June 2015 Volume 25 Number 6 The Minnesota Atheist Join us for the Family Friendly Freethought Picnics Thisyeartheywillbeat: The(Wabun(Picnic(Area,(Shelter(B((Minnehaha(Park)( 4655(46th(Ave(S( Minneapolis,(MN( Wewillbeinamodernpicnicshelterwith children stables,sufficientelectricoutlets,andinclose proximitytobathrooms.alsoincloseproximityarea wadingpool,aplayground,anddiscgolf. Thepicnicisapotlucksobringadishifyoucan andenjoythevarietyofdishesthatpeoplebring.be suretobringyourownbeverages.platesandutensils willbeavailable,buttoreducewaste,feelfreetobring yourown. Rainorshine,thepicnicswilltakeplacethe followingdatesfeaturingthefollowingsponsors: Sunday,(June(14 th (at(noon=campquest MinnesotaandCASH(CampusAtheists, Skeptics,andHumanists) Sunday,(July(19 th (at(noon=humanistsof Minnesota Sunday,(August(16 th (at(noon=minnesota Atheists Theshelterisreservedfrom9am 3pmforallthree dates. Thisfacilityisfriendlytomultiple methodsof transportation: Car FreeParkingLots President s Column 2 News and Notes 3 Cryptogram 3 Aints Game Info 4 Conference Info 5 Meeting Review 6 Cryptogram Answer 7 Cable Report 10 Volunteer Report 13 Radio Report 14 LightRail justamile fromthehiawathaave& E46thStBlueLineStation NiceRide halfamile fromthebikerental station Bus servedbybusses23, 46,74,&84(stopsinclose proximity)andbuses7,9, 46,74,&84(stopsnear MinnehahaAve&E46thSt)
2( JUNE(2015 President s Column Scientology Tour By Eric Jayne AgroupfromMinnesotaAtheistsvisitedthe ChurchofScientologythispastMemorialDayweekend.It wasthesecondtimewetouredtheirbuildingafterfirst visitingshortlyafteritopenedin2011.justlikelasttime, thechurchmemberswerehospitable,butevasive. About50ofusgatheredinsidethebuilding s mainlobbytobeginthetour.wehadtwomainescorts: Nancy aformerlutheranwhojoinedscientology39 yearsago,andmia ayoungwomanwhodidn tshareher personalstorybutseemedverypassionateabout Scientology. WebeganattheE=meterstationfora demonstrationbyascientologychurchmember.the device,sheexplained,isusedto seeyourthought duringan auditing sessionbetweenanauthorized facilitatorandanewcomer.shesaidcrisesfromourpast affecthowweliveinthepresent,withwhichmost everyonefromourgroupagreed,butshewasn tableto convinceusofthedevice sbenefits. AfewpeoplefromourgroupattemptedtheE= meterwithsomeguidance.aftertakingholdofthetwo cylindercans,thesubjectwastoldtothinkofanegative thought,suchassomebodyorsomethingatworkthat s infuriating.theneedleonthee=meter sscalewouldthen jumptotherightthenshiftalittlebackandforth.many fromourgroupobservedthatthee=meterworksinthe samewayasanohmmeter. Wethenmeanderedaroundthemainfloorfor about20minutesandviewedthevideosatthedozen=or= sokioskscelebratingthelifeofl.ronhubbardandthe Scientologyapproachtohappyliving.Therewereplenty offreedvdsandliteratureavailableateachkioskfor furtherviewingathome.iwastheonlyoneallowedto takepicturesbutineededtogetnancy sapprovalbefore takingthem. Thetourconcludedinthebuilding ssanctuary, whichusedtobetheomnitheaterbeforethebuilding wastransformedfromthesciencemuseumtothechurch ofscientology.wewatchedfive,90=secondpublicservice announcementsinspiringgoodwork,self=improvement, andpositivethinking.attheconclusionoftheshortfilms wewereallowedtoaskquestionsontheconditionwe didn taskaboutthe lies fromthedocumentaryor bookgoing&clear.weweredirectedtoreadtheirfreeand readilyavailablepublicationfreedomortovisit FreedomMag.org( thevoiceofthechurchof Scientology )togetthe truth. TheQuestionandAnswersessionbeganwith MiareadingaL.RonHubbardquotefromoneofthetwo Scientologybooksshehadinfrontofheronthepodium. Itappearstobeawell=regardedquoteamong ScientologistsbecauseIwasabletoimmediatelyfinditon Scientology.org.Thegistofthequoteisthattruthis limitedtoonlywhatyoupersonallyobservetobetrue. Here salittlesnippet: What&is&true&for&you&is&what&you& observed&yourself Nothing&in&Scientology&is&true&for&you& unless&you&have&observed&it&and&it&is&true&according&to&your& observation. Therewereabout15questionsaskedduringthe 20minutesofQ&A.WhenaskedwhattheChurchof Scientology spositionisonsame=sexmarriage,vaccines, andabortion,weweretoldthereisnoofficialposition. WhenaskedifScientologyacceptsDarwinianevolution, NancyandMiawereuncertainatfirstbutthenNancysaid sherememberedsomethingl.ronhubbardsaidabout survivalofthefittestandthenconfirmedevolutionis compatiblewithscientology. Compatibilityseemedtobeasellingpointfor theirchurch,becauseitwasexplainedtousbymiaand NancythatseveralScientologistsmaintainotherreligious beliefs.ifyou recatholic,forexample,youcanstill practicethecatholicfaithandbelievewhatthepopesays whiledoingcoursesinscientology. Whenaskedaboutthechurch spositionon afterlife,nancyandmiaseemeduncertain.whenasked aboutcreationismnancyandmiawerealsonotsurewhat theirchurch spositionwas.whenaskedifit sexpensive tobeascientologisttheysaidit suptotheindividualhow muchtheywanttospendandhowfartheywanttogo intotheircoursework.theysaiditwas$50forthe introductorylessons. Theyansweredwithafirm no whenaskedifl. RonHubbardisthoughttobeinfallible.Butwhenaskedif hiswritingsandso=calleddiscoveriesareopentocriticism amongchurchmembers,miareferredbacktothel.ron Hubbardquoteshereadearlierandsaid ifsomepartsof hiswritingarenottruetoyouthenit snottrueforyou. AftertheQ&Awewereinvitedtotakemorefree swagandgivenabagtoputitin.theswagandbagswere putoutonanicelydisplayedtableinahallwithframed picturesoftheverysmileyandhandsomechurchleader DavidMiscavige.Weexitedthebuildingandhurrieddown fourblockstotheamsterdambar&hallfordrinks,food, andalotofdebriefing.
