American Atheist Magazine April 2010

Ethics & Atheism
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ANOTHER STUDY CONFIRMS: ATHEISTS JUST AS ETHICAL AS CHURCHGOERS

he old canard that people who do not believe in a Supreme Being are untrustworthy, without morals, and unethical has received yet another rebuke. According to a new study published in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Atheists are just as ethical as churchgoers, and religion is only one way through which people can manifest a moral code. Dr. Marc Hauser of Harvard University reported that his research team was investigating the foundations of moral behavior and religion. The research suggests that intuitive judgments of right and wrong seem to operate independently of explicit religious commitments, said Hauser. Dr. Ed Buckner, President of American Atheists, said that the study should help dispel one of the many great lies about non-religious Americans. Nearly 13% of the U.S. population, according to surveys, have no religion; that's about 40 million people, said Buckner. Surveys indicate, however, that a near-majority of people would not support an otherwise qualified Atheist candidate for public office and falsely believe that there are no Atheists in foxholes.
Both perceptions are incorrect. At least a few TV preachers and other demagogues almost certainly and knowingly encourage these misunderstandings, intentionally lying to shore up their own power and prestige. Atheists are already serving in government, the armed forces, and the professions (even in the clergy); most just don't openly advertise the fact that they have no religious beliefs, added Buckner. Dave Silverman, Vice President and Communications Director for American Atheists added that the study discussed whether religion was an evolutionary adaptation which contributed to group solidarity and social cohesion. It's a fascinating question that may never be resolved, said Silverman. The point remains, though, that you can indeed, be good without a god. In fact, you can be excellent! The ethical actions of millions of Atheists, Freethinkers, Secular Humanists and other non-religious people are proof of that.
The study is available at http://www.cell.com/trends/cognitive-sciences
April 2010
Vol 48, No.3
American Atheist
ISSN 0516-9623 (Print) ISSN 1935-8369 (Online) AMERICAN ATHEIST PRESS Managing Editor Frank R. Zindler editor@atheists.org AMERICAN ATHEIST A Journal of Atheist News and Thought Editor, Cover Art, & Magazine Design David Smalley editor@americanatheist.org Staff Writers & Journalists Kate Sirls Edwin Kagin Blair Scott James MacIver Keith Lowell Jensen Jim Haught Samuel Johnson Conrad Goeringer Staff Cartoonist April Pedersen Staff Photographer Kiny McCarrick www.kinymccarrick.com Published monthly by American Atheists, Inc. Mailing Address: P.O. Box 158 Cranford, NJ 07016 908.276.7300 P 908.276.7402 F www.atheists.org
Helen Kagin
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also in this edition...
6 7 8 9 10 12 13 Alleged Atheist Hoax Reincarnates One of Our OwnThe Anti-Christ? Plowing Naked For Jesus Atheists Dont Know What True Love Is Peace, Love, & Discrimination Atheist Joy: The Best Kept Secret Blessed Be... Separation of Armageddon & State Amalgamation Coexist Review of Dawkins Latest Book The Earth is Flat! Why I Am Humanist Bible Crossed America: Verses Revisted
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elen Kagin, my wife, my best friend, and co-founder of Camp Quest, was pronounced dead at 6:55 PM Wednesday, February 17, 2010, at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. Helen underwent surgery for lung cancer on January 7, 2010 and never left the Intensive Care Unit. In conformity with her Living Will, and the opinions expressed to us by six physicians who strongly concurred, her daughter, Caroline Good and I agreed that dialysis not be started when she went into renal failure. Helen had been on oxygen for some time, her lungs leaked air, she had developed fungal pneumonia, and systemic sepsis, her body had stopped making red blood cells, and she had suffered multiple systems failures that were incompatible with life. She had been unconscious for days. I know for a certainty that if she had decision making capacity, Helen would not have wanted to live on a ventilator and dialysis. Surrounded by family members, the ventilator was withdrawn and the life force that had been Helen departed within minutes. And she was dead. Helen was born Helen McGregor Smith in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada on January 31, 1934. She attended medical school at the University of Saskatchewan and came to Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio as an Intern. She did her residence there, was employed as an anesthesiologist there, worked there until she retired, and she died there. She was 76 years old. We celebrated her 76th Birthday in the ICU, but we do not know if she was aware of the signs, the cards, and the well wishers. Helen was an accomplished athlete. She was a figure skater, an ice dancer, a hockey player, a softball player, a swimmer, a fencer, and a superb human being. She loved the Winter Olympics, and it is fitting indeed that she died during the Winter Olympics now being held in Canada.
More important to her than all of her years as a physician were the years she spent in helping to create Camp Quest, which she saw as the most important thing she had ever done. She died on Ash Wednesday, and the anniversary of the death of Freethought hero Giordano Bruno in 1600. Helen never did Ash Wednesday, and her death was far more gentle than that of Bruno. Helens body is now an empty shell, and it will be treated as such. The body was picked up by a funeral home and immediately cremated. The ashes were given to her daughter Caroline, who has proved her very substantial character during these past few weeks. By the time you read this, a celebration of Helens remarkable life will have taken place. And what a life it was! I am honored to have shared it with her for twenty-five years. She will be missed beyond my ability to say. She was the finest human being I have ever known. If you would honor her accomplishments and memory, do not send flowers; do not send money to some charity. Help send a kid to Camp Quest. Edwin Kagin
American Atheist - April 2010
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ree-thinking children of the world have lost a dear friend. I have lost a dear friend. American Atheists have lost a dear friend. All who value liberty have lost a dear friend. After weeks of suffering in a hospital intensive care unit, Dr. Helen Kagin is no more. Well known as co-founder of Camp Quest, the summer respite for children of the Freethought community, Helen was a well-known figure at conventions of American Atheists and other Freethought organizations. To her husband Edwin, American Atheists National Legal Director, she was Helen, the one who must be obeyed. All joking aside, Helen was the perfect foil for her one-of-a-kindhusband. All joking not aside, humor and merriment were defining components of her personality. No one who attended the Atlanta convention will ever forget the zany performance of a seventy-five-year-old woman in the blasphemous Dance of the Vestal Vegans, a sharp-edged spoof of the condition of women in Islamic societies. Almost no one knew that the body-stockinged female leprechaun before them was in fact a retired medical doctor. As the piper playing the tune to which she danced, of course I knew and I could only marvel at her exuberance and energy. The deep sadness I felt after receiving Edwins poignant announcement of Helens death was rapidly replaced by anger. Edwin mentionedthe burning of Bruno. On and off through the night after hearing the awful news, I too thought aboutthe Catholic Churchs long war against science. I reflected on the fact that for centuries it prohibited the dissection of human bodies and effectivelyblocked the progress of scientific medicine. It opposed vaccinationsthat thwarted the just wrath of a deity. It opposed the lightning rod for the same reason.
Madalyn Murray OHair never tired to claim that had it not beenfor the Catholic Churchs suppression of all the sciences, Columbus would have landed on the moon, notsome Caribbean island. It is true. Moreover, a cure for cancer wouldhave been known before 1900 and a way to prevent it would have beendeveloped quickly thereafter. Had it not been for Christianity, Helen surely would not have developed lung cancer at this late date in the history of medicine. In the same train of reveries my mind also fastened upon George Dubbyah Bush and his eight-year war against science. Just a week earlier I had analyzed a medical patent describing the use of amniotic stem cells to replace damaged lung tissue. As I read the patent my mind wandered to Helen whose lung tissues had been badly damaged long before she developed the lung cancer. I reflected upon the fact that it usually takes about five years for the medical patents that cross my desk to make it into medical practice. Now that Helen has succumbed to lung diseases that could have been cured by the techniques disclosed in that patent, I can only imagine what would be the case today if George Bush had not blocked stem cell research for eight years. If he had not been under the control of churches that believe in the existence of single-celled people, this patent might have been published in 2002! Helen could have been saved. The death of Helen Kagin leaves me as angry as I am sorrowful. I am bitter. I mourn the murder of a dear friend. Just as surely as Giordano Bruno was murdered by religion, so too was Helen. Frank Zindler
elen, a Canadian of Scottish descent, was proud and happy to live in the USA but prouder still of her Canadian roots. She was retired from medicine (anesthesiology); she co-founded (with Edwin) Camp Quest, now spread over much of the USA and in other countries as a camp for the children of freethinkers. Helen died 410 years to the day after another freethought hero, Giordano Bruno, burned at the stake for his courageous opposition to dogma. (Helen and her husband, Edwin Kagin, National Legal Director of American Atheists and an Atheist hero as well, named their dog Bruno in Giordanos honor.) Edwin and Helen are Life Members of American Atheists and former honorees as Atheists of the Year (2005). Helen Kagins courage and intelligence, her easygoing, almost invariably upbeat nature, and her patient support for Edwin will be sorely missed throughout the Atheist and freethought community. The standard, running joke, usually instigated by Edwin himself, was that Helen and Edwin made a wonderful coupleif it werent for Edwin. All of us went along with this joke, because its great fun to tweak Edwin Kagin and we all loved Helen dearly. But we all knewHelen especially knew and told everyonethat in fact Edwin was the core reason for Helens happiness, that they both depended heavily on each other, and that, maybe more important than
anything else, Edwin made Helen laugh. Many of us will hear her laughter over and over as we remember her, which most of us will for as long as we live. Back in Their Burkas Again, one of Edwin Kagins most famous poems, was based on an idea by Helen Kagin and composed by Edwin in collaboration with her. She delighted in participating in performing a dance set to the poem/song that has now been seen on YouTube many thousands of times. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmVxswvuJZI . Edwin, like all fine poets, knows the right line of poetry for any emotional moment. He quoted from Lament, by Edna St. Vincent Millay:Life must go on; I forget just why. Helen will be painfully missed. When you see or e-mail Edwin (edwin@edwinkagin.com), please remind him that we need him and that Helen would want him to keep fighting to help us win the American Religious Civil War. There will be no droning, mournful funeral. A celebration of Helen McGregor Kagins life, complete perhaps with a performance of Back in Their Burkas Again and other reasons to laughand with many tears as wellis in order. Ed Buckner
April 2010 - American Atheist
ALLEGED ATHEIST HOAX REINCARNATES
TOM MORTON | Star-Tribune Staff Writer | http://trib.com/news
mericas most notorious Atheist has gained a semblance of immortality if not eternal life with the local reincarnation of a media hoax attributed to her more than 14 years after her murder. Once again, people are being asked to sign a petition objecting to a requestfalsely attributed to Madalyn Murray OHair in 1975before the Federal Communication Commission to ban religious programming. OHair and the FCC denied any such plan existed. Even so, a counter-petition campaign inundated the FCC with more mail about this than anything in the agencys history. In 1995, OHair went missing, with rumors ranging from her absconding with her organizations money to foul play. In 2001, the man who murdered and dismembered OHair, her younger son and her granddaughter led authorities to their shallow grave on a Texas ranch. Despite their deaths, the urban legend lives on. Last fall, an e-mail was sent to some Casper-area residents stating in part: Their petition, Number 2493, would ultimately pave the way to stop the reading of the gospel of our Lord and Savior, on the airwaves of America. They got 287,000 signatures to back their stand! If this attempt is successful, all Sunday worship services being broadcast on the radio or by television will be stopped. This group is also campaigning to remove all Christmas programs and Christmas carols from public schools! You as a Christian can help! Recipients were urged to sign the petition and send it to an e-mail address when 1,000 signatures were gathered. The e-mail petition sent to the Casper residents already had more than 850 signatures. The Rev. William Pierce, pastor of Imitate the Image Ministries church, received the e-mail petition, signed it, and forwarded it to more than 60 people. One of those people was Risa Petrie at the Central Wyoming Rescue Mission. Petrie had been a victim of this hoax in the past by signing the petition, and she double-checked it at truthorfiction.com, she said. That Web-site states: No such petition has ever been presented to the FCC by Madalyn Murray OHair or her organization of American Atheists. But the hoax gained credibility in part because of OHairs participating in the Murray v. Curlett lawsuit that resulted in the 1963 U.S. Supreme Court decision that ruled compulsory, state-sponsored religious activities violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. She also founded the Austin, Texas-based American Atheists and made frequent media appearances denouncing all things religious. Petrie sent her findings about the hoax to Pierce and
Madalyn Murray OHair, Founder of American Atheists, Inc.
those on her e-mail list. On Thursday, Pierce acknowledged hed been duped. But the spiritual issue underlying the hoax remains, he said. Not to sound like Im preaching, but the devil is trying to stop the word of God. The incident taught him for the need for vigilance when someone asks him to support a cause, Pierce said. Any claims along those lines, we need to do more investigation before getting any deeper. University of Wyoming Religious Studies professor Paul Flesher views the urban legend as a political issue, he said. The government never has and never will remove religious programming from the air, Flesher said. Instead, the advent of new media has multiplied religious programming a hundredfold in recent years, he said. Yet the hoax wont die. The New York Times a few years ago reported defamatory rumors persist because those maligned by them must repeat the false allegations even when they deny them. Over time, the allegation remains and the denial fades. The urban legend persists for another reason, Flesher said. This is politics. Its a cynical manipulation of honest believers.
fter interviewing me on his radio show, Live from Criswell, on KCBI 90.9 FM Dallas/Ft.Worth, Dr. Barry Creamer received the following listener response on his Website. With the permission of Dr. Creamer, Ive copied the text and pasted it here (unedited) to issue my own response. David Hardt writes: Hi Dr. Creamer, Approximately how much air time do you think Jesus would allow Mr. Smalley to have in order to spread his message against his Father? It wasnt your interview with Mr. Smalley that completely saddended me. It was your comments that Mr. Smalley was actually a very nice guy and you enjoyed your time with him. The face of God is against Mr. Smalley and the spirit of the anti-christ is in him. As a teacher of the Truth, you are held to a higher standard by Godas you know. Satan is the master of deception. Under the cover of tolerance, Satan made his way into the studios of Criswell College and got a huge platform at the hands of KCBI. Mr. Smalley is a fool. He can bow down now, or he can bow down laterbut he will bow down. One more thing, I cannot believe that so-called believing churches in our area are inviting this anti-christ to sit down amongst them and have a conversation concering his anti-christ message. Makes you thinkwho exactly is the fool here Rebuke Mr. Smalley in the name of Jesus and allow God to turn him towards repentance and complete trust in the atoning sacrifice of His sonor not. God is sovereign. Step out of the way before Satan pulls everybody in with nice Mr. Smalley. MY RESPONSE Mr. Hardt, Let me start by saying that I understand your concern, and realize that scripturally, you have valid points. After all, it is Matthew 12:30 that says, He who is not with me is against me and Mark 9:40 that says, for whoever is not against us is for us. I do not take your animosity personally, as I understand it is your religious convictions and faith that lead you to believe the way you do. I will not hold that against you, as I understand how powerful that can be. What I stand for, is more of a civil rights issue than a religious one. You should know; if the U.S. President announced today that Christianity was no longer allowed to be practiced in this country, Id be on the picket lines with you, fighting for your constitutional rights, and freedom of religion. I do not wish to see a complete banishment of Christianity. I do, however, want to stand for the freedom of all citizens in this country, and prevent the discrimination of all people, regardless of their religious views. This was intended to be a free country, not a Christian nation.
From the Editor

