Atheist Internet Outreach Newsletter
Spring 1999 NEWSLETTER
THE INVISIBLE MINORITY
by Howard Thompson
What future do realists have in America? The United States is one of western civilization's more open, pluralistic societies. We have groups based on gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnic heritage, employment, industry, religion, environmental issues, politics, hobbies and just about anything else that brings people with common interests together.
There is an exception. Realists, who accept reality and reject the supernatural, have no significant infrastructure. Realists are no competition in the cultural warfare waged by Christians. We live in conquered territory. We are tolerated by the dominant Christian culture so long as we cause no trouble by asserting our voice in public issues. Realists of whatever kind (agnostics, atheists, rationalists, freethinkers, humanists, skeptics, nontheists) are America's invisible minority. We are the silent, powerless outsiders in America's supernatural social and cultural life. Realists are unwanted guests at America's celebration of magic.
We must listen to God-prayers as the price of attending government functions. Legislatures open with prayer by government chaplains. School graduations still begin with prayer. Local government meetings often begin with prayer. Governments frequently issue proclamations honoring a prayer day, week or month.
Ordinary consumer transactions use money marked with "in God We Trust," our official national motto. Public buildings display religious statements. Our Pledge of Allegiance is to "one nation under God." Public holidays honor Christian mythology at Easter and Christmas, celebrating the mythology of Jesus' birth and rebirth.
Federal taxes support official religion in the armed forces with chaplain officers commissioned by Congress. Our children study textbooks censored by religious activists. Our right to choose our manner of death is criminalized as murder. Our reproductive rights to control our bodies are under violent attack by organized religion. Our attempts to sanely cope with sexuality and emotional dysfunction are attacked as Satanic humanism.
Realists may not get hired by "Christian" businesses if their disbelief becomes known. They may find promotions and opportunities denied by Christian managers who favor fellow Christians, or members of their own church. Christians in government may deny realists equal treatment through selective application of regulations and laws. Christian landlords may not rent to avowed atheists.
Realists in America are an unorganized group without voice, without purpose, without power. We have no protection from religious cultural bias beyond the Constitutional rights our courts may occasionally protect. Realists are America's invisible minority.
Who is to blame? Why, we are, of course. We have exactly the amount of public voice and power we have earned for ourselves... virtually none. We have worked for nothing, built nothing, and have nothing to carry forward our slim cultural heritage. If our invisible, powerless status within Christian culture is ever to change, we must do it for ourselves. That change can only begin in the minds of realists who choose to act to make things different.
Change begins with accepting the reality of our existence in America. It begins with introspection that refuses to accept second class status. It begins with recognizing the value of organizing and joining together. It begins in individual realist minds that see how things are, and choose to act for change. Change scares most people. If we choose inaction from fear, nothing will ever change. Realists acting for change will be scary, it will rouse opposition, it will make fearful realists uncomfortable. Acting for change is also our only hope for a better future for ourselves and a society freed from supernaturalism.
Is go-along-to-get-along atheism good enough? Have we nothing to contribute to human progress? What future will we leave for younger realists? What will your mind choose?
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WHY "OUTREACH"?
by Sandra Feroe
It couldn't be more simple. . . it's about reaching out to others. It isn't a religious thing, although theists have always engaged in outreach, albeit many times with an iron fist rather than a helping hand. In the past, faced with overwhelming bias, fanned by the defamatory rhetoric of organized religion seeking to keep their sheep from leaving the flock (the better to fleece them), atheists have often been unable or unwilling to be open about their nonbelief. Unfortunately, these were missed opportunities, lost chances to connect with others. But the fear that kept atheists silent wasn't necessarily unfounded; to admit to nonbelief was to risk alienation from your community, loss of your livelihood, and fear for your safety and that of your family. This negative perception, so carefully nurtured by organized religion which has always been its beneficiary, is embodied in my dog-eared 1977 edition of Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary: it defines Atheism as "ungodliness" and "wickedness".