News and Notes JUNE(2015( 3 By George Kane Let'snotshyawayfromtheobvioustruth. PamelaGellerisahorribleperson.TheSouthernPoverty LawCenterhaslabeledherorganization,theAmerican FreedomDefenseInitiative(AFDI)asananti=Muslimhate group.sheisareligiously=motivatedfundamentalist Christian.SheportraysasathreattotheAmericanwayof lifenotjustthereligion=inspiredparamilitarygroupslike theislamicstateandalqaeda,butislamitselfandall Muslims.Sheisnotoriousforrunninganti=Muslimadsin publictransitsystemsinwashington,newyorkandsan Francisco;whenNewYorkrefusedtheads,shewentto courtandgotanorderforcingthemetropolitantransit Authoritytorunthem.Onesaid,"Inanywarbetweenthe civilizedmanandthesavage,supportthecivilizedman. SupportIsrael.DefeatJihad." OnMay3,theAFDIheldthe"FirstAnnual MuhammadArtExhibitandContest"attheCurtisCulwell CenterinGarland,Texas.Itwasinspired,obviously,bythe 2005cartooncontestheldinDenmarkbytheJyllandsD Postennewspaper,andbytheFrenchsatiremagazine& Charlie&Hebdo,theParisofficeofwhichwasthetargetof amurderousattackbyjihaditerrorists.gellerselectedthe sitebecauseaneventcalled"standwiththeprophetin HonorandRespect"hadbeenheldthereinJanuaryto combatnegativestereotypesofmuslims. Thecontesthitthenationalnewswhentwo MuslimsfromPhoenix,EltonSimpsonandNadirHamid Soofi,showedup,armedwithhandgunsandAK=47rifles, intentonattackingtheroughly200exhibitattendees. Beforeenteringthebuilding,however,theyshotata policecarparkedoutside.theywoundedasecurityguard inhisankle,butwerebothkilledbyagarlandpoliceman. Soonaftertheattack,theIslamicStatetookcreditforit, referringtosimpsonandsoofias"twosoldiersofthe Caliphate."Lawenforcementisinvestigatingthe connection,butitappearsunlikelythattheislamicstate hadanyroleinplanningtheattack.theymayhave inspiredtheattack,butapparentlysimpsonandsoofi actedalone.i'msurprisedthattheislamicstatewould George Kane Cryptogram wanttotakecreditforanattackthatwassuchadismal failure,orforsuchincompetentperpetrators. PamelaGellerhasbeenwidelycriticizedfor holdingthecontest.kathleenparkerwroteinthe WashingtonPost"NotsinceWestboroBaptistChurch s 'GodHatesFags'messageandFloridapastorTerryJones burningthekoranhastheprincipleoffreespeechbeen sosulliedandabused."billo'reillycondemnedherfor "insultingareligionwithmorethanabillionfollowers." JuanWilliamsassertedthatshewasmotivatedonlyby self=promotion.inmyopinion,however,geller's intentionsarebesidethepoint. WhentheJyllandsDPosten&publishedcartoonsof Mohammad,editorFlemingRosesaidthatthetargetwas theself=censorshipofdanishjournalistsinfearof offendingmuslims.thatself=censorshipunderminesthe principleoffreedomofspeech.afterthedanishcartoons werepublished,therewereriots,arsonandevenmurders inseveralcountries,eventhoughfewoftheoutraged riotershadseenthecartoons.ithasbeendemonstrated repeatedlyinthosecountriesthatmobscanbeincitedto violencebyclaimsofreligiousinsultwhenitisusefulfor thegovernmentorapoliticalfaction,evenwhenthe insultwasnevermade. (continuedonpage6) IobzgNclgcqoqnJcusgcqhtzJobdywmzrmzgzqhhtz vmzohzghhtmzohhcucqghdhshdcqoyydlzmhdzgdqcsmhdbz. LommwYwqq,zfzushdxzndmzuhcmcjObzmduoqgSqdhzn jcmgzromohdcqcjutsmutoqnghohz.
4( JUNE(2015 Leave Your Soles at the Gate: A Shoe Drive Presented by Minnesota Atheists and Foundation Beyond Belief St. Paul Saints are secularized to the MR. PAUL AINTS Bring your gently used shoes to the game for donation to Soles4Souls a secular nonprofit that will distribute the shoes to those in need Tickets Now Available $10 General Admission + St. Paul Saints hat $20 Infield (Infidel) Reserved + St. Paul Saints hat Tickets: SaintsGroups.com Password: soles
JUNE(2015( 5 HumphreySchoolofPublicAffairs=30119thAveS,Minneapolis,Minnesota55455 MinnesotaAtheistsisdoingsomethingdifferentwithoursummerconferencethisyear.Wehaveteamedupwith CampusAtheists,Skeptics,andHumanists(CASH)andSecularWomantobringyouaconferencebyactivistsandforactivists, thesecularwomenworkconference.thisconferencewillbeacelebrationoftheworkoffemaleandgenderqueeractivists whocreateandrunprojectsandcommunitiesinthesecularmovement. Ourfullslateofspeakersincludes: Desiree(Schell(( isaunionorganizerwhoispassionateabouteffectiveactivism. Here,shetellsushowsheendedupanactivist,whymeasuring ourresultsissoimportant,andwhattopicsshe dliketosee activiststackle. Mandisa(Thomas( isthepresidentandfounderofblacknonbelievers,inc.she alsohasanewprojectcallednewturnwhichprovideshelpfor ex=convicts,at=riskjuvenilesandindividualswhoareata generaleducationandeconomicdisadvantagebydeveloping criticalthinkingandpracticalinstructionandskills,aswellas maximizeentrepreneurialcapability. Lauren(Lane( isfounderandon=goingorganizerofskepticon,themidwest s largestskepticconference.here salittlebitabouthow Laurengotstartedandwhatshe slookingforwardtoat SecularWomenWork. Registration: $125 Studentrate: $35 Registerat:MinnesotaAtheists.org/store( OnlineregistrationendsonJuly20th. Registration(is(now(open(for(the(Secular(Women(Work(conference( IfyoualreadygotticketsthroughtheJanuary=FebruaryKickstarter,you'regoodtogo(there'snophysicalticket).Thank youforbeingapartofmakingtheconferencehappen