David Smalley | editor@americanatheist.org
My children should not have to go to a public school and be ridiculed for not believing. Families should not be separated with members ostracized due to religious convictions. Qualified applicants should not be turned down for government jobs due to a lack of belief. A person should not be considered unethical until they identify with a religion. But why do we debate? The whole point here is, the Atheist says to all religions, Before you will control my government, my family, or my career, you need to supply more proof than just faith. I must also point out that the A in Atheist does not represent Anti or Against, but rather without. The theist holds a belief in a deity, while the a-theist is without that belief. Its really that simple. Saying that an Atheist is the opposite (or anti) any particular religion is like saying a doctor is the opposite of a disease. He studies it, and fights it from time to time, but also respects its power, while questioning its intent. We stand aside from all belief systems, (including Satanic ones) saying each is without sufficient proof. As Dr. David Eller confirms in his book Atheism Advanced, the Atheist is more of one that discredits religions than opposes them directly (2007). Mr. Hardt, people can be nice without religions. Adults can debate without hate. Opening the educational views on the airwaves of 90.9 KCBI allows Christian listeners to better deal with Atheists they encounter, and vice-versa for Atheists encountering Christians. More than anything, it was important for listeners to hear an educated conversation between two men that disagreed without anger. If we had more of that, I honestly think the world would be a better place. Im not sure what you did last night, but I took my children out to eat at Logans Roadhouse, where we threw peanut shells on the floor, and ate desert out of tiny peanut buckets. I tucked my 5-year-old daughter into bed at 9, and realized that I forgot a permission slip for my son to play basketball at school, resulting in an email to his teacher begging for forgiveness. I managed to have 2 solid hours of phone conversations with Christian preachers that are very good friends of mine, one of which I am debating in March. Once the kids were asleep, I continued my research into various PhD programs, one of which I plan to enter very soon. My life isnt much different from yours, aside from what we consider to be proof of a religion. I just dont trust that what those men wrote as scriptures was inspired by something powerful, other than their own hopes and beliefs. I assure you, I dont have time to be the Anti-Christand I cant imagine it paying very well at all. REFERENCE Eller, D. (2007) Atheism Advanced., American Atheist Press
ccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor for July 21, 2009, south Texas was in a condition of D4 or exceptional drought, and much of the neighboring region was abnormally dry or in moderate drought. The fact that this area is also deep in the Bible Belt raises both a conundrum and a solution. The
India is not much help on this count, but lets assume for the moment that we can extrapolate from the farm. After all, what is good for rural Texas is good for urban Texas, I reckon. So, lets have all the coeds and working women and housewives go about their daily lives naked for as long as it takes, vowing to continue until it rains very heavily.
Plowing Naked For Jesus

Dr. David Eller
conundrum is why their god would deprive them of the essential rain for their fields and reservoirs. If he is good and knowing and powerful, youd think this would not happen. Fortunately, there is a solution, if we take the advice of the farmers in eastern India, good god(s)-fearing people who are also in desperate need of rain and know what to do about it. The local theists in Bihar, India have figured out how to induce the weather gods to give them precipitation. The gods must be embarrassed into releasing their watery bounty on humanity, since presumably these sleepy gods either do not realize that they are withholding rain or that this stinginess causes difficulties for us people below. But the gods are at least apparently watchful, so they will not miss a good shaming when it is aimed at them. And how do you embarrass the weather gods of eastern India, you ask? Simple: you put your daughters to work plowing the fields, naked: Witnesses said the naked girls of Bihar state plowed the fields and chanted ancient hymns after sunset to invoke the gods... [Villagers] believe their acts would get the weather gods badly embarrassed, who in turn would ensure bumper crops by sending rains... This is the most trusted social custom in the area and the villagers have vowed to continue this practice until it rains very heavily (Reuters 2009). So there, we have a workable solution for the parched Texans and other true believers. They too have a god with the power to control the weather (again, why he is not already shedding his grace on them is a mystery, but then that is how this god allegedly worksmysteriously). The Texan god is also supposedly observing humans carefully, even peeking in their bedroom windows, and generally prefers clothed bodies over nude ones. Then put the belles of the South to work in the fields sans garments; that should humiliate the selfish old man in the sky into sharing the pool of water we know he hoards in the heavens. I dont know if these young girls have ever pulled a plow before, but for rain, god, and country surely they will take up the harness. Fine for the farmers, you say. They have fields to plow. What do the city folk have to offer in this divine enterprise? And no quitting when the first raindrops fall: we know that if you stop your course of treatment too soon, the god can backslide to his lazy and inattentive condition. So, ladies of the Lone Star State, off with your clothes until you get a real soaker down there, one that ends the drought once and for all. Besides, since this god is obviously not paying too close attention, and is probably not easily embarrassed, it is going to take a sustained effort to get the water flowing. Then again, given what happened the last time their god showed off his hydraulic prowess and unleashed a mighty flood on his followers, maybe they dont want to attract his attention too much.
REFERENCE Reuters. 2009. Naked Girls Plow Fields for Rain. Http:// www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE56M3G020090723, accessed January 9, 2010.
Atheists Dont Know What Love Is