There is a rich legacy of atheist writings from the past, but the average person isn't likely to come across them. When Gordon Stein, PhD., was editing his Anthology of Atheism and Rationalism in 1980, he noted that most of the materials he used in the compilation were not available elsewhere, not even in the collections of large university libraries, where one might hope to find such out-of-print works. Pressure from theists kept most dissenting views of religion out of the hands of citizens. Many works of the past were seized and destroyed, their authors or publishers even imprisoned for "blasphemous" writings. Those materials that survived long enough to make it into a library were often checked out by zealots and never returned. If you live near a library of modest size, as I do, chances are that a search using the word Atheism will yield two or three recent books on atheism and several works of condemnation by religious authors.
But today, thanks to access to computers and the internet, things ARE changing. It can't be denied that theists have access to the same technology, and they have more financial resources and a greater number of websites than we do, but then religion has always had access to money and media. In a sense, for the first time, we atheists have a place in which to compete. The 'net represents far and away our best hope for disseminating information to isolated atheists as well as to questioning theists seeking a different point of view.
This is an exciting and challenging time for atheists, but we must reach out to one another. Here are just a few of the messages from 25 states and three countries that Atheist Outreach has received over the past year, illustrating poignantly the need that exists. Each is carefully edited in order to protect the author's privacy:
"I'd like to know of any groups forming in my area. I am weary of being the only atheist I know and have experienced a lot of prejudice against my beliefs..." (California)
"...I dare not subscribe unless they come in a plain envelope... my neighbor would be shocked..." (California)
"...while searching the internet for information, I came across this email address... I am 17 years old. As a youth faced with much opposition in light of my religious views, I would appreciate information..." (Colorado)
"I am only 16 years old... I am tired of being called "Satan" by my peers and suffering bad grades... my teachers gave me extremely harsh grades when it came to my essays, simply because I am not a christian... I could not fight back because no one would listen... I am tired of being oppressed." (Oregon)
"I'm forlorn... gay... public hostage!... and atheist to the max!" (Iowa)
"I am an ex christian missionary who has recently embraced atheism... I am very interested specifically in the practical applications toward a more happy and productive world." (origin unknown)
"It has really been exciting to find that there are people out there who have similar views on religion... I feel positively "Born Again"!" (North Carolina)
"... We have a college professor that is... quoting the bible to us. We need to know what we can do about it. Please help!" (Virginia)
"... my own parents were never comfortable with my nonbeliefs... Now that I know I'm not alone... it's very overwhelming..." (Texas)
"I'm a 15 year old atheist... please email back with info... To evolution!!!!" (Canada)
"I am a 17 year old Atheist... I am very strong in my beliefs that I have the right, given to me by the U.S. Constitution, to choose a religion. I have chosen to follow science. There aren't many people around that I can talk to... so I come to you..." (Massachusetts)
"I found you! I've been feeling like I'm the only atheist in the world! Please sign me up..." (origin unknown)
"I don't speak english very well but I'm very happy today because I found people like me, full of reason..." (Brazil)
All it takes to reach out to each other is the will to do it. It doesn't have to be on a grand scale; there are lots of opportunities around us. If you haven't already done so, check out the Freethought Contacts Around the World website at http://www.infidels.org/people/contacts.cgi, and email everyone living nearby about getting together, or just to say hello. Put an ad in the newspaper asking people to meet in a place where you will all feel secure. . . a coffee shop, a room in the public library. Speak up more often, even if only in small groups; you might embolden someone else to give voice to their own unbelief and support to your position. Go to your public library, walk right past those hundreds of books on Christian mythology, straight to the librarian's table, and ask that the library order something on atheism. Do the same at your local bookstore. To continue in silence is to accept defeat just as religion is being proven increasingly irrelevant by science.
Sonia Johnson, the feminist ex-Mormon, has said her fantasy is that on any given Sunday, churches all over the country will be empty of women. I'd love to see that myself. Another dream I have is that one day atheists everywhere will accept as true what young Michael Bristor learned after his family's three-year fight with the Minneapolis School Board, because of their denial of a math award the six-year-old had earned in 1990. His only mistake: he was honest enough to tell his teacher he didn't want to pray because he didn't believe in a god.
