Guess Who’s Coming to ReasonFest?

Next Friday and Saturday, the Society of Open-Minded Atheists & Agnostics at the University of Kansas will be hosting ReasonFest.

Speakers include Annie Laurie Gaylor, Dan Barker, Darrel Ray, and James Underdown. Not a bad lineup for a student-run event! I’ll also be giving a talk on Saturday afternoon.

I hear there will be some special uninvited guests, too…

You silly college “scholars” are clueless, of your father the Devil and follow in the footsteps of the old heretic Robert “Royal Bob” Ingersoll! He taught over a hundred years ago that doctrine of blasphemy that there is no God and/or the God of the Old Testament is a “dirty bully”. There is nothing to debate. You know God exists and it is the same God in both the old and new testaments. It was written on your hearts by God that he exists and what his laws are. Read Romans 2 and Hebrews 8. You REBEL against that. The fool says in his heart there is no God. Psalm 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. WBC is there to warn you of your grievous sin and to flee the wrath to come. Your words are hard speeches against God and weary Him. He has been patient and longsuffering against you and your words, but not for much longer.

Yep, Westboro Baptist Church will be there on Friday from 4:50 -5:30p. (And, dammit, I’m not arriving until Saturday morning!)

To anyone attending the event…

Don’t stoop to their level.

Be clever.

Be bold.

Be kind.

And feel free to use their presence as a fundraising event for a good cause.

ReasonFest isn’t about WBC, so let’s not make them the main event. It’s about atheists getting together, celebrating reason and science and logic and all the people who promote those things on a regular basis.

MammaG

They are the holy grail of loonitude.
KerryH

And loonies deserve to be laughed at. I would love to see a huge crowd of people just laughing uproariously at them. No put downs. No anger or violence. They quite frankly don’t deserve to be taken that seriously. Just laughter.
CanadianNihilist

If I lived close by I’d show up with popcorn for everyone and watch the WBC rant. Cheaper than a movie and more entertaining I bet.
Drakk

Can you not try and get the Patriot Guard riders involved? Or do they only protect military funerals?
Cortex

Hopefully this will get some mainstream press. It sure puts the American public in a tough spot – who are they supposed to hate in a situation like this one?
dantresomi

Satan…. is… my… father?

Mom! how could you?!
Reginald Selkirk

Speakers include Annie Laurie Gaylor, Dan Barker, Darrel Ray, and James Underdown.

That’s nice, but what about the fabulous PZ Myers? You need a big name to draw them in.
SWare

I like that when WBC protested Kevin Smith’s “Red State” film, he basically protested back in a rather funny way. You probably don’t want to go quite so far though as to detract from the intended message. http://horror-punks.com/forum/topics/kevin-smith-counterprotest
brian

I suggest that all attendees bring “God Hates Shrimp” signs to remind the WBC protesters that their god hates all kinds of stuff. Remember, in Leviticus 11:9-12, god makes it very clear that he not only hates gays, he also hates the consumption of shellfish. God Hates Shrimp!
Kyle

I really think the WBC folks are a smart bunch of lawyers. It’s been suggested over at BoingBoing and it makes sense:

http://boingboing.net/2011/02/22/westboro-baptist-chu.html

Honestly, the safest place in America from any sort of physical assault from these idiots would be standing right in front of them, pointing and laughing at them. They would never in a million years jeopardize the real mission, which is to incite violence against them and sue as many people and organizations as possible.
Allie Nicole

WBC… how frightening. I hope your ReasonFest goes well and that WBC doesn’t do anything too scary.

(If you track your traffic, I found your blog through my Google Reader’s recommendations.)