theists are evil. There, I said it. I have been one of beliefs and speak up against the self-proclaimed authoriever I since was born, but I cant hide it anyties of morality. more. I have to come clean as this is the only This was our greatest sinto think for ourselves and to way I can seek redemption. The urge to speak reject the illogical, to refuse the existence of an omniscient out is overwhelming and no force in the world can stop me yet eccentric entity that seems to be the cause of all that from speaking the truth today. is supernatural. We chose to dislike religion, its practitioThe other day I read an article which talked about Atheners and all the different ways that it was screwing up the ists, and how we vehemently hate the religious, and world. We have always differed from the religious. The how wrong it was, and it struck me in a moment of religious have always been known to feel unconAtheistic brilliance thatthis was it. The cause ditional love even towards those who disagreed of all the existentialist angst I felt was that I with them, with absolutely no regard for race, I have been did not know how to love people who didnt gender, sexuality or religion. It has been a agree with me. As an Atheist, I guess I have special kind of love that only the religious destroying felt a little too passionately about freeing can feel, one that gave them the freedom to the love in the myself from the madness I have thought has wage wars and live a life without the freeworld with my inflicted everyone else. As a result I have dom of thought and expression. We could been destroying the love in the world with never show the same kind of love. We just hatred for all my hatred for all that is imaginary. werent capable of it. We also couldnt bring that is It is ironic that I hate imaginary things. ourselves to fear any of the fictional gods It does seem to explain why I probably hate around. They just didnt seem real enough imaginary love too. Love, after all, is a social construct, and this is why we are evil. perpetrated by the media, or so I believe. So Heretics we are, because we think for ourhere you have me, unable to love because I may selves instead of blindly believing in holy men not believe in it. I know and accept philos, born out and ancient texts. We attempt to be logical, but I of kinship, and eros, born out of lust, because they can have been told that religion and love know no logic, and be explained in evolutionary terms, but I refuse to believe by being logical we are only destroying the very fabric of in agape, the true love that transcends the soul and spirit traditional society. And having incurred the wrath of all the (which I also dont believe in) and is unconditional. gods and evangelists, from what I understand, our punishIll be honest here. I dont actually hate all imaginary ment is to live an eternity of pain in an after-life we do not things. I hate only those which affect me profoundly. And believe in, because an imaginary entity we do not believe in, love and religion, intertwined as they may be, were multiwishes it. The irony is overwhelming. billion dollar industries which seemed to affect every decision people made all over the world. They were too overwhelming for me to ignore, unlike all the crazy kids who believed in Santa Claus or fairies. And I joined my fellow Atheists to speak out, like everyone else out there who dares to speak out in a free country. We reasoned and debated. We got our intellectuals to write books in a desperate attempt to combat the indoctrination of many centuries. While the rest of the world lived in harmony with bigotry and superstition, we chose otherwise. We made an audacious attempt to challenge thousands of years
Priyank Chandra
ames (surname) recently went to Branson, Missouri for the same quality entertainment that so many others flocked to see: the array of music, comedians, and even acrobatic tumblers that was sure to satisfy a variety of tastes. He wasnt disappointed, either, in the overall quality of the performances. He was disappointed, however, in the religious current that seemed to weave its way through the event. The majority of the audience usually responded with the same round of applause each time a performer felt the need to relay to the spectators the importance of Jesus Christ in his or her life, or include the Christian god in a series of thank-yous and appreciation speeches. God bless the USA, they would declare from the stage, causing the applause to repeatedly return in a seemingly common tendency to link together the love for ones country to the love for ones deity. At one point, briefly setting aside his views as an Atheist, James called out in frustration, God bless the rest of the world! It was this perspectivethat the United States is somehow set apart from the rest of the world as proverbial good guys, and is therefore able to claim a monopoly on any blessing, miracle, or good fortune from a god that served as a catalyst for James conversion to Atheism while he was serving the military in Vietnam. Many of the people he knew there were Christians, and James found their attitudes towards war to be one-sided and biased. Christianity, he says, is supposed to be all about love and peace, and loving your neighbor. But when it comes to war, they think theyre doing a spiritual duty by killing others. Religion uses war to justify [killing].
Peace,
In the military, soldiers are required to wear dog tags that specify certain information about him or her (usually for identification purposes for the deceased), and one of these classifying facts is religious preference. James particular dog tag read No Preference under religion, and even though he hoped this would mean nobody would give his religious beliefs a second thought, what happened was that most people he talked to assumed he was an Atheist. This resulted in a few peculiar stares from people, but
that wasnt what exasperated James about the situationas far as he was concerned, religious belief shouldnt make that much of a difference. In the end, he pointed out, if youre shot and dead, what difference does it make? Even on the battlefield, though, it seemed as though such things were taken very seriously, and myriad soldiers (Christian and nonChristian alike) were killed and killed others. Witnessing war first-hand, James quickly came to the understanding that even those whom he was supposed to be fighting against were human beings, too, and no less deserving of life than any American. Once he returned home from the war, he had a new perspective, one that valued all human life. He disposed of all of the firearms he had previously owned, as he no longer cared to be around anything that was specifically designed to destroy others. Through it all, though, he remained perplexed at the hypocrisy he experienced while in the military: how could one believe in the sanctity of human life and the principle of love over hate, and at the same time
Love,
worldwide floods, and a man who came back from the dead originated from myth, and the bible was a book written by men. Faced with dissonance over his religions beliefs and values (concerning war and death), James began to embrace Atheism. As he put it, When you get into the fundamentals, you start to look at everything objectively, and you have to be honest with yourself. [You cant] blindly accept everything youre spoon-fed as a child. James finally came to a point when he realized that he didnt believe in the tenets and myths associated with Christianity. Like most people first coming to know themselves as Atheists, he became excited and eager to know more about freethought and life without religion. What he wasnt prepared for was the hardship he would face as a non-believer.
believe in the necessity of seeing certain strangers as full-on others, if for no other reason than to trust that its okayeven obligatory on a national and spiritual levelto kill them? This dissonance created in James the need to take a closer look at the religion he associated with. At one time, James did identify himself as a protestant, conservative Christian. Even though he didnt see himself as radical in any way, he did attend college to study theology before entering the military. After his experience in Vietnam, however, he began thinking about the fundamentals and core beliefs associated with his religion, and so he started studying it on a deeper level than he ever had before. What he came to realize was that stories consisting of talking snakes,
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James first experienced real religious discrimination when he suffered an unfortunate bout of alcoholism. As a war veteran, he turned to the Veterans Administration for help and guidance, and was ultimately referred to Alcoholics Anonymous, an organization run by the federal government. James was hopeful about this, but during his initial evaluation found that his Atheism barred him from receiving help from AA. According to the Alcoholics Anonymous Web-site, they claim they are not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy, [and] neither endorses nor opposes any causes (Alcoholics Anonymous). If this is truethat AA is not allied with a particular organization or institution, and indeed does not wish to engage in any controversythen its services should be open to anyone and everyone who needs it, including Atheists.
as [they] under[stand] him (Alcoholics Anonymous). But does that mean that those without such a belief system cannot benefit from the companionship and support that comes with such programs as AA? According to the consult that James met with, they absolutely cannot. He told James that people are helpless without a higher power in their lives and that, as such, there was nothing they could do for him. As an Atheist he was, in their opinion, a hopeless case. Bewildered, James asked, Isnt there any secular treatment? Seeing as how AA is a federal program, it was completely rational for James to expect that there would beor, at least, that there should be. The answer, though, was a firm and resounding no. Being told that there was nothing this organization could do for him made him wonder, did being an Atheist mean to these people that he was doomed to be an alcoholic forev-
thought, and that he did not believe in AA. James questioned the validity of denying someone based on spiritual beliefs, asking how someone could be considered hopeless based on the fact that they did not believe in a higher power. He pointed out that the separation of church and state forbade a federal program from denying someone on the basis of religious beliefs. Again, he was told that he could not benefit from AA if he did not believe in the foundation of the recovery program. The consult then proceeded to write that James went on a tangential tirade about the separation of church and state within the federal health care system, and that he need[ed] to be stabilized before help could be sought. Although the disappointment and frustration he felt was acute, James did not take his case to a higher authority, nor did he try to fight the system. But he was cynically reflective about the entire system, thinking about the fact
& Discrimination
What James discovered, however, was that this was not the case. When he met with a chemical dependency consult from AA, he was asked if he believed in a higher power. When James answered that he did not, he was promptly told that Alcoholics Anonymous could not help him. The consult maintained that AA is based on twelve steps, and following those steps is reliant upon believing in a god. It is indeed true that the steps associates with AA involve participants coming to believe that a power greater than [them]selves could restore [them] to sanity, as well as making a decision to turn [their] will and [their] lives over to the care of God erthat it wasnt possible to recover without the help of a god? This was the message that was certainly being sent, as if they believed any differently they might have, in fact, been able to offer a secular program for James (and other non-believers). The discouragement evident in his voice, James relayed his frustration at the fact that government is supposed to be there to help, regardless of religion. He still has in his possession the notes that the consult took describing the experience. It was written that James was in a hypo-manic mood, exhibiting pressured thought, rapid speech, liable mood, and grandiose
Kate SirlsStaff Writer, American Atheist
that a higher power is supposed to be everywhere. If there was one, why wouldnt this deity help him, regardless of his beliefs, thought processes, or where he chose to go for help? It seemed as though he was supposed to succumb to the belief that forcing himself to believe in a god again would assist him in overcoming alcoholism and that by not believing, he was rendering himself hopeless. James, though, has held firmly to his opinion that there is no god, and despite what he was told by the AA representative, has taken control of his own struggle and is doing much better. In bold defiance of the notion that he was helpless without a god by
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his side, James used common sense and personal choices to turn his life around and claim his own recovery. As such, his experience with the Veterans Administration and Alcoholics Anonymous planted firmer roots into his Atheism: not only were they wrong about religion being a necessity, but he had proved them wrong. Living in the South, James has since become used to issues surrounding his Atheism. It seems as though whenever he talks to someone who doesnt know his religious beliefs, or when he meets someone knew, one of the first things they ask is, What church do you attend? The question isnt even about what religion he is, but specifically what church he belongs to. People like to assume, he says, because it feels safe. They like to narrow you down, because if people can narrow you down, they think they can understand you, categorize you. If only we could all be understood on
equal grounds without delving into the realm of religion. Although James doesnt often think about the times when he was a Christian, he does think about his close friends and family members who still are. Rather than being envious or resentful, though, as some who are religious might think, he often reflects with a certain amount of sadness. They get so upset, he says, speaking of the ways in which religion can dominate a persons life. Religion is everything to them. They cant enjoy life, and it doesnt have to be that way. Despite the recent hardship James has experienced, he still maintains that we cannot hide behind religion. He sees his Atheism as a fresh start, a start that he hopes the world will someday better understand and value. James was told that he was hopeless. He was told that all of us are helpless without the assistance of a higher being. Living in the twenty-first cen-
tury, and in the modern world of medicine, most of us hope that the world has grown beyond faith in miracle healings and reliance on supernatural forces to keep us well. Stories such as James, though, remind us that our world has not fully passed this mode of thinking, nor has it moved beyond judging those who dont believe such tales. Hopefully, though, we can see James story as the ray of hope that he doesthat one day experiences such as his can open more eyes to the reality of what is happening. That future world can hopefully be one with acceptance of Atheists into all federal organizations. One where we are not judged on what church we attend, or whether we attendwhere the value of ones life is not based on religion or country of origin. And perhaps one day James will be able to fully witness the peace and love that the world of religion always promised, but never delivered.
THE BEST KEPT SECRET