After the legal fight was over, Michael said: "I've learned that what I think is just as important as what other people think."
In the uncomplicated words of a child, he summed up what is at the heart of our fears. Surely then, the rest of us can end our silent acquiesence. All we have to do is take that first small step, and reach out . . .
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ON THE OTHER HAND:
Religious outreach...
In one of those tragi-comic examples of religious "outreach" gone wrong, a Colorado Springs Baptist church made headlines for baptising children without parental permission to do so. The church was accused of luring twenty children from non-member families to a church carnival and baptising them. When the parents sued, the church took the position that the children had given their consent, and permission from the parents was not required. . . a curious reversal of the usual conservative parental rights position. So the church agreed not to do it again. Later it was charged with baptizing a Jewish child (the church's excuse was that they "accidentally" did it) and ten of the children a second time (a church member told them that their first baptism didn't count), setting off a new round of angry charges from parents.
One of the innocent pleasures of long-ago television for my family was The Andy Griffith Show. Little did anyone know that the hijinx of Mayberry's wacky citizens would eventually inspire discussion groups around the country who see the homespun tales as illustrative of New Testament values. According to the two men who started the first "Finding the Way Back to Mayberry" discussion group in Huntsville, Alabama, the Mayberry message, summed up, is "Slow down... take it easy", which they say is demonstrated by the episode entitled "Sermon for Today".
The USA Weekend 1/8/99 article says the church group teaches that watching "Opie's Charity" in addition to reading Matthew 7:1-5 results in learning a lesson about prejudging people. Then if you absolutely must check out this union of the secular with the "sacred", read John 7:24 while you watch the episode, "Barney Fife, Realtor". You too can learn how not to be consumed with appearances while watching old re-runs.
I'm certainly no Bible scholar, but it occurs to me that a better choice to illustrate that lesson for Barney might be Isaiah 3:16... that's when the Lord takes a disliking to the Daughters of Zion for their fine robes, jewelry and haughty attitudes. Then he strips them of all their worldly possessions, "uncovers their secret parts", and vows that all the men of Zion shall fall by the sword. But it's not difficult to see how the message in John 7:24, "Do not judge according to appearance..." is a lot more palatable to the folks in the church groups. I suppose it just wouldn't be wise to have them read all of the Bible, would it? Who knows, they might start asking questions . . .
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IN THE NEWS. . .
- Since Pat Buchanan has entered the political fray once more, it might be wise to keep in mind the 2/26/96 N.Y. Times/Anthony Lewis column: "In a speech to the Heritage Foundation last month, Mr. Buchanan asked whose rights had been protected by the Supreme Court. He did not mention such principal beneficiaries as women, racial minorities, or the press. His answer: criminals, atheists, homosexuals, flag-burners, illegal immigrants. . . including terrorists. . . convicts, and pornographers." (Well, that does it, he's lost my vote.)
- "The first-ever impeachment trial of an elected U.S. president, amid what is described as a cultural civil war, could be leading toward a moral and ideological Gettysburg. The final decades of centuries are often psychologically convulsive. In the United States, the upheavals of the 1790s. . . the radicalism of Thomas Paine and the scoffing at religion so prominent in the French Revolution. . . led in the early 1800s to a great religious countertide called the Second Great Awakening." -- Kevin Phillips, publisher of the American Political Report, author, tv commentator, 1/10/99 in the L.A. Times.
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QUOTABLE. . .
- "The day that this country ceases to be free for irreligion, it will cease to be free for religion. . . except for the sect that can win political power." -- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson, 1952
- Whatever you do, don't miss George Carlin's latest concert, You Are All Diseased, on the HBO channels. (Be prepared for "mature" language.) Have your VCR ready for the final ten minutes; the ardent atheist and Carlin fan will not be disappointed by his devastatingly funny dissection of religion: ". . .Think about it, religion has convinced people that there's an invisible man living in the sky, who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And this invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever til the end of time. . . But. . . He loves you."
