For all that we argue about, it’s all too easy to ignore the multitude of things we all have in common. It always feels good to stand your ground on any opinions you hold in the minority — and I’m not saying we’re not right on those issues — but I don’t think we can dismiss those bridge-builders who choose to focus on everyone’s similarities. David Hayward makes this point in a much more eloquent way: The problem is that… Read more
I’m so pissed off right now. I know everyone’s already written plenty about what Republicans did yesterday regarding Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. But I haven’t been able to rant yet. I was shocked when I heard the final vote count. I can’t believe that that many members of Congress think so little of gays and lesbians in the military that they would deny them the ability to serve openly like everybody else. I don’t know whether to blame Republicans for… Read more
The Secular Student Alliance along with the Pastafarians at the University of South Carolina are hosting a Leadership Summit on November 12th-14th in Columbia, SC. It’s a chance for students to network, learn how to manage a group, and hear some fantastic talks. The keynote is Kevin Roose, who wrote one of my favorite books of last year, The Unlikely Disciple. He’ll be joined by Dale McGowan and atheist city councilperson Cecil Bothwell. If you’re in the area, this is… Read more
Over the weekend, I went to Boston (Thanks, Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard!) and helped lead discussions on various scenarios atheists have to deal with from time to time and what the best response ought to be from our end. We split up into three groups (about 15-20 people each), each of which had a moderator to introduce the cases and ask questions. The groups had a variety of ages, genders, and backgrounds, and it was amazing how split the crowd… Read more
Today marks the releases of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents Earth (The Book): A Visitor’s Guide to the Human Race. Over the summer, I had a chance to interview one of the head writers of the book, David Javerbaum. We talked about what goes on behind the scenes at The Daily Show, the problem with the news media, and David’s future plans now that he has left the show. In case you missed it, here’s a link to… Read more
I mentioned last week that Calvin College, a Christian school, had invited the New Pornographers to play a concert on campus. And then they decided to cancel on them. Because of the band’s name. Talk about overreaction to nothing… Christian writer Jason Boyett felt the same way I did until he heard from someone involved in the decision itself (first emphasis mine). The primary outcry about the band’s name has not come from major donors, board members, or people of… Read more
I’m off to Virginia this weekend for two events! The first is at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. (Farmville!) It will take place at the Chichester (New Science Building), Room G12, at 6:00 p.m. on Friday night. The second is for the Lynchburg Area Secular Humanists. It will take place at Rebec Vineyards in Amherst, VA at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. (Fancy, no?) It’s a potluck, so bring some food! Maybe I should visit Liberty University on Saturday afternoon… Read more
Ohhh…. so *that’s* how God works: David Hayward explains his comic: Structures and those in authority use speech as a means of control. “We love you as you are” is bait to lure you in. “We love you too much to let you stay that way” is fear to make you conform. And “God never loved you to begin with” is a subtle theological excuse used by those in power to explain why you rejected their authority. At what point… Read more
by Jesse Galef — The Stiefel Freethought Foundation marked its launch today by announcing that it was giving the Secular Student Alliance a $50,000 grant to help support atheist high school students. I’m clearly biased (I work for the SSA), but I think this is fantastic news. The press release: Atheist teenagers around the country are likely to find something new this school year – an active group of like-minded peers. The Stiefel Freethought Foundation marked its official launch today… Read more