Clear, clean, logical minds uncorrupted by promises of the improbable and impossible; we embrace facts. Logical consistency of our thinking makes us skeptics of snake oil salesmen (natural and supernatural). Without fear of a supernatural punisher, we go wherever the microscope and telescope lead us. Scientific advances far beyond outdated popular beliefs and prejudices result. So we have cars, microwaves, computers, hybrid foods to feed the hungry, condoms to limit their number, etc. We recognize that quality of life is more valuable than mere quantity of life. We care for others compassionately, because our logical minds tell us this improves this planetary life for us all. We support individual freedom and personal responsibility for everyone. Believers in fairy tales dont need to fear us; we respect fellow humans above ideology. We enjoy reasonable amounts of learning, sex, love, eating, etc., without guilt or fear. We offer a wisely selfish morality that uses anything from tradition to science to improve our planet. So we help our neighbors get more out of life even when the press is not looking; this helps our planet. We Atheists guarantee that anyone embracing Atheism will never suffer for a moment after death. After death Atheists get exactly the same amount of happiness as any believer; we guarantee it!
ATHEIST JOY
Stephen F. Uhl, Ph.D
12
Blessed Be
Tony Matias
The words are the same And the lyrics continue on. Save us from poverty, famine, disease And take us into your womb. Blessed be God. Adversity gives us strength; Its a test for all men. Love thy neighbor, You shalt not commit adultery. Blessed be God. Children die each day. Fathers weeping, mothers screaming. We believe in you Lord, You shalt do us no harm. Blessed be God. Mother dies of leukemia, Father dies of stomach cancer. Their wishes are not granted, Drugs keep them from pain of death. Blessed be God. Continuously we see no sign, But the lyrics continue on. You have saved us from nothing. Your words are just that. Blessed be Man who sees There is no god.
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ondoleeza Rice famously had to explain why the Bush administration ignored the Presidents Daily Brief of August 6, 2001 entitled Bin Laden to Strike in U.S. Beyond that Daily Brief lies a menace far more ominous and globally encompassing than the September 11 attacks of 2001. Bin Laden has stated in interviews that it is the religious duty of all Muslims to acquire and use weapons of any type, including those of mass destructionchemical and nuclear.1 One cannot overstate the importance and gravity of bin Ladens edict against non-Muslim infidels. Still out there lurk stalwart Al-Qaeda operatives striving to please their depraved and pious overlords by procuring devices as globally destructive as can be. We know from Bin Ladens adjuncts that they are delighted to use any weapon or means against innocent people, against any nationality or religion, and to die for their illogical, inhuman, holy cause. This brings to my mind the scripture in Quran 2:191, commanding all Muslims to slay non-Muslims wherever ye find them. Yet radical Islam is not alone in such abject delusion. The vast majority billions of people on this Earth hold a numinous belief that their current life has little if any meaning, and only the next, eternal life has any importance. So, most go to church or temple now and then as an insurance policy. One friend, explaining why she went to Catholic mass on (most) Sundays told me I want to make sure I get into heaven! This is the perennial racketeer church, attendance (and donations) being the weekly protection payments to their god. It seems a rather pitiful way to live ones life. Several verses of the New Testament predicted (falsely of course) the end of the world, claiming it would come within a generation of Jesus deathe.g. Matthew 23:35-6, Mark 13:25-31. So far, the Bible has been wrong by several millennia. Reality and the heady flow of space-time have been, to date, immune to religious superstitions of End Times. The Jehovahs Witnesses have been kind and diligent enough to compute the exact year of the Parousia. They know exactly when it will occur! Their Watchtower Societys first calculation was slightly off, computing it to be 1874. That year came and went without the glorious Rapture they so sincerely desired. They tried again, coming up with 1914, a 365day time period that remained intact until midnight Dec 31 arrived, proving them wrong again. The Jehovahs Witnesses remained undaunted, their next prediction being 1915. Neither Yahweh nor Jesus showed up that year to end the world, as far as I know. Then the JWs regrouped and re-computed: 1918 seemed right at first, but that didnt work out. Next they predicted 1920 (failure, obviously). Next 1925, then 1941, then 1975, all clearly miscalculations.2 Perhaps theyll get it right for us one of these centuries. Kudos on the effort, Witnesses! Back to serious considerations. The morning of September 11, 2001 saw nineteen Muslim men fly airplanes into build-
SEPARATION OF ARM FREETHOUGHT AT THE POLLS

