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The Minnesota Atheist Minnesota Atheists Established 1991 Positive Atheism in Action SM Volume 18 Number 4 April 2008 April 20th Meeting “There are no Christians, only religious wannabes!” You've heard debates on why there is no god, why Jesus is a myth, Upcoming events and why Nazareth did not exist in the 1st Century. Lee Salisbury will Sun., April 20 – 1:00 – 3:30 p.m. – present a perspective that he is sur- Lee Salisbury presents “There are prised isn't used in all debates ... no Christians, only religious wanna- more devastating and irrefutable in bes.” Roseville Library. defusing the most committed Chris- tian, yet never utilized. If you want Thur., May 1, noon-1:00 p.m. – new ammo for challenging Chris- MN Atheists National Day of Rea- tians and provoking them to think, son celebration at the MN State then you'll surely want to hear Capitol rotunda. this..... bring your notebooks! Sun., May 4 – May Day MN Athe- Lee Salisbury, a former evangeli- ists will participate in the parade and cal pastor and guest preacher at booth for May Day in Minneapolis. Christian conferences in Canada, the USA, Europe, and Africa will let the Bible speak for Jesus and then let Board member. Lee founded the you decide the answer. Lee has Critical Thinking Clubs of Minnesota been a member of Minnesota Athe- in 2001 of which there are now ists for 12 years and is a former Lee Salisbury chapters in St. Paul, Minnetonka, Bloomington and Stillwater. After our meeting, those who wish may join us for dinner at the Panda Garden Buffet. Meeting: 1:00-3:30 p.m. Roseville Public Library 2180 Hamline Ave. N. (Hamline Ave. & Co. Rd. B) Roseville, MN 55113 1:00-1:15 – Social time. 1:15- 1:45 – Business Meeting. 1:45-2:00 – Break. 2:00-3:00 – Presentation, 3:00 – Social Time PAGE 2 THE MINNESOTA ATHEIST VOLUME 18 NUMBER 4 Minnesota Atheists The Minnesota Atheist In this issue… Board of Directors Published by Minnesota Atheists, Next meeting 1 [email protected] P.O. Box 6261,Minneapolis, MN 55406 President: August Berkshire 612-588-7031, [email protected] [email protected], 612-338-4548 www.MinnesotaAtheists.org President's column 3 Associate President: Cynthia Egli Editorial Board: [email protected] Sociology study 3 [email protected], 952-941-2996 George Kane, Editor, 651-488-8225 Kristine Harley, 612-384-8273 Chair of Board: Steve Petersen Vanita Mishra, vanita.mishra@gmail. Financial reports 4 [email protected], 651-484-9277 com Associate Chair: Bruce Honnigford Grant Steves, 651-774-1992 Tom Riddering, Design & Layout, 300 Club 4 [email protected], 612-964-1637 [email protected], 651-714-2617 Treasurer: Andy Flamm Erin Ahlstrom, [email protected] Atheists Talk report 5 [email protected], 612-251-3904 Chief Photographer: Richard Trombley Secretary: George Kane Volunteer needed 5 Membership/change of address: [email protected], 651-488-8225 Shirley Moll, [email protected], 5th Sunday dinner 5 Director-at-Large: Kristine Harley 651-484-9277 [email protected], 612-384-8273 Public Relations: George Kane MNA Committees 6 Director-at-Large: Jeannette Sorensen [email protected], 651-488-8225 [email protected], 612-709-6719 Atheists Weekly E-mail (AWE): March meeting 6 Director-at-Large: Bjorn Watland George Kane, [email protected] [email protected], 612-708-5029 Meeting videotaping: Eric Harmon May Day parade 6 Cable: Steve Petersen Building Fund: [email protected], 651-484-9277 Member survey 7 Webmaster: Bjorn Watland $102,824.36 [email protected], 612-708-5029 Day of Reason 7 Podcasts: Grant Hermanson Honorary [email protected], Cryptogram 7 Members Copyright 2008 Minnesota Atheists. Atheist convention 8-9 Minnesota Atheists is an affiliate of Dan Barker Atheist Alliance International, American Atheists, American Humanist Associa- News and Notes 10-11 Gerald Erickson, PhD tion, Council for Secular Humanism, and Annie Laurie Gaylor International Humanist and Ethical Un- In-Box 12-13 ion. Dick Hewetson Submit material for the newsletter to edi- Robert M. Price, PhD [email protected]. Submissions may be Lee Salisbury 14 edited. Publication is not guaranteed. Things to do 15 MNA Meetup members: 237 Life memberships: 27 Minnesota Atheists practices positive, inclusive, active, friendly neighborhood atheism in order to: Minnesota Atheists Mission Statement • Provide a community for Minnesota Atheists is dedicated to building a positive atheists; atheist community that actively promotes secular val- • Educate the public about ues through educational programs, social activities, atheism; and and participation in public affairs. • Promote separation of state and church. VOLUME 18 NUMBER 