even harder to be an atheist teen. Their voices, like ours, are too seldom heard.
Since the last issue went out, we've gotten some responses from teens who are interested in writing for our Young Atheist column, but no submissions to date. This is a renewed invitation to all of our teen members to submit your stories, thoughts, and experiences. Your genuinely thoughtful essays and articles are welcomed and all will be considered for use. Please see submission information at the end of the Newsletter.
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QUOTABLE. . .
Al Gore, who referred to non-religious values as "hollow secularism" in May of '99 (see Fall '99 AO Newsletter), and to nonbelievers as arrogant just last December, seems to have given the subject of non-belief (or the wisdom of offending a bloc of voters) a little more thought. The December 17 New York Times reported that, when asked about affirming his faith, Gore replied:
"I always try to do so in a way that communicates absolute respect, not only for people who worship in a different way, but just as much respect for those who do not believe in God and who are atheists. Atheists have just as much of a right to the public discourse as any -- as people of any religious faith in this country. And I think that we have got to really stand, and if necessary, fight for that principle."
Offering us a bit of relief, Bill Bradley was quoted as saying... "I've decided that personal faith is private, and I will not discuss it with the public. So I am not going to get into the kind of things you saw in that debate in Iowa last week."
A column entitled "Pick a Good Politician, not a Good Christian" by Doug Bandow, author of "Beyond Good Intentions: A Biblical View of Politics," was published in USA Today on January 6, 2000. Reading such opinions makes one wonder if a backlash to all this public proselytizing amongst U.S. politicians is finally about to emerge:
"The 1990s were lean times for the religious right, but evangelicals remain important enough to cause Republican candidates to pander. Asked to name his favorite political philosophers, Texas Gov. George W. Bush said simply: "Christ, because he changed my heart." Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch named Jesus along with Ronald Reagan. Gary Bauer quoted Scripture and explained, "Christ taught all of us about our obligations to each other." Arizona Sen. John McCain ran radio ads about a Christmas sermon he delivered while a POW. Even Vice President Al Gore has declared himself a born-again Christian who often asks himself, 'What would Jesus do?'
"This would be useful information if these men were running for pope. But how is it relevant to their being president?"
People For The American Way recently reported that Pat Robertson exhorted his "700 Club" TV viewers to defy Supreme Court rulings on posting the Ten Commandments:
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to say this very clearly. If the people of the United States of America - all across America, in their churches and in their civic groups and in their legislatures - decide that they're not going to allow the Supreme Court to dominate their lives in the fashion that it has in this nation, the Supreme Court does not have the power to change that. They are not going to be able to overturn the will of a hundred million American people. And I think the time has come that we throw off the shackles of this dictatorship that's been imposed upon us."
In New Delhi, India, the scene of attacks on Christians by Hindus angry over the invasion of their country and attempted conversions to the Catholic religion, Pope John Paul II insisted, before an open-air Mass, on the universal right to convert and called on Asian Catholics to spread the faith across Christianity's last frontier.
"Religious freedom constitutes the very heart of human rights," he said... "Its inviolability is such that individuals must be recognized as having the right to change their religion as their conscience so demands."
Wonder if the Pope also believes that individuals have an equal right to "change" their religion to irreligion?
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FOR THE RECORD . . .
On a personal note, this appeal arrived from Ed and Diane Buckner of Smyrna, Georgia, USA, on behalf of Eddie Tabash, Democratic candidate for California State Assembly, 55th District, and I felt it was worthy of consideration by our members. The following is not to be construed as an endorsement by Atheist Outreach or any other organization:
"Eddie Tabash, an attorney for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a leader for the Council for Secular Humanism, and a proud atheist and freethinker, is perhaps the only mainstream openly non-religious candidate for any significant office anywhere in the United States. He has committed a great deal of his own money to this race and is spending at least three hours per day campaigning door to door, but he needs and deserves the help of freethinkers and humanists everywhere. The 55th District (includes parts of Carson, Compton, Long Beach, and Harbor City... the job is a full-time one) is solidly Democratic, and polls show that Tabash has a good chance to win, if we come through for him. The primary is March 7, 2000. Please send your contributions, large (there is no statutory limit) or small (even $5.00 will help), to:
TABASH for ASSEMBLY
P. O. Box 385
Harbor City, CA 90710-0385
You can also send encouraging words, difficult questions, terrible jokes, and helpful advice to Eddie's email address: etabash@aol.com."