Michael B. Paulk
ings selected by deluded demagogues, murdering thousands. They killed Muslims, Christians, Jews, Atheists, all sorts. The suicidal murderers did not know, nor care: dozens of virgins awaited them on the other side of the life/death curtain. Those arrogant men (yes, men; as you know, all the 9/11 terrorists sported a Y chromosome) were absolutely positive that in the next moment they would leave this life, and be transported to paradise for all eternity, replete with throngs of virgin concubines. You will find in the Quran, Hadith, and Sunan absolutely no mention of whether those women are intelligent, interesting, or even attractive: clearly, the interest of the wouldbe martyr is that all 72 would possess vaginas unadulterated. Yet the evening before their murderous rampage, several of bin Ladens underlings critically crossed Muhammads religious laws, and sinned in Allahs eyes (see Quran 5:90), drinking beer after beer in a Florida strip club, and bragging about their impending Jihadist act of religiocide.3 Did they really believe in the Quran, then? I have to think they must have: they followed up the next day with their satanic Al-Qaeda terrorist plan, and killed themselves for their god. I hope Allah appreciated the human sacrifice! I have to wonder why they thought that their omniscient god was looking the other way on September 10th as they swilled the immoral elixir called beer at a sinful American entertainment station called a topless bar. I am thoroughly convinced, as no doubt you are, that no such supernatural transportation occurred. They sincerely believed they had their god on their side, but the nineteen frustrated and brainwashed boy-terrorists simply died that morning, as did almost 3,000 victims of their religious poison. No virgins for them just a premature end to their lives. You will never turn on the news and hear a story claiming Yesterday, another Atheist suicide scientist blew himself up, killing dozens and injuring more. Any group armed with a nuclear weapon, whether Muslim Jihadist or Occidental Head of State, who believes in either martyrdom or the Parousia or a glorious Rapture clearly presents a threat a million times more dangerous than Bin Ladens 9/11 minions. The Nuclear Genie has been out of his plumbum bottle for over half a century and he pervades the globe in the form of tens of thousands of plutonium-armed salvos, some protected by dubious security. In fact many potential weapons of mass destruction require little or no radioactive substance; just a wacko religious extremist willing to abuse a dirty bomb or biological weapon. Steven Weinberg said good people will do good things, and bad people will do bad things. But for good people to do bad thingsthat takes religion. This perfectly describes the new fascist Islam, as well as the centuries of genocide perpetrated by Christians, with legal support from the Papacy. Most religious fundamentalists and deranged armageddonists believe that the sooner we all die, the better. Next stop:
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MAGEDDON
...the evening before their murderous rampage, several of bin Ladens underlings critically crossed Muhammads religious laws...
&
STATE
You will never turn on the news and hear a story claiming Yesterday, another Atheist suicide scientist blew himself up...
2010 Photos.com, a division of Getty Images. All rights reserved.
heaven hallelujah! Those who have chosen rightly believe their god will embrace his faithful sheep, and will leave all others to go straight to hell. Consider the loving, Christian wish of Pope Gregory I who said: The bliss of the elect in heaven would not be perfect unless they were able to look across the abyss and enjoy the agonies of their brethren in eternal fire4 that Pope is guilty of schadenfreude of infinite breadth! The same sadistic Gregory the Great had the library of Palatine Apollo burned, lest its secular literature distract the faithful men from the contemplation of heaven. Gregory condemned all books but the Holy Bible; then he forbade everyone but the clergy from reading the Bible.5 Pope Gregory should consider himself lucky that the Christian mythologies and superstitions are in fact not true, lest hed be in a hell of a bad place for all eternity. These facts underscore the many reasons that Church and State must remain separated like matter from antimatter. The L component in the Drake equation, essentially the number of years an advanced society can hope to last before it destroys itself, clearly is inversely proportional to the religiosity of that societythe more religious (and less freethinking), the faster a society will devolve and destroy itself.
The Next Polling Cycle Having faith has forever been presented as being something good and virtuous; but it is not a positive attribute, and nothing to be proud of. It equates to being merely gullible, superstitious, unquestioning. No matter where you live on this globe, the next time you go to the polls, remember that the best candidates for high offices are the least faithful. We desperately need freethinking leaders, not brainwashed believers. Any world leader who sincerely believes he has a god on his side is capable of bringing aboutand is not afraid of Armageddon. REFERENCES 1. Kimberly McCloud, et al. CNS Reports, WMD Terrorism and Usama Bin Laden, 7 March 2001. 2. Jason Boyett, Pocket Guide to the Apocalypse, 54. 3. Associated Press, Manager: Men spewed anti-American sentiments, 14 September 2001 4. James Paterson, Curiosities of Christian History, 378. 5. Homer W. Smith, Man and His Gods, 2289, 253.
15
Amalgamation
The Racist Doctrine Seventh-Day Adventists Dont Want You to Know
cant really blame my mother for what she did. My father was an abusive alcoholic. I had seen him hit her on numerous occasions; once hard enough to make her mouth bleed. My sister and I were punished with a belt or backhanded. Yet despite what happened during the week, we still made it to church every Sunday morning. On that particular day we were all good Christians. Life for my mother was a living hell. (It was no picnic for us kids either.) But like I said, I cant blame her. She was born in a small, backwater town in the North Dakota badlands during the Depression. Hardship was just a way of life, and a good Christian woman had to endure without complaining. The nuptial phrase for better or worse meant literally that. Divorce was viewed as a one-way ticket to hell. At the very least, it was a scandal no decent woman could abide. Over the course of our lives my mother tried desperately to find spiritual comfort in a variety of religious sources. My sister and I got dragged to more different churches than I can recall: Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist. (Since, in my mothers small-town estimation, Jews and Catholics were destined for damnation, she eschewed their doctrines.) She even indulged in the wacky writings of Edgar Casey, Scientology, and the Church of Religious Science. All this in the name of finding inner-peace and some greater meaning to lifes adversities. Then one day some new neighbors moved in next door. They were an elderly couple who had been missionaries in Africa for nearly 50 years. Their home was a veritable museum of cultural artifacts. (I was very much into the Daktari TV show back then, so of course I was instantly enchanted with their tales of life in the Congo.) In addition to being very kind and hospitable people, they were also SeventhDay Adventists. This was a faith my mother had not yet explored, so she of course became enchanted for an entirely different reason. From the time I was eleven until I was nearly fourteen I was compelled to attend Bible study in their home and Saturday service at their church. (SDAs hold Saturday as their Sabbath as part of their adherence to Old Testament law. Additionally, they subscribe to the ancient Hebrew belief that certain kinds of food are unclean, e.g. pork, shellfish and anything not having a cloven hoof.) This was a difficult teaching for my mother to swallow, figuratively speaking. Still, she did her best to comply with this oddball, superstition-riddled culinary requisite, refusing to serve her family many of the foods we had grown up loving. (This certainly did not help matters between her and my father, a man who
Carol Putnam
dearly loved his morning pork chops or bacon.) Even worse, she began bringing home SDA approved non-meat, pseudo-food products packaged and promoted by the corporate church. The term god-awful was never more apropos than in reference to these vegetable by-product manifestations of malnutrition. But gastrointestinal peculiarities and Sabbath swapping are not the reasons why I wrote this article. There is another Seventh-Day Adventist doctrine whose message is so vile, so racially and sexually perverted that the church has gone to great political and social lengths to deny that it ever existed. But it did exist. It does exist. Its called amalgamation. This is the twisted belief, invented and publicly endorsed by so-called SDA prophetess Ellen G. White, that Negroes (actually any human beings of darker skin tone) are the result of Jehovahs perfect people having sex with apes or other animals. Some background: White was born in Maine in 1827. Though slavery had been outlawed there since the late 1700s, rum manufacturers in Maine made a financial killing trading their liquid gold in African ports in exchange for Negro slaves, which were then sold for a handsome profit in the West Indies or the southern American states where slavery continued to thrive. Thus, the goodpresumably Christianmerchants of Maine could keep their hands clean and still reap some hefty rewards. Even so, pro-slavery agitators in Maine continued to press for the re-legalization of slavery. And while White herself did denounce slavery as an institution, her language regarding colored people is far from egalitarian. She wrote, God cannot take the slave to heaven, who has been kept in ignorance and degradation, knowing nothing of God, or the Bible, fearing nothing but his masters lash, and not holding so elevated a position as his masters brute beasts. But He does the best thing for him that a compassionate God can do. He lets him be as though he had not been. Ellen G. White, Spiritual Gifts, vol. 1, p. 193. So basically, she is contending that the uneducated black man (or woman) isnt even as good as a brute beast. Therefore, the compassionate god will simply let him rot in his grave in the same manner as a beast. (Note, it is no small coincidence that White frequently equated colored people with beasts. In fact, this comparison lies at the very core of her amalgamation theory.) So, what is it? White herself gave the definition: But if there was one sin above another which called for the destruction of the race by the flood, it was the base crime of amalgamation of man and beast which defaced the image
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of God, and caused confusion everywhere. -Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 3, p. 64, 1864. Every species of animal which God had created, were preserved in the ark. The confused species which God did not create, which were the result of amalgamation, were destroyed by the flood. Since the flood there has been amalgamation of man and beast, as may be seen in the endless varieties of species of animals and certain races of men.Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 3, p.75, 1864. In essence, humans had sex with animals, thus creating whole new confused species. Even in Whites day, this was known in scientific circles to be a genetic impossibility. Still, the SDA church then as now stanchly contends that Sister White spoke nothing that did not come directly from Jehovah . (Not surprisingly, these very passages were removed from later revised publications, presumably because they caused the church considerable political embarrassment.) But wait, doesnt the Bible itself speak of such creatures? The books of Deuteronomy, Numbers, Job, and Psalms all speak of unicorns. In Isaiah and Jeremiah we read about the cockatrice, a creature half-snake and half-chicken. And the satyr, the famous half-man, half-goat, which appears in Greek and Roman mythologies as well, is featured in Isaiah.
In truth, superstitions the world over are rife with many colorful examples of amalgamations. Now lets get to the ugly heart of the matter: Racism. The modern SDA can deny it all they like, but I vividly recall listening to that kindly old couple tell us how there was scientific proof that the black mans brain was considerably smaller than a white mans. Then too, the shape of his skull, nose, lips and jawsimilar to that of the gorillaclearly indicated his primate ancestry. White herself stated that the results of amalgamation are evidenced in certain races of men. Her crony and co-leader of the SDA movement, Uriah Smith, went so far as to name them specifically: African Bushmen, Hottentots and even the American Digger Indian. Perhaps Whites ignoranceand thats a mighty big perhapscan be forgiven considering the racist period in which she lived or her own medically unbalanced psyche. However, this perverted doctrine was still being preached during my childhood. And that was the year 1966! If you visit the official SDA website today, you will see they claim to abhor all forms of prejudice. How convenient. And how very politically correct for an institution that wishes to keep enjoying its tax-free status. If you ask rank-and-file SDA members about amalgamation, many of them wont know what youre talking about. That still doesnt belie the fact that this religion supported and promoted one of the most despicable and degrading concepts known to humankind. As I stated earlier, I cant blame my mother for what she did, exposing me to all this nonsense. If anything, I owe her a debt of gratitude! Her curiosity, doubt and desperate thirst for answers inspired my own quest for truth. The pain of an abusive childhood taught me the meaning of hypocrisy and gave me the audacity to ask why? The latter has proven to be my most powerful tool in tearing asunder the ultimate amalgamation of lies, superstition, bigotry and intolerance that define the parameters of all religions. Authors Note: My mother never did join the SDA church. Despite her personal trials and restrictive upbringing, she was still a woman of considerable intelligence, and Im certain she saw right through their hogwash. After divorcing my father, she found her own form of spiritual peace in painting beautiful landscapes.
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COEXIST
Do Atheists have a role to play in the Interfaith Movement?
Keith Lowell Jensen Staff Writer, American Atheist atheistcomedian.com
friend of mine, who also happens to be a minister at one of those large, freeway side mega-churches, sat across from me sipping his mint tea. He was telling me about how much he loves U2, a band who, when I was still in high school, somehow won huge support from Christians by admitting they werent Christians but were searching. Oh theyre so honest, Im sure theyll find Jesus, my old youth group pals and I once swooned when Bono appeared on the cover of Campus Crusade Magazine or some such rag. That was a couple of decades back. The Christians are still waiting for Bono to state definitively that he is one of them, but after waiting over two thousand years for Jesus to return Ive no doubt their patience will endure. But back to my minister pal. The thing that had excited him most was Bonos embracing of the interfaith movement. In the lobby of the giant arena where hed gone to see U2, were many items for sale, but the one that earned a spot on his bumper was a Coexist sticker, the letters made up of various religious symbols. The C was an Islamic Crescent, the O a wheel of Dharma, the X a star of David and the T a Christian cross. Ive seen many varieties of this since, but luckily nobody has stolen my idea yet
of Coexist written in bombs, missiles and barbed wire. I asked the minister why there was no Atheist symbol. Then I asked myself. Did I want to coexist? I find the interfaith movement distasteful in its tendency to want to water down the beliefs of the various faiths facilitating a universalist fantasy in which the various holy books do not instruct their chosen to shun if not kill the others. But here I was, sitting at a Cafe with a friend who did a lot to help the needy, who cared about the environment and who was sincerely trying to be the best person he could be. I would be happy to stand side by side with him in these efforts. So where do I as an Atheist fit in the interfaith movement? By its very title the answer would seem to be that I dont fit. I mean, its interfaith, and faith is the thing I detest most. But if theyre sincere in wanting to bring people together, to combat religious segregation, then Atheists and other non-religious people would have to be welcomed into the fold, for while we are not a religion we are victim to religious segregation and we are a growing demographic on the playing field. I can see myself working within the coexist mindset, but for it to work, for me, there would have to be some carefully adhered to guidelines:
One, no pretending that all religions worship the same god. I mean, this is an insult to them. If its all the same god he is a sycophant going about telling everyone he comes across that theyre his favorites, his chosen. I will admit that I would welcome religion going away completely and welcome them to admit that theyd love to see everyone accept that which they see as truth. Two, a strong stance in favor of separation of church and state. After all, we cant coexist if one group has unfair influence and advantage over the others. Three, a strong stance against those who advocate violence and extremism. You cant have it both ways, attending your Coexist Town Hall on Saturday and supporting a homophobic, holy war mongering, kook (like Pat Robertson for example) on Sunday. So long as these are adhered to I can happily work within a group that welcomes any and all peaceful people to come and enjoy each others company, as humans, no matter how crazy, disillusioned, irrational, stubborn, morally inconsistent, unscientific, damned, doomed or just plain goofy we may find each other. So yes, please, by all means, lets coexist.
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a book review by Ben Edward Akerley
nly a prodigiously gifted writer can capture the essence of the evolutionary argument with the uncanny ability to distill it and make the scientifically complex so easy for lay readers to grasp. Richard Dawkins has accomplished that and much more in this splendid volume, replete with plentiful, full-color pictures, the latest in his ten-book output. He abbreviated the title from a slogan on a gift T-shirt: THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH, THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN. The original working title Only a Theory? then served to head his first chapter, but as the author wryly comments, followed by a cautionary question mark to guard against creationist quote mining. His primary purpose in this undertaking confirms unhesitatingly the veracity of the fact of evolutionas incontrovertible as any in the whole field of science. And he coins the term theorumadapted from the mathematical term theorem to mean an obviously supported fact. The researcher cites some exceptional examples of evolution occurring during one human lifetimethe change in the size of elephant tusks, the enlarged head in a certain species of lizard and the remarkable feat of creating 45,000 generations of E. coli bacteria under laboratory conditions during only two decades. However, in the normal course of events, scientists resemble detectives who arrive on the scene of a crime but didnt witness the event and must reconstruct what must have happened based only on the surviving clues. He tackles head-on the creationist argument that there are gaps in the fossil recordaka missing linksdespite the abundant evidence for the seamless march of natural history so overwhelmingly present and entirely secure that any fossilsgaps includedonly provide an evidentiary bonus. Adaptation and natural selectionare the watchwords for evolution because it cannot peer into the future and anticipate needed change.However, if an Intelligent Designer (a shameless and religiously-motivated specious euphemism
for a Creator) did exist, the naturalist gives numerous examples of such poor design that those defects strongly suggest Unintelligent Designer as a much more appropriate moniker. Another favorite ploy of the ID school argues that the theory of evolution contradicts the Second Law of Thermodynamics, but that charge, says Dawkins, only reveals that the ID people comprehend the Second Law even more dimly than Darwins greatest discovery. In one of his most memorable analogies, he portrays antievolutionists as historydeniers notoriously comparable with Holocaust deniers. And because of poorly taught science, creationists can blatantly propound the fallacy that we descended from monkeys whereas the historical record clearly shows that the only link between monkeys and humans is our sharing of a common ancestor. With regard to the tired and tiresome creationist argument: Teach children that they are animals and they will behave like animals! he insists that even if such an unfounded accusation were true, it would not and could not negate or nullify the truth of the scientific record. The former Oxford professor fittingly titles his last chapter There is grandeur in this view of life. Since belief in an afterlife with guaranteed survival beyond the grave goes hand in glove with belief in creationism, he underscores the inescapable fact that our very existence is almost too surprising to bear. As we contemplate and focus on the staggering complexity, the ineffable elegance, the splendiferous forms most beautiful and wonderful and the breathtaking beauty of our planet Earth, the fantasy of another life in the hereafter would be tantamount to complete denial of the rationalist-humanist philosophy that this world is all we can ever possibly be certain about.And a nice, neat, succinct, three-word summation of that outlook which Dawkins so eloquently paints for us, comes to us from the title of American poet Edward Markhams exquisite gem: Earth is Enough. Free Press (hardback) 9/09. 470 pages. $30.00
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rom Phineas Thrumford Christian Throstleottom, a slave of Christ, to all who sojourn in Babylon until the consummation of the age: Greetings, Blessings, and Consolation! We are exceeding troubled by the ubiquitous heresy that unbiblically asserts that the earth is a sphere. We wish, therefore, to inform you of the history of this pernicious lie and to give you strength with which to resist the seductive, pseudoscientific arguments that are used to advance it. Although the round-earth heresy actually began with ancient Greek pseudoscientists such as Pythagoras, Aristotle, Eratosthenes, Pliny the Elder, and Strabo, it wasnt until Copernicus that the heresy gained any traction. Periodic application of fire to paper had kept the sacred truth about the world safe from Pagan misinformation and damnable falsehood. It is true, alas, that even some of the Church Fathers had succumbed to the execrable doctrine of the sphericity of a moving earth. However, the heresy did not really captivate the Church of God until its failure to burn Galileo for blasphemously slandering our Holy Faith. The Roman Catholic Church is forever to be condemned for its laxity and failure to guard a fundamental truth: not only does the earth not go around the sun, the earth is not a sphere! The Romish Catholic Church thus opened the floodgates to the geospheric heresy that now has completely seduced all the world except for some Lutherans such as me and a few creationists who are biblically worthy of that name. Before I pass into Glory, though, I hope I can restore the Christian Faith to its pristine geoflaticity. That is the task before me in this epistle. Although the Catholics clearly are too depraved to receive veritous geographic truth this late in history, I fervently hope that I can at least convince conservative Lutherans to return to the faith of the saint I like to think of as the first Lutheran St. Augustine. Although he never thought it necessary to say flat-out that the earth isnt a sphere, he did make it clear that there could not be Antipodes, i.e., people living opposite our feet at the other side of the world. He clearly saw the evil implications of a spherical earthan idea many pseudoscientists of his day accepted without question. In his great treatise The City of God, he wrote: But as to the fable that there are Antipodes, that is to say, men on the opposite side of the earth, where the sun rises when it sets to us, men who walk with their feet opposite ours, that is on no ground credible. And, indeed, it is not affirmed that this has been learned by historical knowledge, but by scientific conjecture, on the ground that the earth is suspended within the concavity of the sky, and that it has as much room on the one side of it as on the other: hence they say that the part which is beneath must also be inhabited. But they do not remark that, although it be supposed or scientifically demonstrated that the world is of a
round and spherical form, yet it does not follow that the other side of the earth is bare of water; nor even, though it be bare, does it immediately follow that it is peopled. (De Civitate Dei, Bk. XVI, Ch. 9: Whether We are to Believe in the Antipodes) Now of course, St. Augustine was just showing that even if one accepted the hateful doctrine of the sphericity of the earth, it would not follow that there were people living on the bottom side. He did not really see a need to prove the obvious,
The Earth Is Flat / This Much I Know / For the Bible Tells Me So!
An Epistle from Phineas Thrumford Christian Throstlebottom
viz., that the earth is flat and roundly shaped like a pancake. Some wicked historians have lately claimed that St. Augustine actually accepted the sphericity of the earth; he just didnt believe the other side was inhabited. But this is impossible for one important reason: St. Augustine believed the Bible was true! Anyone who believes the Bible is true knows that the earth has to be flat. Everywhere, the Bible trumpets the fundamental truth of geography: the earth is flat. The dry land is circular and is surrounded by ocean (well, duh!), and at the four corners of the circle there are pillars that support the firmament, the solid support on which the sun, moon, and stars are mounted and above which are the blue-colored waters above the firmament (Genesis 1: 68).
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It is well to begin my proof of the flaticity of the earth by reminding my readers of the scriptural foundation of all of astronomy, Genesis 1:68: 6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters. 7 And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. It must be noted that the existence of the solid firmament absolutely rules out the possibility that the earth is a sphere hanging in nothing the so-called outer space touted by the back-sliding, would-be creationists at NASA. If the earth were a ball, there would be nothing for the firmament to rest upon. Unless, of course, the firmament rested only on a part of the earth. But of course, that would be completely unbiblical. We know that the entire earth is beneath the sky. The Devil, of course, knew that someday I would make this argument and so he seduced modern Bible translators to deliberately mistranslate the Hebrew word raqia (firmament) as The truths expanse or space, or something else that would hide the fact that the of the Bible firmament is firm! One of the most especially pernicious things about the pervasive apostasy that has resulted from the flaticity the triumph of the geosphericity herof the earth esy has been the way it has let liberal so-called Bible scholars to ignore can all be the true meanings of many Hebrew verified... and Greek words in Holy Scripture. Now I have just mentioned the deliberate mistranslation of the Hebrew word raqia as expanse or something insubstantial. But God will not be mocked! The word raqia was always translated in ancient times into words (in Greek, Latin, and other languages) that meant something firm, something solid. I have looked it up, and I can tell you that the Hebrew root of the word is also the base for a smithing term that means to hammer out into thin sheets, as for example copper or gold foil. In Exodus 39:3 we are told that The gold [of the ephod] was beaten (raqa) into thin plates, cut and twisted into braid Although no further proof is really needed, nevertheless it may be well to clinch the argument that the firmament is firm. In Job 37:18 God asks Job, Can you beat out (raqa) the vault of the skies, as he does, hard as a mirror of cast metal? Is this not as clear as the nose upon ones face? God hammered out the sky as a firmamenta thin, hard sheet of material, not a void! If the firmament werent hard, how would the
sun, moon, and stars stay up there? From what would they be suspended? The absurdity of the geospheric heresy is obvious when we recall the Genesis verses quoted (from memory) above: And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. Now think about this. Being a second day, it obviously was a single daytwenty-four hours long. The fact that it was a single day absolutely rules out the possibility of the world being a sphere. It was a single day all over the earth. If the earth were a ball, there would be two days playing out at the same time. You see, what to people on the one side of the earth would appear as evening (the ending of a day) would appear to people on the other side as morningthe beginning of a day! For people on one part of the earth it could be March 31st, and for others it could be April Fools Day! Now one might argue that daylight was made to go all around a spherical earth and periodically it was replaced by darkness. But Genesis 1:35 tells us: 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light, Day, and the darkness he called Night: and the evening and the morning were the first day. You see, God separated darkness out of the lightperhaps as we might strain out black-eyed peas from tapioca pudding. Light and darkness are clearly kept in separate places and pass over the earth in eternal succession as the sun rises, sets, disappears, and then rises again. Thats what day and night are all about. Its not like God is painting a ball white, then painting it black, then painting it white again! The Bible is the greatest science textbook there ever was. The truths of the Bible especially the flaticity of the earth can all be verified experimentally, as I shall demonstrate scientifically. EXPERIMENT #1 INTRODUCTION We have already proven that if the earth were a ball there would be two days going on at the same time, and that that is flatly incompatible with the Genesis account of creation. But there is a further problem with the earth being a ball: not only would there be a front and a back to the ball, there would be a top and a bottom! For someone at the top or the bottom of the world, full-fledged day and completely dark night would cease to exist. This can be proven experimentally as follows: MATERIALS NEEDED 1 basketball | 1 large flashlight |1 dark closet
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PROCEDURE Go into a dark closet with the basketball and the flashlight. Close the door tightly so that no light from outside can get in. Then turn on the flashlight. Shine it on the center of the basketball. Notice the effect on the side of the ball on which the light is shining. Then notice the appearance of the side of the ball on which the light is not shining. Cant see anything at all? Good! Now, hold the basketball up in front of your face, say, at a distance of about six inches. Then, with your arm holding the flashlight and fully extended, shine the light backwards toward you onto the center of the back side of the ball. Then, try to sight over the top of the ball. Repeat this observation under the bottom of the ball. RESULTS When you shine the light onto the ball, the side hit by the light is bright as daylight. The other side is dark. When you sighted over the top and bottom of the ball, however, it was neither day nor night; it was a sort of twilight. It was evening and dawn at the same time as though such a thing could be possible! CONCLUSION The earth cannot be a sphere because if it were there would be a top and a bottom part where there would be neither day nor night. It would be in contradiction to the divine scientific fact that all the world is subject to alternating day and night, and that there is only one day at a time on the earth. EXPERIMENT #2 INTRODUCTION It is a Biblical fact that the Devil took Jesus up to the top of a tall mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the earth [Matthew 4:8]: Again the Devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. Now for Jesus to be able to see all the kingdoms of the earth from the top of a high mountain in Israel the earth has to be flat, and Jerusalem has to be at the center of it. If the earth were ball-shaped, Jesus could not see kingdoms (if there were any!) on the other side of the ball from the mountain. Now, you dont have to simply take my word for this. This is scientifically and experimentally provable. You can do the following simple, scientific experiment to see this. MATERIALS NEEDED 1 basketball | 1 hatpin | 1 non-metric, Christian ruler 1 so-called magic marker (There arent really such things as magic markers; what looks like magic is actually a trick of the Devil.)
PROCEDURE Halfway down from the top of the basketball, stick the hatpin into the ball until exactly one inch of the pin remains outside the ball. Pretend that the ball is a spherical earth and the head of the hatpin is the top of the highest mountain on the earth. Then, carefully bring the ball closer and closer to your face until the head of the hatpin is about 1/16th of an inch from the pupil of your right eye. With the magic marker make dots on the ball as far out on it as you can see under these conditions. RESULTS Are there any dots on the backside of the basketball? Were you able to see anything on the other side? Why or why not? Do you think Jesus could have? (That is, with his human eyes; of course we know he can see everything in the world without using any eyes at all!) CONCLUSION The earth has to be flat, because Jesus could not have seen kingdoms on the other side of the ball if the earth were a sphere. Q.E.D. This second experiment is truly a soul-saving demonstration, as it illuminates the profound truth of the Gospel according to St. Matthew [24:2931]: 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days, shall the Sun be darkened, and the Moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the Tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his Elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. First of all, notice that heaven (the firmament) has ends to it. If the firmament were a sphere surrounding the earth you couldnt find any ends to it. But if, as is the case, the firmament is like a great inverted bowl covering over the land, you could eventually find the ends of it if you traveled far enough over the earths flat surface. Some day who knows? we may actually be able to do that. Job 26:10 tells us that [God] has fixed the horizon on the surface of the waters at the farthest limit of light and darkness. It does not seem likely, however, that we could travel in rockets to do this, because when we reached the horizon at great speed we wouldnt be able to stop and would crash into it and kill ourselves.
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The logic of this epistle, of course, is straightforward. We know from the Holy Bible that all the tribes of the earth be they in New Jersey or Cameroonwill see Jesus when he comes again. We know also that human beingstribal or civilizedif they are on one side of a ball cannot see what is on the other side of the ball without a mirror. If the earth were a sphere and Jesus came down on a cloud on just one side of it, only people on the same side of the ball would be able to see
him. The flaticity of the earth follows as a necessary conclusion. Q.E.D. About the Author Phineas Thrumford Christian Throstlebottom is an alter ego (perhaps altar ego?) of Frank R. Zindler, the managing editor of American Atheist Press.
ell, I was asked to speak five minutes on Why I Am a Humanist. But I really cant explain why, because nobody quite knows where beliefs come from. People never fully understand what made them liberals or conservativesor conformists or nonconformistsor military hawks or dovesor believers or doubters. Mindsets are rooted in unfathomable subconscious crevices. Studies find that women tend to be more churchy than men, so perhaps biology is a factor. (Or maybe women are trying to keep men from tomcatting around.) All I know is my own life. I was born in 1932 in a little West Virginia farm town that had no electricity or paved streets. I grew up with gaslights. We were rural folks who said boosh and poosh and weesh and feesh. Our neighbors gave their daughter a fancy French name, WYE-vonne. We didnt know our language was quaint. Despite our isolation and quaintness, country people are as smart as city dwellers. My dad was a postmaster. Mom was a teacher and conservatorytrained violinist who published childrens stories. A great-uncle somehow got to Harvard and became dean of West Virginia Wesleyan College. My immediate family never attended church. It was alien to usalthough an uncle-in-law was a Methodist preacher. Holy-rollers were laughable. After I came to Charleston and lucked into a newspaper job, just by accident, I thought supernatural religion was absurd. (Bizarrely, I was assigned to write a church column in the 1950s.)
WHY I AM A HUMANIST
Some of us cub reporters attended a Great Books course in the old library on Hale Streetand it blew my young brain to discover, for the first time, that thinkers through the centuries had tried to fathom why the universe exists, and whether theres any cosmic purpose. I had been unaware of philosophy. It was an exciting, mind-opening time for me. Our city editora brilliant clone of H.L. Menckenwas my mentor. He laughed at hillbilly preachers and pompous pastors. I told him: OK, youre right that gods and devils and heavens and hells are just fairy tales but whats the real truth? Why are we here? Why is the world here? Why do we live and die? What answer can an honest, sincere, thinking person give? He eyed me and replied: You can say: I dont know. Bingo. That rang a bell in my psyche. Admitting that you dont know is truthful. Honesty is the key. Its dishonest for believers to claim supernatural knowledge, with no evidence whatever. But its mentally honest to confess that you cannot answer. Being truthful is moral and honorable. Back in those days, the 1950s, the Charleston Unitarian congregation was filled with chemists, professors, and other highly educated, science-minded people who shared my skeptical, agnostic, secular humanist worldview. So I was drawn to the group like a magnet. Through many decades of reading and learning, I solidified my freethinker mentality. For example, I saw that simple logic proves that the loving Father Creator of standard churches cannot possibly exist. The Haiti earthquake
A speech delivered by James A. Haught, to Charleston UU on 2/21/10, the day after his 78th birthday.
killed 200,000 people. Before it, the Indian Ocean tsunami killed the same number, mostly children. And nature red in tooth and claw, as Tennyson saidinvolves predators ripping helpless animals apart. And terrible diseases inflict suffering and death, while people pray for relief. If an all-powerful deity created everything and does nothing to ease the pain, he cannot be merciful. He would be a monster. The best conclusion is that hes just a fantasy, a figment of peoples imagination. Magical religion gives people hope. Believers think they will triumph over death in the Great Beyond. But its false hope, self-deception, I think. Our minds and personalities are created by our brains, and when the brain dies, so does the self. There is no hope in a future mystical realm. This deduction is somewhat grimbut at least its honest. Humanism means wanting to help humanity. Secular humanism means doing it without the involvement of supernatural faith. This worldview grew in me a half-century ago, and it never left.
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American Atheists Essential Reading List