4 THE MINNESOTA ATHEIST PAGE 3 President’s Column Winning the Intellectual War By August Berkshire sion that might have had cally or ridiculing them won’t work I’d like to pick up some evolutionary benefit. and will only serve to harden their po- where I left off last time. I Religion is treated as a cul- sition. If all we can do for the time stated, “My attitude is that tural artifact, like music, being with some people is to gently we have already won the in- dance, or a brand of storytel- plant a seed of doubt, that is still tellectual war, now we just ling. worth doing. have to spread the good I can’t think of a single So if the logic is all on our side, news.” intellectually compelling ar- and we have won the intellectual war, I knew this ambiguous gument for the existence of why haven’t we yet changed society? phrase would leave some August Berkshire gods, can you? On the other Well, we have changed it a bit – the people scratching their hand, we can demonstrate percentage of atheists and religious heads. “Huh? What does he mean? why every argument we have ever skeptics in the nation has doubled in Half the people in the country are heard of for gods is inadequate. We the last twenty years, from 5% to creationists! We haven’t won the in- have won the intellectual war. 10%. And the percentage of atheists tellectual war by a long shot!” So why should we be the ones and religious skeptics in the younger So let me clarify: by who are getting defensive when logic generation is double the national aver- “intellectual war” I mean the war is on our side? Instead (and I know age, about 20%. (logical debate) among intellectuals, this is hard), why not relax, put a Still, why haven’t we done even who are now overwhelmingly atheists. smile on our faces, and respond, better? Because religious belief is pri- Ninety-three percent of the members “Well, you know, there is no evidence marily based on emotion. That’s what of the National Academy of Sciences for that, and here are some problems we always have to keep in mind if we are atheists or agnostics (mostly athe- with that way of thinking…” wish to be persuasive. ists). Less than half of all U.S. scien- I can hear some of you object- We have all attended debates tists believe in a god. Surveys have ing now: “But these people just won’t where the atheist won on points, but shown that the more education a per- listen to logic!” Let’s not be so dis- where the audience thought the reli- son has received, the less likely he or missive out of hand. After all, almost gious person won because he was a she is to believe in a god. Other sur- all religious people believe they are nice, charming guy. We not only veys have shown that the least reli- thinking logically. They really do be- have to keep winning on points (no gious countries also tend to be the lieve the Argument from Design is a problem, if we know our stuff), we healthiest. good one. They really do believe it is also have to be that nice, charming Pick up any science magazine. logically necessary for life to have an guy or gal if we really want to make Whenever they talk about religion, “ultimate purpose” that transcends an impact on society. they almost never refer to gods as ac- death. We must point out to them the This does not mean we have to tually existing, like it’s a real phe- flaws in their logic. compromise our atheist position in nomenon scientists are investigating. For those who won’t listen to any way. It just means there is almost It’s almost always “Are humans natu- logic, there is no possible way of get- always more than one way to say the rally inclined by evolution to believe ting through to them no matter what same thing. in gods?” “God” is treated as an illu- we try. Shouting something emphati- Björn Mastiaux, a Ph.D. student in So- gust Berkshire at [email protected] or ciology at Heinrich Heine University, 612-338-4548. Duesseldorf, Germany, will visit Minnesota Björn will be attending our April 20th April 18-24. For his dissertation he is Minnesota Atheists meeting (see page 1) studying members of secular/atheist organi- and will be a guest on our Atheists Talk ra- zations in different regions of Germany and dio program that morning. the United States. While here he would like to conduct extensive interviews with mem- bers of Minnesota Atheists. If you would be willing to be interviewed, contact Au- Björn Mastiaux PAGE 4 THE MINNESOTA ATHEIST VOLUME 18 NUMBER 4 March Building fund report Visibility (General) Building Fund: $1390.00 as memoriam for Minnesota atheists, Fund: $200.00 Fran Bauer $60.00 $25.00 from Nancy Ruhland and Dean Borghorst $200.00 $100.00 from the Nienkerks.