A Few Famous Atheists: Have more questions? Email us, text us, come to a meeting, It’s okay to not Billy Joel Daniel Radcliffe or visit our Facebook page to believe in a god! Angelina Jolie Steve Wozniak ask us questions. Just search Keira Knightley Seth McFarlane Deity: n. a supernatural being, like a god Mick Jagger James Watson & on Western Colorado Atheists or goddess, that is worshipped by people Bill Gates Francis Crick and Freethinkers. who believe it controls or exerts force Brad Pitt Keanu Reeves over some aspect of the world. Steven Hawking Trey Parker & Everyone can attend Western John Lennon Matt Stone Colorado Atheists & Freethinkers’ Eddie Vedder Mark Zuckerberg regular meetings, held on the first Warren Buffett Ricky Gervais Matt Groening Penn Jillette Sunday the month at 3:00 p.m. at Ayn Rand Julianne Moore the Coffee Trader, 7th Street and Pat Tillman Jodie Foster Patterson Road, Grand Junction Katharine Hepburn Mark Twain Carl Sagan DISCLAIMER Neither this pamphlet nor WCAF’s meetings are sponsored by or endorsed by District 51, and the District assumes no responsibility for the conduct or safety of participants during WCAF’s meetings or events. In consideration for the privilege to distribute this information This brochure is created and distributed by or holding these events, WCAF shall defend, indemnify and hold District 51 Western Colorado Atheists & Freethinkers harmless from any and all claims, WesternColoradoAtheists.org injuries, damages, losses or suites, P.O. Box 1434 including attorney fees, arising out of or Grand Junction, CO 81502 in connection with WCAF events, except (970) 216-9842 (accepts texts) for injuries and damages caused by the sole negligence of the district. [email protected] Copyright 2017, Western Colorado Atheists and Freethinkers Q. “Isn’t atheism a Q: “If I say I don’t Why do so many people If someone said they had a religion?” believe in God, purple elephant in their back people will bully me.” believe in deities? No! Calling atheism a You don’t have to tell yard, would you believe it? religion assumes it is anyone you don’t Belief in deities and gods dates back a belief system that believe in a god. But thousands of years — before science Extraordinary claims require people accept purely lots of people don’t, so explained natural phenomena. Ancient extraordinary evidence! on faith. It’s not! you’re not alone. Non- people thought Earth was flat until around Atheism is a logical believers are America’s 240 B.C.E, when Greek mathematician conclusion that and astronomer Eratosthenes performed You’d probably want to see that elephant fastest-growing group. people reach based scientific calculations to determine that before you’d believe it’s true. People Be proud, not fearful, of on thinking and your disbelief. WCAF is the Earth was round. He was also the first make similar claims that deities exist. But evidence. here to support you. person to calculate Earth’s approximate just as with the purple elephant, you circumference and the tilt of Earth’s axis, have a right to be convinced by real and did so with remarkable accuracy. evidence, and to your own satisfaction, Today, thanks to hundreds of years of before you believe something is true. scientific exploration into fields like People who don’t believe in deities or physics, geology, microbiology, gods are called “atheists.” Atheists do not meteorology, biology and astronomy, we affiliate with any religion. In 2015, almost now know far more about the Earth and 23% of Americans did not affiliate with it’s history, why Earthly phenomena occur any religion, according to Pew research. and how the universe works. Before science, people believed deities controlled everything in the universe. Now science explains many formerly mysterious Without God, how will I know phenomena that people used to be afraid right from wrong? of, like thunder and lightning, eclipses, “shooting stars,” avalanches, magnetism, Belief in deities has nothing to do with gravity, diseases and more. Science has one’s ability to know right from wrong. greatly reduced people’s need to rely on All you need to tell right from wrong is a the concept of deities for explanations. rule many civilizations have embraced since Babylonian times: “Treat others the way you yourself would like to be treated.” To tell if an action is right or wrong, try it out on yourself first: Before you lie to someone, ask if you would like someone else to lie to you. Before you tease someone, think to yourself would DNA you like to be teased? .