Have you been looking for an excuse to get out of the house and hang out with atheists? Here's your chance! We'll be crawling from Nomad World Pub at 7 PM on May 16th to Town Hall Brewery at 8:30 PM, then stopping at the Corner Bar for some atheist-friendly comedy. Shirts are $5 for Members, $10 for Non-Members. Click here to RSVP .
Times Writers Group member Mike Williamson believes we should turn to the Bible and Christianity as a cure for modern-day sexual immorality. (“It’s time for cultural rebellion” April 11) Really?
Williamson condemns, as we all do, the sex crimes alleged to have been committed by a 32-year-old man against a 13-year-old girl in Becker.
But what does the God of the Bible tell the Israelites to do after conquering the Midianites and killing every man? “Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.” (Numbers 31:17-18.)
How are children treated elsewhere in the Bible? It is permissible to sell your daughter into servitude (Exodus 21:7). Disobedient sons are to be stoned to death (Deuteronomy 21:18-21). And, anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death (Exodus 21.17).
When young people mock the baldness of God’s prophet Elijah, Elijah calls upon God to send two bears from the woods to attack the youths. God obliges, and the bears maul 42 young people. (II Kings 2:23.)
In the town of Sodom, Lot offers his two virgin daughters to the mob outside his home, rather than turn over two visiting angels (who, being emissaries from God, presumably could have made a miraculous escape). (Genesis 19:8)
Williamson advocates virginity until marriage. Is this because the Bible says non-virgin brides should be stoned to death? (Deuteronomy 22:13-21) Finally, there is the Bible’s God-ordained ritual of male circumcision, often performed on infants and children with little or no anesthesia.
Williamson talks about “the creator’s good plan for man and woman in the lifelong covenant of marriage.” But, according to the Bible, God has no problem with polygamy (Genesis 29:17-28; II Samuel 3:2-5) or a married man having concubines (II Samuel 5:13; I Kings 11:3; II Chronicles 11:21).
What other “family values” might we learn from the Bible? According to Jesus, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26.)
Thus the mythical biblical gods of Jehovah and Jesus would be the last place we would want to look for family advice.
Many of the polygamous cults in this country that abuse women and children are Bible-based. The male clergy that sexually abuse children are ostensibly biblical God-believers. Why should we be surprised at these facts, given the Bible’s endorsement of patriarchy and women and children as property?
Yes, as Williamson advocates, it is time for a rebellion – but a rebellion away from Christianity.
We must get rid of the “sinful, forbidden fruit” aspect of sex, which only serves to make it more appealing to young people. We need comprehensive sex education for our young people – abstinence-based, not abstinence-only.
If we look to European countries, which have largely replaced Christianity with secular humanism, we find that young people engage in just as much sex as Americans of the same age, but it results in far fewer pregnancies and STDs. Ignorance and bliss do not go hand-in-hand.
Religion has failed, yet continues to do damage to society. It’s time to try something new, something that tends to improve the lives of people wherever it is embraced: atheism (the disbelief in arbitrary, “supernatural” authority) combined with humanism (which includes ethics based on compassion and evidence).
A lifestyle based on God-belief collapses when no evidence for gods exists. A lifestyle based on atheism and humanism has a greater chance for success because it is reality-based.
This is the opinion of August Berkshire, president of Minnesota Atheists, the state’s oldest, largest and most active atheist organization.
If you are a paid member of Minnesota Atheists, and would like your site promoted in a new Member Blogs section on the website, please
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
me your site, and I will start building the page.
Minnesota Atheists strongly value the separation of church and state. To remind our government of who they represent, we make our collective voices heard in the State Capitol while our fellow citizens observe the National Day of Prayer. Every voice counts. If you can take a long lunch break, or have the free time, we would appreciate making your presence known with us. You'll be hearing from the leadership of Minnesota Atheists, as well as from our members. Prepare to be moved by famous speeches you may have heard before, and listen for original orations on separation and the rights of atheists.
Come be a part of history and make your voice heard.
