VOLUME 21, NUMBER 8 SEPTEMBER 2011 The Minnesota Atheist Angry Atheists? hy are you atheists so angry?” The Sun-Times, and the anthology Everything You “Watheist movement is often accused of Know About God Is Wrong. being driven by anger. What are so many Greta Christina has been writing atheists so angry about? Is this anger professionally since 1989, on topics including legitimate? Do the firebrands and diplomats in sexuality and sex-positivity, LGBT issues, our community deal differently with this anger politics, culture, and whatever crosses her mind. – and how can those differences be resolved? She is an experienced and entertaining public And can anger be an effective force behind a speaker, who has been doing public speaking for movement for social change? many years. Next year, she will be a speaker Join us as we resume our at the Reason Rally in Washington, D.C. monthly meetings on Sunday, In our efforts to “share the wealth” (of September 18, with our special talent), we are trying to book Christina for guest speaker Greta Christina, additional speaking engagements in who will address these and other Minnesota while she’s here, primarily on questions. college campuses. As we go to press, plans When most of us think of are underway for her to speak for the Secular atheist bloggers, three names Student Alliance at Saint Cloud State come to mind: PZ Myers, Hemant Mehta, and University on Monday, September 19. Greta Christina. Greta resides with her wife in Please join us as we start our new season of San Francisco and is one of the most widely- speakers on a definite high note! Afterward, we read and well-respected bloggers in the atheist will dine at Q. Cumbers Restaurant. community. She is the regular atheist correspondent for If You Go... AlterNet, the online political magazine with over 1,200,000 hits a week, and has been When: writing about atheism and skepticism for her Sunday, September 18, 2011 own blog (http://freethoughtblogs.com/greta) since 2005. Where: Her writing has appeared in numerous Southdale Library magazines, newspapers, and anthologies, 7001 York Avenue South including Ms., Skeptical Inquirer, the Chicago Edina, MN 55435 INSIDE: Schedule: • Get your story in print.................................................see page 4 1:00-1:15 p.m. – Social time 1:15-1:45 p.m. – Business • Freethinkers don’t drink tea.........................................see page 7 Meeting • Project 42 returns..........................................................see page 9 1:45-2:00 p.m. – Break 2:00-3:30 p.m. – Presentation • Book review: The End of Christianity...........................see page 12 4:00 – Q. Cumbers Restaurant PAGE 1 VOLUME 21, NUMBER 8 SEPTEMBER 2011 IN THIS ISSUE... MINNESOTA ATHEISTS BOARD OF DIRECTORS September Meeting 1 Published by Minnesota Atheists, [email protected] P.O. Box 120304 President’s Column 3 President: August Berkshire New Brighton, MN 55112 [email protected] 612-284-4495, [email protected] New Promotional Cards 3 612-338-4548 www.MinnesotaAtheists.org Tell Your Unique Story 4 Associate President: Mike Editorial Board, [email protected] Haubrich, [email protected] News and Notes 5 James Zimmerman, editor Chair: George Kane [email protected] [email protected] Atheist Camel Review 6 651-488-8225 Chief Photographer: Richard Trombley Don’t Drink Tea 7 Associate Chair: Steve Petersen Membership/change of address: Steve [email protected] Petersen, [email protected], Freethought Cryptogram 8 651-484-9277 651-484-9277 Treasurer: Chris Matthews Public Relations: Emily Matejcek, Project 42 Returns 9 [email protected] [email protected] June-Aug Radio Report 10 Secretary: Rick Rohrer [email protected] Atheists Weekly Email (AWE): George Kane, [email protected] Treasurer’s Report 11 Director-at-Large: Andy Flamm [email protected] Cable: Steve Petersen, End of Christianity Review 12 [email protected], 651-484-9277 Director-at-Large: Eric Jayne July Cable Report 14 [email protected] Webmaster: Grant Hermanson [email protected] Things To Do.... 15 Director-at-Large: Robin Raianiemi, [email protected] Podcasts: Grant Hermanson, 612-872-0574 [email protected] Minnesota Atheists practices positive, Copyright 2011 Minnesota Atheists. inclusive, active, friendly Minnesota Atheists is an affiliate of MNA Meetup members: 939 Atheist Alliance International, American neighborhood atheism in Life memberships: 30 A t h e i s t s , A m e r i c a n H u m a n i s t order to: Association, Council for Secular • Provide a community for Honorary Members Humanism, and International Humanist and Ethical Union. atheists; Dan Barker • Educate the public about Gerald Erickson, PhD Submit material for the newsletter to atheism; and Annie Laurie Gaylor [email protected]. Submissions • Promote separation of state Dick Hewetson may be edited. Publication is not and church. Robert M. Price, PhD guaranteed. Minnesota Atheists