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 .
It's Mother's Day today in the US. To honor women, Annie Laurie Gaylor talks about women in the Bible with Grant Steves. Later, August Berkshire learns all about the founding mothers of freethought. We hope you enjoy Annie Laurie Gaylor. If you do, please support the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
INTERVIEW
OF ANNIE LAURIE GAYLOR, CO-FOUNDER
AND CO-PRESIDENT OF FREEDOM
FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION
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.
Cynthia Egli talks with Lois Shadewald about pseudo science, including perpetual motion machines, and the Flat Earth Society which are mentioned in "Worlds of Their Own." Greg Laden steps in to talk with Mike Haubrich about legislation which is hoping around the country, proposing "Academic Freedom," that would require the teaching of Creationism in public schools.
INTERVIEW
OF LOIS SCHADEWALD, EDITOR
OF “WORLDS OF THEIR OWN,” A
BOOK OF ESSAYS ON PSEUDOSCIENCE BY
THE LATE ROBERT J. SCHADEWALD, BY
CYNTHIA EGLI
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Hold onto your Consitutional Rights, people! Rob Boston exposes the slippery slope of providing federal funds to religious organizations. Steve Petersen and August Berkshire discuss the National Day of Prayer and the National Day of Reason. Both events will be celebrated locally at the Capitol in Saint Paul on Thursday, May 1 at noon.
INTERVIEW OF ROB BOSTON,
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR
AMERICANS UNITED FOR SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE,
ON “FAITH-BASED GOVERNMENT TAX EARMARKS FOR RELIGION”
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
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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.
How many people have never heard about Jesus of
Nazareth? Of course everybody has heard of Jesus. The bible tells us his fame
spread throughout the lands of Palestine and Syria. This is the god-man / savior
of the world who performed miracles only a God could perform: He turned water
into wine; fed thousands with a few pieces of bread and fish; walked on water;
stilled the raging storm; healed the blind, the deaf, the infirm, the withered
hand and the demon-possessed; and raised the dead. His moral teachings are said
to surpass anything ever taught.
Rejected by his own Jewish people, the Romans brutally
crucified him. But, that didn’t stop Jesus. At his crucifixion the bible tells
us the heavens and earth affirmed his deity, causing a three hour eclipse of the
sun over all the earth, an earthquake causing Jerusalem’s temple curtain
to be split in two, and graves were opened with many Jewish saints resurrected
and appearing to the people in Jerusalem. Within three days, the Son of God,
defeated Satan the prince of darkness, rose from the dead, appeared to his
disciples, then ascended into heaven. How can anybody not love such a story and
want to believe it?
The problem sincere, objective-minded inquirers of history have
with this astounding story is why the historical record is virtually silent
about the Jesus of Nazareth story in the writings of non-Christian Jewish,
Greek, and Roman writers. Certainly news of such events, if true, would
have spread throughout the Mediterranean world. Yet, the surviving writings of
some 35 to 40 independent observers of the first one hundred years following the
alleged crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus give virtually no confirmation.
These authors were respected, well-traveled, articulate, thinkers and observers,
the philosophers, poets, moralists, historians of that era. Some of the most
prominent figures who make no mention of Jesus are:
CapnOrdinary gives his take on invalid arguments made by believers, such as life being meaningless without God, atheism kills, the origin of the Universe is unknown by atheists, so God must have done it, etc.
Atheists Talk #017 May 4, 2008 Cynthia Egli talks with Lois Shadewald about pseudo science, including perpetual motion machines, and the Flat Earth Society which are mentioned in Worlds of...
(audio/mpeg 25.26MB )
Atheists Talk #016 Apr 27, 2008 Hold onto your Consitutional Rights, people! Rob Boston exposes the slippery slope of providing federal funds to religious organizations. Steve Petersen and August...
(text/plain 25.67MB )