Enjoy the introductory information provided in these books, which are of topics of interests to Atheists. These titles represent only a fraction of the books available from American Atheist Press, yet collectively they provide a broad overview of Atheist thought. Stock # Price Pages Book Style
STOCK# 16010 PRICE $22.00 PAGES 490
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Atheism Advanced: Further Thoughts of a Free Thinker by David Eller An anthropologist advances Atheists and Atheism beyond belief! Christianity before Christ by John G. Jackson Christian doctrines are traced to their origins in older religions. The Case Against Religion by Albert Ellis A psychotherapists view of the harmful aspects of religious belief. Living in the Light by Anne R. Stone Subtitled Freeing Your Child from the Dark Ages This book serves as a manual for Atheist parents. Our Constitution: The Way It Was by Madalyn OHair American Atheist Radio Series episodes about the myth that our founding fathers created a Christian nation. What on Earth is an Atheist! by Madalyn OHair American Atheist Radio Series episodes on various topics of Atheist philosophy and history. The Bible Handbook by G. W. Foote, W. P. Ball, et al. A compilation of biblical absurdities, contradictions, atrocities, immoralities and obscenities. An Atheist Epic by Madalyn OHair The personal story of the battle to end mandatory prayer and bible recitation in schools in the United States. 65 Press Interviews by Robert G. Ingersoll Ingersolls 19th-century newspaper interviews as a Freethinker and opponent of superstition. An Atheist Looks at Women & Religion by Madalyn OHair Why attempts to reconcile religion with civil rights for women are self-defeating. The Jesus the Jews Never Knew by Frank R. Zindler A search of ancient Jewish literature yields no evidence for the existence of any historical Jesus. The Great Infidels by Robert G. Ingersoll How nonbelievers and Atheists have contributed to civilization and enriched our lives. The Myth of Nazareth: The Invented Town of Jesus by Ren Salm Jesus couldnt have come from Nazareth because no one was living there at the time. Illustrated Stories From The Bible by Paul Farrell You can bet this book wont ever be used In Sunday Schools! Jesus is Dead by Robert M. Price Not only is there no reason to believe Jesus rose from the dead, there is no reason to think he ever lived or died at all!
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Please see the order form enclosed with this magazine for member discounts and shipping details, or consult www.atheists.org.
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BIBLE CROSSED AMERICA