6( THE(MINNESOTA(ATHEIST Minnesota Atheists May Meeting Review By Alyssa Ehni and Hertzy Hertz Forthepastthreeyears,MinnesotaAtheistshas sponsoredthesaintpaulsaintsandchangedtheirname tothemr.paulaintsfortheevening.atthemaypublic meeting,scottbush,assistantgeneralmanagerforthe Saints,gaveusaninsidelookattheclub,talkedaboutthe newchsfield,andprovidedinsightonfeedbackthe Saintshavereceivedaboutallowing AtheistsNight at theballpark. Asaclub,theSaintshaveexistedsincebefore 1900invariousincarnations.Thefirstversionoftheteam leftminnesotaforchicago,wheretheybecamethe ChicagoWhiteSox.Otherversionsoftheclubhavecome andgone.thecurrentincarnationofthesaintshasbeen aroundsince1993.theyareanindependentminorleague teamandoftenwindupbeingafirstchance/lastchance teamforplayers.their rostertypicallyconsistsof playerswhoweren t drafted,orplayerswith majorleagueexperience whoaren tabletosignwith amajorleagueteam.asan example,bushciteddarryl Strawberry.Hewas suspendedfrommajor LeagueBaseballin1995due tococaine,andsignedwith thesaintsin1996. Hewasabletogethimselfbackontrackwhileplaying withthesaintsandwaspickedupbythenewyork Yankeesinmid=season,andwontheWorldSeriesthat year. Bushdescribedhowthefirstyearhosting AtheistNight wasstressful;theyhadn tthoughtthatfar outoftheboxyet.however,hostingan AtheistNight wasverymuchinlinewiththesaints values.itwas inclusive,imaginative,involvedpartneringwitha longstandingorganization,andwasirreverent.overallthe Saints experienceinhostingan AtheistNight with MinnesotaAtheistswaspositive,andtheyreceived nationalmediaattention.foxnewswasthefirstnational mediaoutlettopickupthestory.theclubreceived emailsandletters,mostlyfromfolksinohioandflorida, criticizingtheeventasun=americanornotfamilyfriendly. However,becausethepartnershipwasinlinewiththe Saints values,itmadethebacklasheasiertodealwith. Sincethefirstyear,theemailscriticalofthepartnership havedwindled,andtheminnesotaatheistshave continuedtosponsorthesaintpaulsaints. JointheMinnesotaAtheistsandFoundation BeyondBeliefatCHSFieldonAugust8,2015,foranother fun AtheistNight attheballpark.anddon tforgetto leaveyoursoleatthegate,bydonatingnewand/orgently usedshoes.additionalinformationcanbefoundat mnatheists.org/baseballgame. News and Notes (continued from page 3) ItisperfectlyreasonabletocriticizewhatGellersaysas hate=speechandfearmongering;itisnotreasonableto trytosilenceher,especiallyforblasphemy.ifcriticismof religionbecomesunacceptable,thefreethought movementwillbecompletelyshutdown.freedomof speechmeansthateveryonemustattimesendure ridiculeandmockery;atheistsreceivemorethanmost. Therecanbenoexemptionforreligion. In2005,theMinnesotaAtheistsnewsletterwas oneoftheveryfewpublicationsintheunitedstatesto publishallofthemohammadcartoons.inthespiritof supportforfreedomofspeech,hereisthecartoon(topof page3)fromtheafdi=sponsoredcontest,forwhichbosch Fawstin,anex=Muslim,receiveda$10,000prize.
Recent Blog Post from an Atheist in Minnesota The(Guilt(of(Being(a(Support(Person(and(the(Guilt(of(Being(the(Sick(One( by(olivia(james,(reprinted(from(https://taikonenfea.wordpress.com/(with(permission JUNE(2015( 7 InrecentweeksandmonthsIhavebeen spendingmoreandmoreofmytimeonthesupport personsideofthementalillnessequation.foraboutfive yearsprevioustothat,iwasthesickone,theonewho neededtorelyonotherstosupportmeandhelpmewith someprettybasicthings.istillhavetodothatsometimes now,buti vestartedtofindmyselfstableenoughtotake ontheroleofsupportpersonforcertainfriendsand family. There ssomethingthatiwanttosaytoeveryone whohasmentalillnessintheirlife,onbothsidesofthe relationship:it snotyourfault. ThemoretimeIspendinteractingwithmyown andotherpeople smentalillnesses,themoreiseethe overwhelmingfeelingthatdrivestheexperienceisguilt. Theguiltslookdifferent. WhenIwassick,theguiltwastheguiltthatIwas aburden,thatiwassuckingtoomuchtimeandenergy fromthepeopleiloved,thattherewassomethingwrong withmethatcouldneverbefixed.it seasytofeelguilty whenyouseehowmuchyouarehurtingthepeople aroundyousimplybytryingtosurvive.andwhenyour brainisinthemidstofseriousdepression,anycriticisms starttofeellikecommentaryonyourworthasaperson. It seasytolivecompletelywithinguilt,andstarttofeelas ifyouneedtoapologizeforyourexistence.beingthesick oneissomethingthatcomeswithasidehelpingofguilt notjustinternally,butfromasocietythataskswhyyou can tdealwiththingsonyourown,whyyou reso sensitive,orwhyyouhavetobesuchaburden. ButwhatIdidn tunderstanduntilrecentlywas theguiltofbeingthesupportperson. Rightnow,someofthepeopleI mtryingto supportwerethereformethroughmymentalillness. Thereisapartofmybrainthatinterpretsthatasan