Responding to a Tennessee Senate resolution urging people to post and observe the Ten Commandments, State Senator Steve Cohn, said:
"The religious right has many people crippled and blinded... They're cowering when there's no need to cower. The government's job is not to suggest, promote or choose religious thoughts to be recommended to the people."
Can we clone him?
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IN THE MUSE . . .
Breaking Chains
by Dorothy Thompson*
What is it that you fear from truth?
And why do you fear science?
Believe in lies you learned in youth
And cling to god reliance?
Without that fear you'd use your brain,
Read histories and reason.
But faith has said you should remain
Passive or it is treason.
It is a tragedy to fear
A god, hell or a demon.
Religion is but lies, it's clear
And you could be a freeman.
Those words like "holy", "faith" and "saint"
Are made up to deceive you,
All dogma is for mind constraint,
To fill with guilt and grieve you.
But once the shackles of the church
Are broken down forever
A blessed end to spirit search.
No dreading whatsoever!
* Freethought poet Dorothy Thompson, author of "Blasphemous Satires and Other Reflections on Life" and other works of poetry, may be contacted at P. O. Box 562, Bandon, Oregon, 97411.
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LETTERS:
A visitor to the AAI Web Center writes:
"Hello, I am a 20-year-old Atheist living in Vancouver, Canada. Atheism is my choice to follow reason and truth, rather than the blind faith and propaganda of religious institutions. Although my parents raised me (though not strictly) as a Christian, I have chosen otherwise. For this reason, I feel that each individual should have the right to determine their own opinions on religious matters, instead of being pressured (or even coerced) into a certain religious opinion (or lack of). In my experience, Atheism, in general, agrees with this reasoning.
"Therefore, I would just like to state my opinion about several children's books found on this site. I feel that having a child read such a book unfairly influences the childs decisions. It is similar to indoctrinating a child with values of a religion. They are not fully capable of distinguishing their own beliefs at a young age. In my opinion, children should be given as unbiased an opinion as possible, and be allowed to explore their choices before making a decision when they grow older.
"I realize this is extremely difficult, if not impossible, but I still do not agree with promoting persuasive books aimed at children. Informative books, yes, but they (the children) should be informed that Atheism is one choice out of many. Thank you for your time."
Sincerely, Bryan
Jim Cox, Vice President of Atheist Alliance, and Editor-in-Chief of Midwest Book Review, responds:
"Children are overwhelmingly exposed to books, television programs, and Sunday Schools promoting god-belief. The childrens' books that promote a rational, non-supernatural explanation of life, ethics, and human behavior are a necessary antidote to the massive pro-god propaganda that young minds are exposed to. The freethought books cited on the website are all sound, rational, age-appropriate books for young readers that I would personally recommend to any inquiring young mind."
Another visitor writes:
"I'm an atheist living near Atlanta... Several weeks back, my brother-in-law who is a minister attempted to convert me... He told my wife that he had to pray as to whether to continue this discussion with me. He had ministers and fundamentalists attacking me and I stood alone.
"Well, almost. I had help from the web and the information I found here was astounding. Please keep up the good work."
From Morocco comes this:
"I am 23 years old... As you may know, Morocco is a Muslim country. I used to read a lot about religions and god, and I asked questions like who can give me a proof that god exists, no one could... And I have my reasons to believe that god does not exist... I can distinguish between good and evil.
"I found it hard to share those ideas with someone from my country, that it is Muslim, Christian, or Jewish, they all believe in god, and they will easily reject me from the society. I need a place where I will feel free to express my ideas and my beliefs without any constraint... I want to express my thoughts. I have visited your web site and I like it."
During the last two years, Atheist Outreach has received several inquiries asking whether scholarships are available for atheist students. Here are two of the most recent.
Nicholas writes:
"I am a senior in high school. Recently... a rather irritating concern has arisen to me; the lack of scholarships given to atheists/humanists. I plan to attend college and major in theoretical physics... I view myself as a very intelligent young student who is eager to learn and willing to contribute as much as society as possible. My goals and dreams are just as important as those who choose to believe in a god(s) so why can't I have the same chance at financial aid based on my religious beliefs? I have not found a single scholarship application as of yet which has a choice in the field of religion for 'atheist', 'humanist', or 'agnostic.' Why must I always be 'Not listed', or 'other'?
"I view the Atheist Alliance to be a very dependable source for various types of information regarding the atheist 'mode of thought.' Therefore, I implore your assistance in my journey for financial aid. Any information regarding available scholarships would be extremely beneficial..."