For information about the event, you can contact
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
When
Thursday, May 1, 2008 at 12:00 PM until 1:00 PM
Where
Minnesota State Capitol
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul , MN 55155
Who should come
All supporters of the separation of church and state with rational-based leadership should attend.
Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy is a K-8 charter school in Inver Grove Heights. Star Tribune columnist, Katherine Kirsten, writes
that, "Students pray daily, the cafeteria serves halal food - permissible under Islamic law -- and "Islamic Studies" is offered at the end of the school day." School buses don't leave until after extracurricular activities at the school, including Islamic Studies is over. In the article, Kirsten cites teacher Amanda Getz as a source on what happens in the school, including prayer led by administration and teachers in the gym, teachers escorting students to perform ritual washing and the treatment of Islamic Studies as a part of regular coursework.
Minnesota Atheists strongly value our Constitution and the Establishment Clause. While, at this time, it is unclear whether there has been any Constitutional violation, and further investigation is necessary, Minnesota Atheists would be concerned about a misuse of public funds for religious activities. By protecting the secular nature of public education, the rights of citizens of any faith, and of no faith are upheld. We support any effort to ensure citizens, especially children citizens, are not discriminated against by our government.
If you have further information about TIZA, or are aware of potential violations of the Establishment Clause in public education, please write to us at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
. We have experienced members who could point you in the right direction if further action seems warranted.
The Secular Coalition for America
has researched the budget for fiscal year 2008 which was passed by congress and determined that over 140 earmarks , or special directed funding to a project, worth almost $30 million dollars, are going to constitutionally suspect religious activities. Before you blame the "religious right," both parties favor religious earmarks. Some of the largest recipients of earmarks for religious activities include higher education institutions and addiction recovery programs, including Minnesota Teen Challenge*. Minnesota Teen Challenge is closely tied with the Assemblies of God, the world's largest Pentecostal organization. Richard Scherber, Executive Director in 2004, had this to say about the success of his treatment facility; "The combination of our program length, our curriculum and most
importantly, the role of faith in Jesus Christ to change hearts, all
come together to result in these renewed lives." Ministries are also among groups receiving federal dollars.
The Secular Coalition for America has sent a letter
to members of Congress who are responsible for these potentially unconstitutional funding projects. These activities are clear evidence that Faith-based Initiatives and Charitable Choice must be rejected by the next President to ensure an equal playing field between secular organizations and religious organizations which play by the rules and those who do not and violate the seperation of church and state.
*Minnesota Teen Challenge Director of Administration, Eric Vagle, has provided this statement in response to allegations that any federal monies will be used by his organization for religious purposes:
“Minnesota
Teen Challenge is scheduled to receive a direct grant from the federal
government to be used exclusively for a non-religious drug and alcohol
abuse prevention program. This program contains no religious content
whatsoever and has been presented to over 30,000 junior and senior high
school students across the state. Minnesota Teen Challenge is aware
of, and in agreement with the constitutional restrictions placed on
receipt of government funds. We take great care to ensure that all
federal money is strictly accounted for and that none of the dollars
are ever used for religious purposes.”
That's right. Daniel Dennett is appearing in our state for a short while to give a few lectures at Minnesota State University in Mankato. "Religion as a Natural Phenomenon" will be the topic for the lecture at 7:30 PM on April 3rd in the Centennial Student Union Ballroom. On Friday, April 4th at 9 AM, he will present a lecture on "Evolution and Evitability: Free Will and Responsibility" at CSU 253, 254 and 255. How much will it cost you to see this philosopher and author of, "Breaking The Spell?" Admission is free and open to the public. Thanks goes to Minnesota State University and the organizations involved in making this event happen, including IMPACT, the colleges of Arts & Humanities, Science, Engineering
& Technology and Social & Behavioral Science, and the
departments of Biology, Computer Science and Psychology. You can read more at MNSU.
No, we don't mean to imply PZ Myers, a biology professor from the University of Minnesota, Morris, was removed from the footage in the film which had the title "Crossroads,"
and was to be about religion and science. PZ Myers, who appears in the film, and is thanked in the credits, was removed from an advanced screening of the film while he was in line with his family, and a few guests. Free tickets were provided to interested guests, and PZ registered in advance under his own name.