obligationinowhavetoreturn.theywerethereforme, whichmeansthatiamneverallowedtoabandonthem. Therearelotsofversionsofthisformofguilt:Ilovethis personandtheyloveme,soimustbethereforthem. Thispersonsupportedmethroughgrieforillnessor childhoodoranyotherdifficultsituation,whichmeansi mustbethereforthem. Thereistheguiltthatcomeswithnotbeingable todoanything.youcansitandwatchsomeoneyoucare abouthurting,andtherewillbetimeswhenthereis absolutelynothingthatcanbedonetochangeit.there s theguiltoftakingcareofyourself,perhapsthemost insidiousguiltofall.noonecanbeonallthetime.noone canalwaysbeavailableandreadytoprovidesupportand care,orevenjusttimetolisten.everysupportperson (andevery sick person)getstimetosetboundariesand dowhattheyneedtototakecareofthemselves.butthe narrativesaroundsupporttendtobeallornothingrather thannuanced:youarealwaysavailable,oryouarenever available. Iunderstandalloftheseguilts.Theproblemis thatmentalillnessisnoone sfault.difficultthingsinlife happen.hardemotionshappen.therearecertainlyways torespondtothemthatshouldelicitguilt,buttheir existenceoryourinabilitytoeradicatethemisnothingto feelguiltyover. IthinkwhatIwantmorethananythingistobe abletotalkabouttheguilt.wheneverisaythatithinkit s myfaultigetemptyreassurances.iwanttositdownwith thepeopleiloveandbreakdownthewaysthatthe mentalillnessmakesourlivessuckandthenremember: noneofuscausedthis.noneofusarerequiredtofixit. Areyoudoingyourbest?Youhavenocauseforguilt. Butyougettofeelguilty.Ifyouneedto.No matterwhichpartyyouare. Ifyouwouldliketorespondtosomethingyou sawinthe&minnesota&atheist,pleasesenditto: editor@mnatheists.org Wevalueyourthoughts.Thankyou. Cryptogram Answer Philosophyisquestionsthatmayneverbe answered.religionisanswersthatmayneverbe questioned. Anonymous
8( THE(MINNESOTA(ATHEIST Atheism, Legislation, and Feminism: My Day of Reason Talk By August Berkshire MinnesotaAtheistsandtheHumanistsof Minnesotaarecurrentlytryingtogetabillpassedthat wouldallowatheistandhumanistweddingcelebrants toconductcivilweddingswithouthavingtoget certifiedthroughareligiousorganizationandwithout turningatheismintoareligion.we dliketothankthe followinglegislatorsforco=authoringthisbill:house membersphylliskahnandmikefreiberg,andsenate membersjohnmarty,sandrapappas,andkaridziedzic. We realwayslookingformoreco=authors,soifyou re alegislatorlisteningtothismessage,wewelcomeyour support.pleasesignourpetitionurgingalllegislatorsto voteforthisbill. InkeepingwithMinnesotaAtheists themeof feminismthisyear,wewouldliketopointoutthatthe religiouswaronwomencontinueseverywhere.every majorreligiousfaith Judaism,Christianity,Islam, Hinduism,andBuddhism haswithinit,rulesand practicesthattreatwomenassecond=classpeople.this legacyofsexismissomethingwemustworkto overcome,evenwithinouratheist/humanist community. HereinMinnesota,wealreadyhaveonthe booksa24=hourwaitingperiodbeforeawomancan getanabortion.awomanunder18,withrare exceptions,hastohavebothofherparentsnotified beforeshecangetanabortion.currentlyinthe Minnesotalegislature,therehavebeensubmitteda numberofbogustraplawsthatseektounjustifiably restrictawoman saccesstoabortion. Onthebrightside,therearealsobillsinthe Minnesotalegislaturethatcallforstateandfederalequal rightsamendments.butit samarkofthepowerthat religionstillhas,thatin2015theseamendmentsstill haven tpassed. ThetwolargestatheistgroupsinAmericawere foundedbywomen:americanatheistsin1963by MadalynMurrayO Hair,andtheFreedomFromReligion Foundationin1976byAnneNicholGaylorandAnnie LaurieGaylor. AstatementthatMadalynMurrayO Hairread beforetheu.s.supremecourtin1963stillringstrue today.inthisstatement,sheusestheword man inthe scientificsense,meaningallhumanbeings(thoughtoday, ofcourse,ifwemeantallhumans,thatisthewordwe woulduse). Yourpetitionersareatheistsandtheydefine theirbeliefsasfollows.anatheistloveshisfellowman insteadofgod.anatheistbelievesthatheavenis somethingforwhichweshouldworknow hereonearth PhotosbyRichardTrombley forallmentogethertoenjoy.anatheistbelievesthathe cangetnohelpthroughprayerbutthathemustfindin himselftheinnerconvictionandstrengthtomeetlife,to grapplewithit,tosubdueit,andenjoyit.anatheist believesthatonlyinaknowledgeofhimselfanda knowledgeofhisfellowmancanhefindthe understandingthatwillhelptoalifeoffulfillment.he seekstoknowhimselfandhisfellowmanratherthanto knowagod.anatheistbelievesthatahospitalshouldbe builtinsteadofachurch.anatheistbelievesthatadeed mustbedoneinsteadofaprayersaid.anatheiststrives forinvolvementinlifeandnotescapeintodeath.he wantsdiseaseconquered,povertyvanquished,war eliminated.hewantsmantounderstandandloveman. Hewantsanethicalwayoflife.Hebelievesthatwe cannotrelyonagodorchannelactionintoprayernor hopeforanendoftroublesinahereafter.hebelieves thatweareourbrother skeepersandarekeepersofour ownlives;thatweareresponsiblepersonsandthejobis hereandthetimeisnow.