And Todd asks:
"I'm a 17 year old junior in a public high school in Michigan. I'm also an atheist. I was wondering if you know if there are any scholarships that are offered to young atheists... I know that practically every religious organization offers some sort of scholarship to their fellow disciples, and I think it would be only fair if the children who took the time to critically reexamine religious dogmas were given financial assistance as well..."
Editor's reply:
Unfortunately, there are very few scholarships available explicitly for atheist or secular humanist students. This is one of many concerns which could be addressed if individual atheists became organized and donated funds to atheist causes.
Herb Silverman, Professor of Mathematics at the College of Charleston (S.C.) since 1976, and Program Director of Secular Humanists of the Low Country, has created an endowed scholarship to recognize and encourage secular humanist students at the College, where he's taught since 1976. Contact him at silvermanh@cofc.edu for information.
And, as mentioned in the Fall 1999 Atheist Outreach Newsletter, Atheists of Florida has a Mark Twain Scholarship essay fund open to college-level students around the nation. Visit their webpage on the Atheist Alliance site.
Thanks to those who took the time to write. Your comments about the newsletter are encouraged, and if you have any thoughts about how we atheists can survive and thrive in a seemingly irrational world, please let us hear them.
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ATHEIST ALLIANCE NEWS:
Announcing The Atheist Alliance Sixth Annual National Convention
"Freethought Across the Millennia," Easter Weekend, April 21-23
The year 2000 Convention of the Atheist Alliance, Inc., (AAI) will be hosted by Atheists and Other Freethinkers (AOF) of Sacramento, California, and held in the Sacramento Hilton Hotel, centrally located to the freeway from the airport and close to shops, theaters and restaurants.
Speakers will include:
Dr. Herb Silverman, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Charleston, who fought the state of South Carolina for five years to become a notary public because state law doesn't allow atheists to hold public office. Dr. Silverman has also funded a humanist scholarship at the University where he teaches.
Dr. Joe Morrow, Professor of Psychology at California State University, Sacramento, and member of Sacramento Skeptics, will perform as "Ace the Magnificent", a magician who shows that rational thought goes beyond the evidence of the senses.
Molleen Matsumura, Network Project Director for the National Center for Science Education, will discuss the latest in the evolution/creation controversy.
Drs. Paul Geisert and Mynga Futrell, developers of a program to facilitate teaching about non-conformist thinking called Different Drummers, will discuss the status of teaching about religion and freethought in public schools.
Andrew Benson, author of "The True Origins of Christianity and the Bible ," will speak on atheist proselytizing: "I will make you fishers of men," he promises, "and you can use the Bible as bait."
Paul Storey, host of "The Third Millennium" television series, will discuss "The Damaging Effect of Religion on Overpopulation and the Environment."
August Berkshire, of Minnesota Atheists, has spoken to over 2,000 students about atheism in public school Comparative Religion classes. He'll describe his strategy and experiences.
Charlotte Poe, founder and President of Freethinkers of Ventura County (CA), will speak about "Crime and Immorality in the Catholic Church."
John Patrick Michael Murphy, radio talk-show host of Murphy's Law, will tell us why "The Time is Now" for non-believers to come out of the closet and show their pride in being people of reason.
John Hill, member of the Inland Northwest Freethought Society, will give us an insiders' "View from the Board"... the school board. This veteran school board member will tell about his experiences and how to influence policy.
Skeptic Lucia Hall asks whether we atheists should challenge religion, and explains why the answer is affirmative, supporting her assertion with scientific principles.
Bob Webb, who has performed as Mark Twain since he was in the military in World War II, will highlight Twain's irreverent writings in "Letters From the Earth."
Camp Quest members Ed and Helen Kagin will recount experiences and show photos of their five successful years at the first residential summer camp for children of nonbelievers in the U. S.
Bring the kids! Instructors from the freethought summer camp, Camp Quest, will provide care in a fun-filled learning environment for ages 4 - 12 while their parents attend the Convention events. There will be a charge per child, which will include materials, lunches, and field trips.
Dan Barker of Freedom From Religion Foundation will debate evangelical Christian John Morehead on the resurrection of Christ. This event will also be open to the public for a fee, but the cost of the debate is included in your convention registration.
Special convention room rates are $72.00 per night, single or double, available for Thursday through Sunday nights, April 20 - 23. You must make room reservations directly with the hotel. To receive the convention rate, request Rate Code "SAA" and call 1-800-344-4321 (1-800-HILTONS) by March 31st .