Mission Statement Minnesota Atheists is dedicated to building a positive atheist community that actively promotes secular values through educational programs, social activities, and participation in public affairs. PAGE 2 VOLUME 21, NUMBER 8 SEPTEMBER 2011 PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Welcome Back! elcome back from summer vacation! We are pleased to announce that hope you were able to enjoy at least one of scheduling duties have been taken Wour picnics. We have a number of events over by Carl Hancock and hosting and opportunities to report on this month: will mainly be handled by Stephanie We are very excited to have Greta Christina Zvan and Brianne Bilyeu. Scott kick off our fall schedule of speakers (see page 1). Lohman of the Humanists of She’ll be followed next month by Hector Avalos, Minnesota will continue to be a by August making his sixth annual visit to our group. In regular interviewer and host, as Berkshire baseball, Reggie Jackson used to be known as needed. “Mr. October,” but Hector now owns that title for us. W e c o n t i n u e t o s e e k Please support us with your new or renewed submissions for our book project, tentatively titled membership and donations, so we can continue to Atheist Voices of Minnesota. The deadline is Sept. bring in world-class atheist speakers such as these 30, 2011. For more information, see page 4 of this two people. issue, and visit http://mnatheists.org/content/view/ A fundraiser for our Legal Fund will occur on 602/199. Oct. 9 (see insert). As we reported last month, we The Center for Inquiry (CFI) has produced a very have filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of nice, one-minute long “Living Without Religion” three same-sex couples who are suing for the right video (see: http://livingwithoutreligion.org). We are to get married in Minnesota. (Actually, they have looking for someone to produce a similar 30 or 60 already been legally married in other states and are second video for us. If you’re interested, please seeking to have their marriages recognized in contact us at (612) 588-7031 or [email protected]. Minnesota.) We anticipate our costs to eventually Our Public Relations Committee is looking for be $5,000 and wish to pay for this out of new someone to volunteer to submit notices of our money and not dip into our treasury. An excellent activities to press and web events calendars. If story about the case and our brief appeared in the interested, please contact our Public Relations on-line journal The Minnesota Independent: Officer, Emily Matejcek, at Emily.Matejcek@ “Couples file appeal in Minnesota same-sex mnatheists.org. marriage lawsuit” at http://minnesotaindependent. Finally, we’d like to plug the “Project 42 com/86475/couples-file-appeal-in-minnesota-same- Freethought Convention” being hosted by the Red sex-marriage-lawsuit. River Freethinkers, Sept. 23-25, 2011 in Fargo, ND. After many months of heroic service, almost It will feature speakers such as PZ Myers, Michael single-handedly planning and running our Atheists Shermer, Robert Price, and Richard Carrier. For more Talk radio program, Mike Haubrich is taking a information, see page 9 of this issue, and visit http:// break. He’ll still be helping out occasionally, but we project42convention.org. New Promotional Cards Available Minnesota Atheists has a new "Saved by an Atheist" card. August Berkshire designed the card and MNA member "E.Z." a professional graphics designer who wished to remain anonymous, ‘polished up’ the card. The cards are available at our third Sunday meetings and at festivals at which we have a booth. Or contact us at [email protected] or (612) 588-7031 and we'll be happy to send you some! PAGE 3 VOLUME 21, NUMBER 8 SEPTEMBER 2011 Do You Have a Unique Story to Tell? Dear Minnesota Atheists, have a 40% author’s discount available for You are invited to submit a paper for purchasing additional copies. possible inclusion in a new book scheduled to Additional submission guidelines: be published in late 2012. The book, with the • The deadline for submissions is working title Atheist Voices of Minnesota, September 30, 2011. Feel free to will be a collection of primarily submit your essay at any time from now autobiographical writings from atheists living until then. in or who are from • Maximum length is 4,500 words. There Minnesota. All proceeds is no minimum length. from the sale of this book • Papers must be submitted will benefit Minnesota electronically, as an attachment, to Atheists, a 501c3 [email protected]. nonprofit organization. • You will receive a confirmation email The project has two verifying that we received your paper. goals: to create a unique • Papers should be submitted in MS outreach tool for atheism Word. If you are unable to use or access here in Minnesota, and to MS Word, please contact us at financially support [email protected].