JUNE(2015( 9 Secretary s Report May By Heather Hegi Amotionwasmadeandapprovedtopay$26 extradollarsfort=shirtexpensesthanwas originallyapproved. GeorgiaHancockTsoi,AlyssaEhni,andHertzey HertzgaveanupdateoftheHumanist CollaborationGroupandideaswerediscussed. JillCarlsonproposedaMallofAmericaPhoto ScavengerHuntEventanddetailswere discussed. Amotionwasmadeandapprovedtoappoint GeorgiaHancockTsoiasAssociateChair,vacating oneofthethreedirector=at=largepositions.the appointmentwillbesubjecttoapprovalatthe nextmembers meeting. AmotionwasmadeandapprovedtoappointJim BarriasaDirector=at=Large.Theappointmentwill besubjecttoapprovalatthenextmembers meeting. Completemeetingminutesareavailabletoduespaying membersbycontactingheatheratsec@mnatheists.org. Call for July/August Articles Wewelcomecontributionsfromallreadersof The&Minnesota&Atheist.Whilewecannotguaranteethat yoursubmissionwillbeacceptedforpublication,wewill carefullyconsideranythingthatisrelatedtoatheism.we wouldespeciallyliketoreceivecontributionswhich provideprofilesofindividualatheistsandwhichreport atheist=relatedeventsinthewidercommunity. Becausewearea501(c)3tax=exempt organization,wecannotprintarticlesthatsupportor opposeaspecificcandidate,butwecanprintarticlesthat supportoropposespecificcauses.articlelengthshould ideallybe500=1000wordsandnomorethan2000words. Pleasesendsubmissionstotheeditor,Jenny Nolanateditor@mnatheists.orgby11:59pmonJune22. Allsubmissionsmaybeeditedforstyleandlength. Welookforwardtoreceivingyoursubmissions. Withoutcontributionsfromreaderslikeyou,The& Minnesota&Atheist&wouldbeneedlesslyconstrainedinits breadthanddepth. Board Appointment Announcement: AttheMayBoardMeetingofMinnesota Atheists,theAssociateChairvacancywasfilledby appointmentbytheboardinaccordancetoourbylaws. GeorgiaHancockTsoiwasappointedasAssociateChair. ThiscreatedaDirector=at=Largevacancy,whichwasalso filledbyappointmentbytheboard.longtimememberjim BarriwasappointedasDirector=at=Large.Bothpositions aresubjecttoapprovalatthenextmembershipmeeting whichwillbeannouncedatalaterdate. The(photo(collage(to(the(right( represents(the(may(day(( parade(of(2015.(
10( THE(MINNESOTA(ATHEIST Cable Schedule Burnsville/Eagan(Community(Television:Ch.14.Check theirwebsitewww.bect.tvfordayandtimes.sponsor: KevinHardisty Bloomington:Ch.16.Sunday11:00p.m.Sponsors:David andjoannebeardsley( Minneapolis:Ch.75.Monday7:00p.m.Sponsor:Steve Petersen Northwest(Community(Television(NWCT)Brooklyn( Center,Brooklyn(Park,Crystal,Golden(Valley,Maple( Grove,New(Hope,Osseo,PlymouthandRobbinsdale,Ch. 20.Checkwebpagefordateandtimes: nwct.org/programming.aspxsponsor:granthermanson Rochester:Ch.10.Tuesday,Wednesday&Thursday7:30 p.m.sponsor:jimsalutz Roseville,(Shoreview,(Arden(Hills,(North(Oaks,(Little( Canada,(Falcon(Heights,(Lauderdale,(Moundsview/New( Brighton:Ch.14.Wednesday10:30p.m.Sponsor:Shirley Moll St.(Cloud:Ch.12.Thursday8:30to9:00p.m.Sponsor: TomStavros St.(Paul:Ch.15.Wednesdays5:00p.m.Sponsor:Jim Wright Stillwater:Ch.,16.Tuesday7:00p.m.;Wednesday9:00 a.m.sponsor:leesalisbury White(Bear(Lake,(Hugo,(Lake(Elmo,(Mahtomedi,( Maplewood,(North(St.(Paul,(Oakdale,(Vadnais(Heights: Ch.15.Saturday8:00p.m.Sponsor:MichaelSeliga( InMayGeorgeKaneinterviewedJordanPeacock, astudentattheeuropeangraduateschool,mediaand CommunicationDivision,andco=founderofthesoftware startupbecomingmachinic.thetitleoftheprogramwas Philosophy&101.Issuescoveredincludedhowone s perspectivechangeswhenapersonmovesfroma believertoanatheist,specificallyonethicsand epistemology(howweknowwhatweknow;)howethical ideashavechangedovertime;andfinallyjustbecause atheistsagreeonthegodconclusiondoesnotmeanthey agreeonphilosophy.theyconsideredutilitarianism(and otherformsofconsequentialism)versusrationalism. Ifyouwouldliketoseeifaprogramcouldbe showninyourarea,oryouhaveaprogramidea,please contactstevepetersenataddress@mnatheists.org & Cable(Crew:((GeorgeKane,BrettStembridge,ShirleyMoll, StevePetersen,LesStordalen,GrantHermansonandArt Anderson. Podcasts:MinnesotaAtheists.org.AvailableviaItunesand YouTubewhicharemadepossiblebyGrantHermanson. Todate,ourchannelhashadover134,000downloads.( Jordan(Peacock(and(George(Kane( Cable Report By Steve Petersen
In The News JUNE(2015( 11 INTERNATIONALHUMANISTANDETHICALUNION(IHEU) May12,2015 Earlythismorning,AnantaBijoyDaswasmurdered,hackedtodeathbyfourassailantsonthestreetsclosetohis home. AnantahadbeenonalistofatheistbloggersproducedbyIslamistpoliticalpartiesin2013.Theydemandedadeath penaltyfor blasphemy,andsincethenseveralwritersonthelisthavebeenmurdered,alwaysbymacheteattack.ananta wasalsonamedonanewhitlistinmarch[bangla]inconnectionwithagroupcalledansarullahbanglateam. AnantawrotetoIHEUatthetime: ItseemstomeIamoneofthetargets.IamnotsurehowlongIwillhidemyself.ButIamsureIftheywillfindme theywilldowhattheydidwithmr.avijitroy.mylifeisseriouslyunsecured.iamnotsurehowcaniprotectmyself&my family. International(Humanist(and(Ethical(Union((IHEU)(statement: EachofthesemurdersisacrushinglosstothehumanistandsecularistcommunitiesofSouthAsiaandtheworld. IHEUcondemnsthismurderinthestrongestpossibleterms,aswellasthefailuresoftheBangladeshiauthoritiesto bringtojusticetheindividualsandtobreakthenetworksbehindthisstringoftargetedkillings.whetherfromapathy,or incompetence,orintimidation,thepoliceandgovernmentareutterlyfailingbangladeshihumanist,atheistandsecularist writers,thinkersandactivists. AnantaBijoyDashadreachedouttousatIHEUfollowingthemurdersofAvijitandWashiqur.Acceptingthevery seriousthreattothislife,weadvisedanantaintryingtomakethedifficultmoveoutofdanger.however,wehavebeen informedthathisapplicationforavisatotraveltosweden,underinvitationfromswedishpen,wasrejectedlastweekby theswedishembassyindhaka,onthebasisthathemightseektoremaininsweden. Wecallonallcountriestorecognisethelegitimacyandsometimestheurgencyandmoralnecessityofasylum claimsmadebyhumanists,atheistsandsecularistswhoarebeingpersecutedfordaringtoexpressthoseviews. We vebeenincontactwithseveralbangladeshihumanists,inparticularsinceavijitroywaskilledinfebruary. Thesewritersarenothateful,notintolerant;theywriteaboutscienceandpolitics,theyareproponentsofsecularism,they voiceskepticalandrationalistarguments,theycallforjusticeandforhumanism.theyaredesperatelyandincreasingly