Registration for the convention will cost $85.00 prior to March 10, with Saturday lunch costing $25.00, and Friday and Saturday dinners $35.00 each.
For more information, contact:
hkocol@hotmail.com
AOF voice mail 916-920-7834
http://www.rthoughtsrfree.org
Check the Atheist Alliance for convention updates.
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ATHEIST ALLIANCE WEB SITE CHOSEN FOR YAHOO'S 100 BEST SITES LIST!
In the January 2000 issue of Yahoo! Internet Life, Atheist Alliance was chosen as one of the 100 Best Sites for 2000 under the ironically-named category of "Best Religious Networks". Our site is the only atheist-humanist site to be honored.
For those who have the print version of the January 2000 issue, we are listed on Page 163 and on the Tear-Out Index, page 37.
The AAI site was designed by Dave Feroe. Joe Zemel is webmaster.
The Web Center includes a fully indexed Freethought and Atheist Bookshelf, allowing you to browse, read reviews and purchase a wide variety of related books. If you love to read, here's the place to volunteer to write a review of some of your favorites.
It also includes an updated Atheism On The Internet page, which has grown to more than 370 links, ranging from atheist resources to humor, merchandise, and much more.
Another exciting new feature of the Web Center enables visitors to view every document and page of the site in their choice of Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese.
Visit us at http://www.AtheistAlliance.org
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ABOUT ATHEIST OUTREACH
The primary goals of AO are to connect atheists with existing organizations nearby, or to encourage them to form new Atheist Alliance member societies where there currently are none.
Our AO Officers/volunteers are:
Joe Zemel, President/webmaster
Sandra Feroe, Vice President/Newsletter-editor/writer
Jim Cox, Secretary-Treasurer
Dave Feroe, Atheist Alliance/Atheist Outreach web designer
With a very small staff of volunteers, we endeavor to personally answer every question or comment we receive. Our hope is that those who contact us will no longer feel, in the words of a recent email, that "coming out as an atheist is rather lonely."
if you'd like to help start an atheist group in your area, please contact info@atheistalliance.org. There are no dues for any organization to join Atheist Alliance, and we can assist with various aspects of organizing, such as bylaws, and with tips on finding potential members through the net.
Financial support is vital, and there are various ways to support non-prophet organizations. AAI and its member societies are run by volunteers, but there are expenses involved in helping new groups get started, undertaking atheist projects, handling correspondence through postal and electronic mail, and hosting a web site. One way to help provide financial support is by shopping online with over 70 of your favorite name-brand vendors at http://www.AtheistAlliance.GreaterGood.com. At least 5% of your purchases through the web site will automatically go to Atheist Alliance. In addition, if you register at the site, we will receive $3.00.
Another way to help is through donations. If you can help, please send to:
Atheist Outreach
c/o Jim Cox
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575
Your support is greatly appreciated.
We also encourage you to subscribe to Secular Nation, the quarterly magazine of Atheist Alliance. Rates are $20.00 per year, $38.00 for two years and $53.00 for three years. See http://www.AtheistAlliance.org/secular/ for subscription information.
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ABOUT THE ATHEIST OUTREACH NEWSLETTER:
Unless otherwise noted, all contents of the Atheist Outreach newsletter are written by Sandra Feroe.
Dave Feroe is Atheist Alliance/Atheist Outreach web designer.
Atheist Outreach Newsletter is an online publication of Atheist Outreach, a member organization of Atheist Alliance, Inc. We are volunteers whose goals are to promote issues concerning separation of state and church, provide a means for atheists around the world to communicate with each other, and support the aims and purposes of the Atheist Alliance and its member societies.
Membership in Atheist Outreach is free. Simply send your name and email address to AtheistOutreach@atheistalliance.org. Should you prefer not to receive future issues, send an "unsubscribe" message to the above address.
All newsletter subscribers have permission to utilize the articles on thematically-appropriate internet discussion groups, websites and organizational newsletters. Please give credit to Atheist Outreach when doing so. We would appreciate your citing the Atheist Outreach Web page (http://www.atheistalliance.org/outreach/)
Submissions from any reader reflecting an atheist point of view are invited. Submissions by young atheists through high school are solicited for a Teen Atheists column. All other atheists college-age and up are encouraged to submit their thoughts as well. Send to slferoe@aol.com.
Visit Atheist Outreach at http://www.atheistalliance.org
"A free mind in a free society can still make mistakes, but those errors will never be canonized."
Jim Cox, AAI Vice President/AO Secy/Treasurer
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