Breakout Session Sampler (page two)
This is merely a sampling of what was available. Unfortunately, your
webmistress—better known as SpiderWoman—and
fellow attendees, August Berkshire and James Dew, haven't figured out how to be in more than
one place at one time. Darn those laws of physics!
Standing, from the left, are Michelle Singer and Massimo Pigliucci
Sitting, from the left, are Philippe Besson, Claude Singer, and Christian Eyschen
International concerns were discussed by a panel of the leaders of the French freethought
group, La Libre Pensée, Christian Eyschen, Claude Singer, and Philippe Besson, along with
the Italian Massimo Pigliucci (now a professor in Tennessee), and Michelle Singer, who
spoke of women's concerns in Europe.
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The Queen Jane's Version of the Bible
Dressed much like a priest, Douglas Rankin, author of The Queen Jane's Version of
the Bible for Adults, spoke on the development of his topic, the extensive research,
difficulties in publishing, and how, though the result is immensely humorous, it is
a direct result of what's in the standard versions of the bible. He freely answered
his audience's questions, including doing readings from his version of the bible,
which were hysterically funny-especially when one realizes that everything Mr. Rankin
wrote is exactly what the bible really says, but stated in modern vernacular.
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Passing Over to the Other Side
Herb Silverman, of the Coalition for the Community of Reason and a board
member of the Atheist Alliance International, delivered a talk called "Passing
Over to the Other Side". He discussed his own loss of god beliefs and the reactions
of family, friends, and colleagues. As one attendee stated, "I'm sure Herb makes
even his math classes entertaining." Herb wore a t-shirt with the following
cartoon dialog:
Israeli leader: "Hello, you scum sucking son of a bloated pig.
Palestinian leader: "Hello, you slime drinking tick on a camel's rear."
American leader: "See? They're talking."
He started his talk by pointing out the t-shirt's message, and saying that it is,
at least, a step in the right direction.
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Here are three, whom your SpiderWoman is sorry to say she didn't see, but that pesky
rule of physics about being in more than one place at one time got in the way:
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William Sierichs, Jr.
did a "History of Christianity Workshop".
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Jan Loeb Eisner
of the St. Petersburg Larger Area Secular Humanists, discussed
"The Unkindest Cut of All: A Tradition of Atrocity".
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Fred Whitehead
spoke on the "History of Freethought in the South".
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There was more, but. . .well, you're just going to have to attend
next year's convention to get an idea of just how much happens. This has just
been enough to let you know what you missed!
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