concernedthatthey,too,havebeennamedontheislamistdeathlists. Theirmurderersareassassinatingwritersinanattempttoterrifyanationagainstvoicinghumanistandsecularist valuesandideas,andtodeteranycriticismofreligiousbeliefsorreligiousauthorities.theirvilecampaignofintimidation andterrormustbemet notwithhollowwordsandappeasement butwithstrenuous,rigorousjustice. SwedishPENhasconfirmedthattheyhadinvitedAnantatoSwedentotalkaboutthethreattoatheistsin Bangladesh,buthisvisaapplicationwasrefused,despitetheclearanddemonstratedmortalthreattoatheistwritersin Bangladesh,anddespitethesupportofPENforhisvisit.SwedishPENdemand: a&detailed&and&credible&explanation&of&why&the&swedish&embassy&in&dhaka&chosen¬&to&grant&ananta&bioy& Dash&the&visa&he&needed&to&meet&the&Swedish&PEN s&invitation&to&speak&in&stockholm& InthevisarefusalletterseenbyIHEU(sentbytheEmbassyofSwedeninDhakatoAnantaBijoyDason22April 2015)theembassynotesamongotherconsiderations: youareunmarriedandyoudonothaveanychildren asreasonto considertheapplicantnot wellestablishedinbangladesh, therefore: you&have¬&made&it&likely&that&the&purpose&of&the&journey&is&only&for&a&short&visit&for&a&meeting&and¬& settlement&there.&you&belong&to&a&category&of&applicants&where&there&is&always&a&risk&involved&when& granting&a&visa&that&you&will¬&leave&schengen&area&after&the&visit.& "Furthermore,&the&purpose&of&your&trip&is¬&urgent&enough&to&grant&you&visa.&With®ards&to&this&and& different&circumstances&in&your&case&as&well&as&different&visa®ulations&you&do¬&fulfill&the&requirements& for&a&visa.&your&application&is&therefore&rejected."& PriortoAnanta smurderthismorning,bloggermdwashiqur(oroyasiqur)rahmanbabuwashackedtodeathon March30thisyear,inTejgaon,Dhaka,hisattackersclaimingtheyhadbeeninstructedtokillhimastheir Islamicduty. AvijitRoywaskilledFebruary272015,outsidetheDhakabookfair,inanattackwhichalsoseriouslyinjuredhiswifeBonya Ahmed.OnNovember152014ProfShafiulIslamwassimilarlykilledinbroaddaylightnearhisChoddopairesidencecloseto RajshahiUniversitycampus.AhmedRajeebHaider,ablogger,architect,andactivistoftheShahbaghmovement,was hackedtodeathinthecapital spallabionfebruary15,2013.allhadbeenaccusedof offendingislam onewayoranother. BobChurchill DirectorofCommunications InternationalHumanistandEthicalUnion(IHEU)
12( THE(MINNESOTA(ATHEIST Atheist Officiant Update By Stephanie Zvan OnMay4,U.S.DistrictJudgeJoanEricksen dismissedalawsuitfiledonbehalfofatheistsforhuman Rights(AFHR)asmoot.Thesuitwasfiledwhenamarriage officiantcertifiedbyafhrhadtheirfilingofthat certificaterejectedbywashingtoncountyonthebasis thatatheistswerenotamongthegroupsauthorizedas marriageofficiantsunderminnesotalaw.ericksen dismissedthesuitwhenwashingtoncountyreversedits decisionanddeclareditshouldhaveacceptedafhr s certificateatthestart. WashingtonCounty sdecisionisbeinglaudedas avictoryandastepforwardforatheist marriageofficiants.however,whilethisis anunequivocalvictory,itisavictoryfor thestatusquo.itisn tprogress. Understandingthedifferencetakessome background,bothonthecurrentsituation foratheistmarriageofficiantsandonwhat AFHRhopedtoaccomplishwiththeir lawsuit.italsohelpstobefamiliarwiththe judge'sorder. Ifyou vefollowedmeasawriter orminnesotaatheistsasagroup,you ll knowthatweaimtochangethelawon marriageofficiants.we vebeenworking withstatelegislatorstocomeupwith acceptablelanguagethatwouldallow atheistandsecularhumanistnonprofitsto certifytheirowntrainedmarriageofficiantsandseethe staterecognizemarriagesperformedbytheseofficiants aslegal. Whilewe vebeengoingthroughthisprocess, AFHRhastakenadifferenttack.Thoughthe correspondencewe vehadwithmariecastleonthishas beensomewhatcontradictory,thegistofitisthatafhr issueditsownofficiantcertificates,identifyingitselfasa lifestanceorganization.theyanticipatedthatrejection ofthesecertificateswouldprovidestandingforalawsuit thattheyhopedwouldresultinarulingoverturningthe law. Anumberofcountiesinsteadacceptedthe certificates astheyshouldundercurrentlaw.thereis nothingaboutreligionthatsaysyoumustbelieveina deity.atheistreligionsincludetheethicalsociety,many sectsofbuddhism,andsatanicchurches.religious humanismandunitarianuniversalismareveryfriendlyto atheistparticipation,includingintheministry. Ontopofthat,theofficiantscertifiedbyAFHR filedadditionalcertificatesintheircountiesthatattested thattheywereincompliancewithstatelawinfilingthe AFHRcertificates.Inotherwords,theyattestedtobeing ministersofaqualifyingreligiousorganization.thattheir religiousorganizationincluded Atheists initsname doesn tdisqualifyit.aftersomeconfusion,washington Countyagreed. ThisisindeedavictoryforAFHR.ItputsAFHRin thesameclassasthehumanistsociety,theethical Society,andtheUniversalLifeChurchasentitiesthat havewonrecognitionasreligionsdespite opposition.that sworthcelebrating. Itisalso,however,thestatus quoasfarasatheistmarriageofficiantsgo inminnesota.evenifafhr slawsuithad goneallthewaytojudgment,thereisno guaranteethatthecourtwouldhave agreedtoexaminetheconstitutionalityof statelaw.becauseafhr sofficiants certifiedthattheyarereligiousministers, theymaynothavebeengrantedstanding tochallengealawtheyinsistedalready coveredthem.bringinganotherreligion intothefolddoesnothingforgroupsand individualsthatcannotingoodconscience identifythemselvesasreligious. Iandseveralotherpeoplein Minnesotainterestedinbecomingatheistcelebrantshave undergoneofficianttrainingthroughthecenterfor InquiryortheHumanistInstitute.Atleasttwoofushave beenofficiallycertifiedbyminnesotaatheists,inmna s capacityasanatheisteducationalnonprofit.wecan t honestlysignpapersthatsaywe reministers.norcanwe saythatmnaisareligiousgroup.we renot.they renot. WashingtonCounty sdecisionwastherightone. Itprovidesanotherorganizationreligiousatheistscan workthroughtoobtaintheordinationthestaterequires ofmarriageofficiants.itdoesn t,however,provideany relieftononreligiousatheistslikemewhowishtobeable toperformlegalweddingsinournonreligiousatheist community.forus,theproblemisthesameit salways been. SocongratulationstoAFHRontheirrecognition fromwashingtoncounty,butlet snotthinkthischange affectsallatheistsinminnesotaorevenwashington County.There sstillplentytobedoneonthatscore.mna willkeepworkingonit.