Nick Farrantello eginning in 2008, Americas largest bible publishing company, Zondervan, began a project to rewrite the holy biblesort of. They sent a bus across the United States to get ordinary people to transcribe their favorite lines from the Old and New Testament, verse for verse, all by hand. (So much for Gutenberg and movable type) The project, promoted as Bible Across America, took nine months to complete. The bible bus made 104 stops at churches and strip malls in 90 cities. According to the publishers website, over 30 thousand people got the opportunity to contribute their individual handwritten style to this newest version of the good book. It is now being offered on line for a whopping $99 plus shipping and handling. I learned of this project too late to offer my own contributions. Nevertheless, heres how I would liked to have seen some of the bibles best verses represented.
Colossians 3:22
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State Directors
MILITARY DIRECTOR Kathleen Johnson 411 E. Hwy 190 Ste. 105 PMB66 Copperas Cove, TX 76522 (318) 542-1019 kjohnson@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/mil ALABAMA STATE DIRECTOR Blair Scott P.O. Box 41 Ryland, AL 35767-2000 (256) 701-6265 bscott@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/al/ ARIZONA STATE DIRECTOR [NEW] Don Lacey P.O. Box 1161 Tucson, AZ 85641-1161 (520) 370-8420 azatheist@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/az/ CALIFORNIA STATE DIRECTOR Michael Doss P.O. Box 10541 Santa Ana, CA 92711 (714) 478-8457 mdoss@atheists.org Mark W. Thomas (Asst. Dir.) 472 Lotus Lane Mountain View, CA 94043-4533 (650) 969-5314 mthomas@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/ca/ CONNECTICUT STATE DIRECTOR Dennis Paul Himes P.O. Box 9203 Bolton, CT 06043 (860) 454-8301 dphimes@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/ct/ FLORIDA STATE DIRECTOR Greg McDowell P.O. Box 680741 Orlando, FL 32868-0741 (352) 217-3470 gmcdowell@atheists.org Ken Loukinen (So. FL Reg. Dir.) 7972 Pines Blvd., #246743 Pembroke Pines, FL 33024 (954) 381-5240 kloukinen@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/fl/ IDAHO STATE DIRECTOR Susan Harrington P.O. Box 204 Boise, ID 83701-0204 (208) 631-5012 sharrington@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/id/ KENTUCKY STATE DIRECTOR Edwin Kagin P.O. Box 48 Union, KY 41091 (859) 384-7000 ekagin@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/ky/ MICHIGAN STATE DIRECTOR Arlene-Marie George Shiffer (Asst. Dir.) Both can be reached at: P.O. Box 0025 Allen Park, MI 48101-9998 (313) 938-5960 amarie@atheists.org gshiffer@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/mi/ MINNESOTA STATE DIRECTOR Randall Tigue 201 Golden Valley Office Center 810 North Lilac Drive Golden Valley, MN 55422 (763) 529-9211 rtigue@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/mn/ MISSOURI STATE DIRECTOR Greg Lammers P.O. Box 1352 Columbia, MO 65205 (573) 289-7633 glammers@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/mo/ NEW JERSEY STATE DIRECTOR David Silverman 1308 Centennial Ave., Box 101 Piscataway, NJ 08854 (732) 648-9333 dsilverman@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/nj/ NORTH CAROLINA STATE DIRECTOR Wayne Aiken P.O. Box 30904 Raleigh, NC 27622 (919) 602-8529 waiken@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/nc/ OHIO STATE DIRECTOR Michael Allen PMB289 1933 E. Dublin-Granville Rd Columbus, OH 43229 (614) 678-6470 mallen@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/oh OKLAHOMA STATE DIRECTOR Ron Pittser P.O. Box 2174 Oklahoma City, OK 73101-2174 (405) 205-8447 rpittser@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/ok/ TEXAS STATE DIRECTOR Joe Zamecki (512) 758-0894 jzamecki@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/tx/ Dick Hogan (TX Reg. Dir., Dallas/Ft. Worth) dhogan@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/dfw/ UTAH STATE DIRECTOR Rich Andrews P.O. Box 165103 Salt Lake City, UT 84116-5103 (801) 718-7930 randrews@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/ut/ VIRGINIA STATE DIRECTOR Rick Wingrove P.O. Box 774 Leesburg, VA 20178 (703) 433-2464 rwingrove@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/va/ WASHINGTON STATE DIRECTOR Wendy Britton 12819 SE 38th St., Suite 485 Bellevue, WA 98006 (425) 269-9108 wbritton@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/wa/ WEST VIRGINIA STATE DIRECTOR Charles Pique P.O. Box 7444 Charleston, WV 25356-0444 (304) 776-5377 cpique@atheists.org http://www.atheists.org/wv/
Contacting State Directors

Our directors are not provided with contact information for members in their area. If youre interested in working with your director on activism, please use the listing on this page to contact them. They would love to hear from you! If you live in a state or area where there is no director, you have been a member for one year or more, and youre interested in a director position, please contact: David Kong, Director of State and Regional Operations: dksf@atheists.org
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Atheists & Freethinkers of Contra Costa County contracostaatheists.com Atheists and Other Freethinkers Aofonline.org Atheists of Silicon Valley godlessgeeks.com
American Atheists Affiliates