Dr. Richard Dawkins, who was in town for the American Atheists National Conference
in Minneapolis, was a guest of PZ Myers that evening, and was not expelled from "Expelled." PZ Myers was asked by a security guard to leave the theater on request of the film's producer, or else he could be arrested. When he checked in with his family to coordinate where to meet after the film, he was told to leave immediately. Good natured that PZ Myers is, he complied. Unfortunately for the producer, PZ Myers contributes to a blog
with an extremely high Alexa rating, and posted his tale
from the Apple Store at the mall.
Also in attendance were fellow Minnesota Atheists who provided their own account. Kristine Harley can be read here . Mike Haubrich sounds off here. Greg Laden has collected various links to the story here. Among them, The New York Times, the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, and Salon.com. A bit of art from Digital Cuttlefish
has been drafted in honor of the event.
To hear the tale from Dr. Dawkins and PZ Myers in a pleasant, conversational tone, please watch the video provided by the Official Richard Dawkins website.
Mark Mathis could not have been better at providing so much negative attention to an already struggling movie. By exposing the tactics of the producer in a highly ironic way, a larger segment of the public should recognize the value in the scientific method, rather then theologically-based teaching of Intelligent Design Creationism.
KARE 11 featured a video on the American Atheists Convention taking place the weekend of March 21 to 23. Minnesota Atheists Chairman, Steve Petersen, is interviewed for a bit about atheism. So far, the conference has been a sucess, featuring interesting debates, and discussions in the hallways between fellow atheists. You can read about the story here.
August Berkshire, president of Minnesota Atheists, one of "5 People Making News," was interviewed by KSTP about the mission of Minnesota Atheists and about the upcoming American Atheists Conference kicking off with free entertainment Thursday night, and featuring Richard Dawkins on Friday morning. Minnesota Atheists seek to educate the community about atheism, create a network of friends who share similar thinking about supernatural claims, and promote the seperation of church and state. To watch the video, please visit KSTP here.
Meet the atheists of Minnesota Atheists this Sunday at the Ridgedale Library at 1PM for our monthly meeting. This month's topic is rather light and informal because the American Atheists 34th Annual Conference is taking place next week in Minneapolis. So, not to steal the thunder of Richard Dawkins, I'm giving a short intro to Mormonism. If you were a former Mormon, have Mormon friends, or were ever curious about Mormonism, here's your chance to go a little deeper into the strange world of Endowment Ceremonies, Temple Rites, and Celestial Marriages.
What is the deal with "magic underwear," not drinking coffee, and
polygamy? Hear some history about this home grown American faith known
as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This is an
outsider's perspective, as I've never been a Mormon, but have met with
missionaries to hear their tale, so you don't have to. If you've ever
been the least bit curious about Mormonism, this presentation should
answer your questions without having to ask an actual Mormon and risk
getting sent to "Outer Darkness."
Join us for dinner at 4:00 PM at Wanderer's Garden Chinese Buffet just down the road from the Ridgedale Library.
Liquor stores hate them. Car sales people love them. 'Blue Laws' are laws used to govern certain moral standards, and are usually in reference to laws prohibiting actions on Sunday. Most of these 'Blue Laws' around the country have been overturned, declared unconstitutional, or are left unenforced. Minnesota is one of the few states which prohibit the sale of liquor on Sundays, except for 3.2 beer. Try buying a car in Minnesota on a Sunday and you'll be out of luck. Employees love the day off, and are fearful of the day when you can buy are car any day of the week. There is now a bill, H.F. 3681, with bipartisan support to remove these prohibitions against operating businesses on Sunday by Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, and co-authored by Rep. Chris DeLaForest, R-Andover. Kahn doesn't believe the bill will get out of committee, but is there, "to let people know these silly laws exist." I, for one, would rather get rid of silly laws. If you support the bill, contact your state representative. You can read more at Minnesota Monitor.