Volunteer Report JUNE(2015( 13 By Steve Petersen MinnesotaAtheistssupporters volunteermonthlyatthefoodgroup WarehouseinNewHope.Volunteersatthe Mayeventrepackagedenoughriceand potatoestohelpfeed1,780people(above) Werecentlyreceivedathankyoucardfrom thefoodgroupforalltheworkourgroup performs(right). MinnesotaAtheistssupporters volunteereverysecondthursdayfrom1:00to 3:00p.m.attheFoodGroup.SeeourMeet UpsiteformoreinformationorcontactSteve atspetersen175@comcast.netformore information.
14( THE(MINNESOTA(ATHEIST Radio Report By Mike Haubrich Atheists&Talk&radio&and&podcast&is&a& communications&service&of&minnesota&atheists.&our& volunteer&producers,&hosts,&interviewers,&and&contributors& are&committed&to&presenting&topics&of&interest&to&atheists& and&humanists.&topics&include,&but&are¬&limited&to,& general&atheism&and&humanism,&separation&of&church&and& state,&science,&religion,&gender,&race,&culture,&and&the&arts.& "The(Nones(Versus(the(Dones, NeilCarteron AtheistsTalk#311,April29,2015 NeilCarterexplainedthatTheNonesinsurveys onreligiousvaluesarenotnecessarilyatheists.thegroup weshouldnoticearethedones,thatis,thoseofuswho havebeenthroughbeliefandare"done"withthewhole enterprise. Humanism(in(Indiana, VictoriaGipsonon AtheistsTalk#312,May3,2015 Indiana'snewlawtoprotectthe religious freedoms ofbusinesschoosingtodiscriminateagainst gaysisinfamousinitsscopecomparedtosimilarlawsin otherstates.victoriagipsonoffreethoughtfortwayne explainedhowhumanistsandatheistsinthehoosier Statearefightingback. What(are(Morality(and(Ethics? DanFinckeon AtheistsTalk#313,May10,2015 Indenigratingatheists,theistswilloftenclaim thatwehavenobasisformoralsnoragroundingfor ethics.wedon'thaveabook,wedon'thaveasource,we don'thavecommandmentsthattellus,asatheists,how tobegood.engagingtheissue,atheistsoftenmakethe mistakeoflistingallthegoodthingsthatwedoascitizens andgenerallyaltruistichumanbeingsandrightlyweare proudofourefforts.but,wearen'tnecessarilymore moralorethicalthananyoneelseandso,ifwetakecredit forthegoodthingswedowehaveskippedacrucialstep inargumentation:wehaven'tdefinedourterms.dan FinckereturnedtoAtheistsTalktoexplainhowatheists canuseempowermentethicstochooseandactmorally. A(Pod(of(Podcasts, LocalPodcasterson AtheistsTalk#314,May17,2015 AtheistsTalkisnottheonlysourcefor entertainingatheistpodcastlisteninginthetwincities. MikeHaubrichtooktheopportunitytotalktopodcasters inthemetroincludinggeekswithoutgod,transatheist, PositivelyGodlessandDimlandRadio. Radio MinnesotaAtheistsistheproduceroftheradio program,andthedirectorismikehaubrichwithhosts MikeHaubrich,BrianneBilyeu,ScottLohman,David Pacheco,MahadMuhamadandStephanieZvan.Both StephanieandBrianneuploadpodcaststoourwebsite. TheradioprogramisbroadcastliveeverySundayfrom 9:00to10:00a.m.fromAM950KTNFstudiosinEden Prairie,MN.Livestreamingisavailableonourwebpage. www.mnatheists.org.originalmusicwascomposed, playedandrecordedbybrentmichaeldavids.thecostto usis$5,320.00everysixmonths.yourdonationswillbe appreciated.theycanbesenttoourpostofficeboxor postedonlineathttp://minnesotaatheists.org/join=and= donate/radio=fund.thankstobriannebilyeutheprogram hasapresenceonsocialmedia:anatheiststalkfacebook pageandanaccountattwitter.com/atheiststalk. AllpastprogramscanbeaccessedviaMNAwebpage http://mnatheists.org/news=and=media/podcastoron itunes.ifyouareinterestedinhelpingontheradio program,pleasesendamessagetoradio@mnatheists.org
JUNE(2015( 15 Upcoming Events An(Evening(with(Richard(Dawkins(Tuesday,June9 th at 7:00pm,MayoCivicCenter,PresentationHall,30Civic CenterDrSE,Rochester.$35.00GeneralAdmission.( Presentation:(History(&(Where(We're(Going(in(the( Separation(of(Church(&(StateSaturday,June13 th at 1:00pm,HighlandParkLibrary,1974FordPkwy,Saint Paul.TheMinnesotaChapterofAmericansUnitedfor SeparationofChurchandState(AU)hoststhree=time presidentofau,rev.caldidier. Freethought(Potluck(Picnic(Sundayatnoon,June14,July 19,andAugust16,TheWabunPicnicArea,ShelterB (MinnehahaPark),465546thAveS,Minneapolis.Family friendly.comerainorshine March(in(the(PRIDE(Parade(Sunday,June28at10:45am, alongsouth3 rd Street,probablynear5 th AvenueSouth, Minneapolis.LookforthepeopleintheMinnesota AtheistsT=ShirtswiththeMinnesotaAtheistsbanner. Godless(GamersEverySundayat2:00pmandThursdayat 6:00pm,FantasyFlightGamesCenter,1975CountyRdB2, Roseville Atheist/Agnostic(Alcoholics(AnonymousEverySunday from6:00pmto7:00pm,men scenter,3249hennepin AveS,Suite#55,Minneapolis.Meetinthebasement. Opentoallgenders. Freethought(Toastmasters(Meeting1 st and3 rd Mondayof everymonthat6:30pm,larpenteurestatespartyroom, 1280LarpenteurAveW,SaintPaul. freethought.toastmastersclubs.org