And: ". . . the next morning I became a sun worshipper. Several reasons. First of all, I can see the sun, okay? Unlike some other gods I could mention I can actually see the sun. I'm big on that. If I can see something, I don't know, it kinda helps the credibility along, you know? The sun gives me heat, light, food, flowers in the park, an occasional skin cancer, but hey, at least there are no crucifixions and we're not settin' people on fire simply because they don't agree with us." -- George Carlin, You Are All Diseased, HBO Comedy Special
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IN THE MUSE . . .
Why Don't He Lend a Hand?
by Samuel P. Putnam (1838-1896)
You say there is a God
Above the boundless sky,
A wise and wondrous deity
Whose strength none can defy.
You say that he is seated
Upon a throne most grand,
Millions of angels at his beck...
Why don't he lend a hand?
See how the earth is groaning,
What countless tears are shed,
See how the plague stalks forward
And brave and sweet lie dead.
Homes burn and hearts are breaking,
grim murder stains the land;
You say he is omnipotent...
Why don't he lend a hand?
Behold, injustice conquers;
Pain curses every hour;
The good and true and beautiful
Are trampled like the flower.
You say he is our father,
That what he wills doth stand;
If he is thus almighty
Why don't he lend a hand?
What is this monarch doing
Upon his golden throne,
To right the wrong stupendous,
Give joy instead of moan?
With his resistless majesty,
Each force at his command,
Each law his own creation. . .
Why don't he lend a hand?
Alas! I fear he's sleeping,
Or is himself a dream,
A bubble on thought's ocean,
Our fancy's fading gleam.
We look in vain to find him
Upon his throne so grand,
Then turn your vision earthward. . .
'Tis we must lend a hand.
'Tis we must grasp the lightning,
And plow the rugged soil;
'Tis we must beat back suffering,
And plague and murder foil;
'Tis we must build the paradise
And bravely right the wrong;
The god above us faileth,
The god within is strong.
(Published circa 1890)
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SPOTLIGHT ON AAI MEMBER SOCIETIES:
The Atheist Community of Austin
This issue the spotlight falls on the Texas group hosting the 1999 Freethought Roundup, fifth annual Atheist Alliance convention which begins on April 2nd. The Atheist Community of Austin is dedicated to defending atheist viewpoints and fighting discrimination against nonbelievers, expressing a positive atheist culture and defending the First Amendment. While providing its members with a supportive community, ACA helps to educate them and others about atheism and its perspectives.
The group holds a regularly scheduled Blood Drive to benefit the community, and works cooperatively with other organizations whenever possible. Coming up is the March For Families, a protest by various Texas groups against proposed legislation intended to prevent lesbians and gays from becoming adoptive parents.
Last summer, a most unusual Freethought Caucus was held at the Texas Democratic convention. Thanks to the efforts of ACA members and other atheists in the area, delegates, officials and guests were educated regarding the importance of state-church separation. The goal of the caucus was to add the phrase "or lack thereof" to the religion clause of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which offers protection to all, regardless of gender, race, sexual preference and religion. To the delight of the activists, the Texas Democrats chose to support the addition of the phrase "or lack thereof" following the word "religion", not only to ENDA, but to the Hate Crimes bill as well.
ACA is an active group, holding weekly discussion meetings, and sponsoring guest speakers once a month. But the accent is on having fun together, as well, and parties and gatherings are a regular part of the agenda.
Another activity that members enjoy is The Atheist Experience, their weekly public-access television program. It's a live, call-in show, hosted by members. And ACA was one of the first Atheist Alliance groups to use the ad, "You Are Not Alone", created by Atheists of Colorado. The group published the ad in The Austin Chronicle, and added aspects of that design to their line of freethought t-shirts as well.
Much more information can be found in the group's online newsletter, published monthly. Browsing though their current and past issues to keep abreast of news, opinion, and events is fun and informative. Here you will find "Books Every Atheist Should Read", as well as an online Bookstore, and a monthly book review. If you're looking for those atheist products, such as bumper stickers, t-shirts and buttons, this is where you'll find them.