Want to be an affiliate? Want a full list of affiliates contact info? Contact Blair Scott, National Affiliate Director bscott@atheists.org http://alabamaatheist.org/naod
Central Valley Alliance of Atheists and Skeptics cvaas.org East Bay Atheists eastbayatheists.org Humanist Society of Santa Barbara santabarbarahumanists.org Orange County Atheists OCAtheists.com San Francisco Atheists sfatheists.com Santa Cruz Atheists santacruzatheists.org Shasta Atheists & Freethinkers shasta@atheistalliance.org COLORADO Atheists and Freethinkers of Denver atheistsofdenver.org Boulder Atheists boulderatheists.org Metro State Atheists metrostateatheists.wordpress.com Western Colorado Atheists WesternColoradoAtheists@yahoo.com CONNECTICUT Atheist Humanist Society of CT and RI atheisthumanist.org Connecticut Valley Atheists cvatheists.org
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ALABAMA Birmingham Atheists atheists.meetup.com/132 Florence United Nontheists FlorenceFreethought.org Montgomery Area Freethought Association montgomeryfreethought.org North Alabama Freethought Association thenafa.org West Alabama Freethought Association meetup.com/westalabamafreethought
ALASKA Anchorage Atheists http://meetup.com/anchorageatheists ARIZONA Tucson Atheists atheists.meetup.com/69 CALIFORNIA Agnostic & Atheist Student Association daviswiki.org/agasa Atheist Coalition of San Diego atheistcoalition.org Atheists & Agnostics Group of Rossmoor rossmooratheists.info
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FLORIDA Florida Atheists & Secular Humanists **Affiliate of the Year, 2008** freethoughtflorida.com Gator Freethought (UF) gatorfreethought.org Rebirth of Reason in Florida rebirthofreason.com/Florida Saint Petersburg Atheists atheists.meetup.com/209 South Lake Atheists and Freethinkers atheists.meetup.com/655 GEORGIA Atlanta Freethought Society atlantafreethought.org IDAHO Idaho Atheists idahoatheists.org ILLINOIS Bradley Atheists PTurack@Bradley.edu IWU Atheist, Agnostic, and Non-Religious facebook.com/group. php?gid=5558627959 IOWA Iowa Secularists iowasecularist.org Siouxland Atheists siouxlandatheists.org KANSAS First Church of Freethought/ Fort Riley Atheists faithforthefaithless@gmail.com Heartland Humanists heartlandhumanists.org Individuals For Freethought k-state.edu/freethought
Kansas Freethought Society atheists.meetup.com/642 KC FreeThinkers kcfreethinkers.org Miami County Kansas Freethinkers atheists.meetup.com/733 KENTUCKY Kentucky Atheists chambers.michael@gmail.com Lexington Atheists meetup.com/The-Lexington-AtheistsMeetup-Group LOUISIANA Ark-La-Tex Freethinkers (Shreveport) facebook.com/group. php?gid=128265161375 New Orleans Secular Humanist Association nosha.secularhumanism.net MARYLAND Freethinkers Union at McDaniel College mtm007@mcdaniel.edu MASSACHUSETTS American University Rationalists & Atheists facebook.com/group. php?gid=34367344446 Atheists of Greater Lowell atheists.meetup.com/331 Boston Atheists bostonatheists.org MICHIGAN Michigan Atheists michiganatheists.org Mid Michigan Atheists and Humanists mmah.org MINNESOTA Campus Atheists & Secular Humanists cashumn.org
Minnesota Atheists mnatheists.org St. Olaf Agnostic and Atheist Society stolaf.edu/orgs/aas MISSISSIPPI Great Southern Humanist Society humanism.meetup.com/164 Mid-South Humanist Society midsouth-humanist-society.org MISSOURI Columbia Atheists meetup.com/The-Columbia-AtheistsMeetup-Group Community of Reason CommunityOfReason.net Joplin Freethinkers joplinfreethinkers.org MU Skeptics Atheists Secular Humanist Agnostics facebook.com/group. php?gid=150886568817 Rationalist Society of St. Louis | rssl.org Springfield Freethinkers meetup.com/SpringfieldFreethinkers St. Joseph Skeptics stjosephskeptics.org NEBRASKA Lincoln Atheists lincolnatheists.org Omaha Atheists omahaatheists.org NEVADA Las Vegas Freethought Society lvfs.org NEW JERSEY New Jersey Humanist Network NJHN.org NEW YORK Freethinkers of Upstate New York funygroup.org
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Hudson Valley Humanists hudsonvalley.humanists.net Long Island Secular Humanists LISecHum@aol.com New York City Atheists nyc-atheists.org Science Club of Long Island sciencecluboflongisland.com NORTH CAROLINA Charlotte Atheists & Agnostics CharlotteAtheists.com NORTH DAKOTA Red River Freethinkers redriverfreethinkers.org OHIO Free Inquiry Group, Inc. gofigger.org Humanist Community of Central Ohio hcco.org OKLAHOMA Oklahoma Atheists OklahomaAtheists.info PENNSYLVANIA Atheist Station atheiststation.org Central Susquehanna Valley Freethought meetup.com/Central-susquehannavalley-freethought Northeast Pennsylvania Freethought Society atheists.meetup.com/622 PA Nonbelievers panonbelievers.org RHODE ISLAND Rhode Island Atheist Society riatheist.com
SOUTH CAROLINA Secular Humanists of Lowcountry lowcountry.humanists.net TENNESSEE Chattanooga Freethought Association chattanoogafreethoughtassociation. com Memphis Freethought Alliance memphisfreethought.com Nashville Secular Life atheists.meetup.com/699 Rationalists of East Tennessee rationalists.org TEXAS Atheist Community of Austin atheist-community.org Denton Atheists Meetup meetup.com/The-Denton-AtheistsMeetup-Group Houston Atheists Meetup meetup.com/Houston-Atheists Metroplex Atheists metroplexatheists.org San Antonio Atheists sa-atheists.org UTAH Atheists of Utah atheistsofutah.org
VIRGINIA Beltway Atheists meetup.com/beltwayatheists Secular Student Alliance at George Mason myspace.com/rrs@gmu WASHINGTON Freethinkers United Network freethinkersunitednetwork.com Seattle Atheists SeattleAtheists.org WEST VIRGINIA Morgantown Atheists morgantownatheists.org WISCONSIN Southeast Wisconsin FreeThinkers swiftnow.org NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Atheist Nexus atheistnexus.org Atheists for Human Rights atheistsforhumanrights.org Atheists United for a Rational America rationalamerica.com Military Assoc. of Atheists & Freethinkers maaf.info
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American Atheists, Inc. is a nonprofit, nonpolitical, educational organization dedicated to the complete and absolute separation of state and church, accepting the explanation of Thomas Jefferson that the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States was meant to create a wall of separation between state and church.
American Atheists is organized: To stimulate and promote freedom of thought and inquiry concerning religious beliefs, creeds, dogmas, tenets, rituals, and practices; To collect and disseminate information, data, and literature on all religions and promote a more thorough understanding of them, their origins, and their histories; To advocate, labor for, and promote in all lawful ways the complete and absolute separation of state and church; To act as a watchdog to challenge any attempted breach of the wall of separation between state and church; To advocate, labor for, and promote in all lawful ways the establishment and maintenance of a thoroughly secular system of education available to all; To encourage the development and public acceptance of a humane ethical system stressing the mutual sympathy, understanding, and interdependence of all people and the corresponding responsibility of each individual in relation to society; To develop and propagate a social philosophy in which humankind is central and must itself be the source of strength, progress, and ideals for the well-being and happiness of humanity; To promote the study of the arts and sciences and of all problems affecting the maintenance, perpetuation, and enrichment of human (and other) life; and To engage in such social, educational, legal, and cultural activity as will be useful and beneficial to the members of American Atheists and to society as a whole.
DEFINITIONS Atheism is the comprehensive world view of persons who are free from theism and have freed themselves of supernatural beliefs altogether. It is predicated on ancient Greek Materialism. Atheism involves the mental attitude that unreservedly accepts the supremacy of reason and aims at establishing a life-style and ethical outlook verifiable by experience and the scientific method, independent of all arbitrary assumptions of authority and creeds. Materialism declares that the cosmos is devoid of immanent conscious purpose; that it is governed by its own inherent, immutable, and impersonal laws; that there is no supernatural interference in human life; that humankind, finding the resources within themselves, can and must create their own destiny. It teaches that we must prize our life on earth and strive always to improve it. It holds that human beings are capable of creating a social system based on reason and justice. Materialisms faith is in humankind and their ability to transform the world culture by their own efforts. This is a commitment that is, in its very essence, life-asserting. It considers the struggle for progress as a moral obligation that is impossible without noble ideas that inspire us to bold, creative works. Materialism holds that our potential for good and more fulfilling cultural development is, for all practical purposes, unlimited.
Camp Quest is the first residential summer camp in the history of the United States for the children of Atheists, Freethinkers, Humanists, Brights, or whatever other terms might be applied to those who hold to a naturalistic, not supernatural world view. Many children do not get to experience this wonderful camp due to financial hardships. In honor of Helen Kagin, Co-founder: PLEASE SEND A CHILD TO CAMP QUEST. HELEN KAGIN MEMORIAL CAMPERSHIP FUND Contribute online: http://www.camp-quest.org/ You may also contribute via mail: Camp Quest, Inc. P.O. Box 2552, Columbus, OH 43216 Write Kagin Fund in the memo
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American Atheist Magazine April 2010

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Ethics & Atheism

2010 Photos.com, a division of Getty Images. All rights reserved.

ANOTHER STUDY CONFIRMS: ATHEISTS JUST AS ETHICAL AS CHURCHGOERS

The study is available at http://www.cell.com/trends/cognitive-sciences

American Atheist - April 2010

ALLEGED ATHEIST HOAX REINCARNATES

TOM MORTON | Star-Tribune Staff Writer | http://trib.com/news

Madalyn Murray OHair, Founder of American Atheists, Inc.

American Atheist - April 2010

From the Editor

Plowing Naked For Jesus

American Atheist - April 2010

Atheists Dont Know What Love Is

April 2010 - American Atheist

American Atheist - April 2010

Kate SirlsStaff Writer, American Atheist

THE BEST KEPT SECRET

Stephen F. Uhl, Ph.D

American Atheist - April 2010

SEPARATION OF ARM FREETHOUGHT AT THE POLLS

American Atheist - April 2010

2010 Photos.com, a division of Getty Images. All rights reserved.

American Atheist - April 2010

a book review by Ben Edward Akerley

American Atheist - April 2010

American Atheist - April 2010

April 2010 - American Atheist

American Atheists Essential Reading List

American Atheist - April 2010

BIBLE CROSSED AMERICA

April 2010 - American Atheist

Contacting State Directors

American Atheist - April 2010

American Atheists Affiliates

April 2010 - American Atheist

American Atheist - April 2010

Membership Application American Atheists

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American Atheists, PO Box 158, Cranford, NJ 07016.

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