Volunteer(Food(Packing(2ndThursdayofeverymonthat 1:00pm,TheFoodGroup,850154thAveN,NewHope Blasphemer's(Brunch2 nd Saturdayofeverymonthat 10:30am,PizzaLucé,800W66thSt,Richfield Shooting(Pool(with(the(Infidels2 nd Saturdayofevery monthat7:00pm,dunham'sbarandgrill,173 LothenbachAve,WestStPaul( Minnesota(Atheists(Board(Meeting3 rd Wednesdayof everymonthat6:30pm,amhersthwilderfoundation, 451LexingtonPkwyN,StPaul.AllMinnesotaAtheists membersarewelcome. Freethinking(Females4 th Mondayofeverymonthat 7:30pm,ChatterboxPub,800ClevelandAveS,St.Paul. ShatteringthemyththatAtheistgroupsaremale dominatedwithafemale sonlyevent. Bowling(for(DeitiesLastSaturdayofeverymonthat Noon,MemoryLanes,252026thAveSouth,Minneapolis 2015(Aints(GameSaturday,August8,CHSField,360N BroadwaySt,SaintPaul.SavetheDate Secular(Women(Work(ConferenceFriday=Sunday,August 21=23,HumphreyConferenceCenter,30119thAveS, Minneapolis.SavetheDate Formoreevents,visit: www.meetup.com/minnesota=atheists Minnesota Atheists Membership and Donations o One-year student membership $10 o One-year individual membership $35 o Three-year individual membership $90 o Three-year sustaining membership $200 o Life membership $600 There s always time to make a difference. Join Minnesota Atheists, renew your membership, or make a donation today. o One-year household membership $45 o Three-year household membership $115 o One-year sustaining membership $75 o o o General Fund $ Building Fund $ Radio Fund $ Donations are tax deductible. Membership fees are deductible for the amount beyond their fair market value. Student memberships include a subscription to the PDF version of The Minnesota Atheist delivered by email. All other memberships include a subscription to the printed version delivered by postal mail. If you would prefer the PDF version delivered by email, please check the box and provide your email address. Name: Street address: City, State, Zip: Phone: Email (required for student memberships and email subscriptions): Minnesota Atheists, PO Box 120304, New Brighton, MN 55112. Please make checks payable to Minnesota Atheists. Students, please enclose a copy of your fee statement or school identification.
16( THE(MINNESOTA(ATHEIST Minnesota Atheists Positive atheism in action sm since 1991 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. Minnesota Atheist Board of Directors The Minnesota Atheist Newsletter Minnesota Atheists Media Minnesota Atheists Affiliations Board Email Board@mnatheists.org President Eric Jayne pres@mnatheists.org Associate President Alyssa Ehni apres@mnatheists.org Chair Jill Carlson chair@mnatheists.org Associate Chair Georgia Hancock Tsoi achair@mnatheists.org Secretary Heather Hegi sec@mnatheists.org Treasurer Chris Matthews treas@mnatheists.org 763.428.3424 Directors-at-Large August Berkshire dir1@mnatheists.org 612.868.2267 Jim Barri dir2@mnatheists.org Art Kallenbach dir3@mnatheists.org Editorial Board Email editor@mnatheists.org Editorial Board George Kane nup@minn.net 651.488.8225 Heather Hegi sec@mnatheists.org Christopher Matthews c03m13@bluebottle.com Shirley Moll srmoll@comcast.com James Zimmerman zgoatee@gmail.com Editor Jenny Nolan editor@mnatheists.org Chief Photographer Richard Trombley Membership and Change of Address Steve Petersen address@mnatheists.org 651.484.9277 Submissions Submit material for the newsletter to the editor at editor@mnatheists.org Submissions may be edited. Public Relations Chair Emily Matejcek pr@mnatheists.org Atheists Weekly Email (AWE) Christopher Matthews awe@mnatheists.org Cable TV Chair Steve Petersen cable@mnatheists.org Webmaster Grant Hermanson web@mnatheists.org Podcasts Chair Grant Hermanson podcasts@mnatheists.org Minnesota Atheists Goals Minnesota Atheists practices positive, inclusive, active, friendly, neighborhood atheism in order to provide a community for atheists, educate the public about atheism, and promote separation of state and church. Minnesota Atheists is affiliated with the Atheist Alliance of America, Atheist Alliance International, American Atheists, The American Humanist Association, the Council for Secular Humanism, The International Humanist and Ethical Union, and the Secular Coaltion for America. Minnesota Atheists Membership Regular members: 204 Life members: 40 Meetup members: 1792 Minnesota Atheists Honorary Members Hector Avalos, PhD Dan Barker Gerald Erickson, PhD Annie Laurie Gaylor Dick Hewetson Robert M. Price, PhD The Minnesota Atheist June 2015 Published by Minnesota Atheists PO Box 120304 New Brighton, MN 55112 612-588-7031 info@mnatheists.org Copyright 2014 by Minnesota Atheists. All rights reserved.