An exciting Oral History Project has begun, and everyone is invited to participate by submitting his or her personal history as an atheist. The group's ultimate goal is to ensure that future generations of young atheists living in isolation, unlike those of the past and present, will hear these voices and know they are not alone.
For these reasons and more, check out ACA's website: http://www.atheist-community.org/.
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ATHEIST ALLIANCE NEWS:
Easter weekend, (April 2-4, 1999), all atheists and other Freethinkers are invited to Austin, Texas for the 1999 Freethought Roundup!, the national convention of the Atheist Alliance. Speakers will include Dan Barker from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, journalist and atheist author James A. Haught, prolific writer Dr. Arthur F. Ide, and Douglas E. Kreuger, author of "What is Atheism." Those who attended last year's convention in St. Louis and enjoyed Ray Romano's "Judas" will be happy to hear that he will treat us with another dramatic performance.
Workshops and panel discussions will cover Positive Atheism, Parliamentary Procedure, Teaching Science and Evolution in a Conservative Texas Middle School, and a dramatic reading of a work by noted atheist author Harlan Ellison. The folks from OABITAR (Objectivity and Balance in Teaching About Religion) will give a presentation on teaching about atheism in those public schools where overview classes "about religion" are taught, classes which frequently leave out the contributions of freethinkers.
The Atheist Community of Austin, host for the event, has planned a lunch on Saturday and a banquet Saturday evening. Both meals will feature the flavorful fare for which Austin is widely known. Plans are also being made for a Friday night visit to Esther's Follies for some irreverent hilarity. Expect the weather to be fair and the wildflowers to be in bloom.
The 1999 Freethought Roundup will be held at Austin's Downtown OMNI Hotel at 700 San Jacinto. The OMNI is built on the site once occupied by the official residence of the President of the Republic of Texas, and is only a block away from 6th Street's collection of restaurants, live music venues, and the hottest night life in Texas. The Capitol Building is only about a short walk away, and most of Austin can be seen from the rooftop pool.
For hotel reservations, please contact the OMNI at (512) 476-3700,1-800-THE-OMNI or on the web at www.omnihotels.com. Please tell them you are with the 1999 Freethought Roundup! (or Atheist Alliance Convention) to get the special room rate of $73.
Contact Don Rhoades, 512-892-3188 or Mary Sue Osborne for more information.
Updates are available at www.AtheistAlliance.org.
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A Letter from the President of Atheist Outreach
Welcome to the first newsletter of Atheist Outreach. We are an organization dedicated to bringing together Atheists and helping new Atheist groups form all over the world. This has been an exciting year for us. We have helped many Atheists contact local groups in their areas, and have provided assistance to various new groups in getting started and with other organizational issues.
Atheist Outreach is a member of Atheist Alliance. Some of the services which Atheist Alliance provides include a magazine called Secular Nation (see http://www.atheistalliance.org/secular/ for information) and a TV program shown in many cities in the U.S. Another service provided, courtesy of Midwest Book Review, is a listing of books which would be of interest to Atheists with a discount purchase program for many of these books (see http://www.atheistalliance.org/books/).
For those of you who are interested in starting a group, please let me know. We have information and can provide assistance. We are currently helping a group in Nashville, TN get organized and a group in Knoxville, TN get incorporated.
Many Atheists have asked how they can meet others of like mind. Other than starting a group or joining an existing one, Atheist Alliance has an annual convention on Easter weekend (due to the availability of great rates for conventions and rooms at that particular time). Our April 1999 convention will be in Austin, TX. Watch for more information on the Atheist Alliance web site in early 1999.
If you have questions about starting a new organization, or about Atheist Alliance, Atheist Outreach, ideas concerning activities for AO, or other similar topics, please e-mail AtheistOutreach@atheistalliance.org.
Joe Zemel
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ABOUT THE ATHEIST OUTREACH NEWSLETTER:
Atheist Outreach Newsletter is an online publication of Atheist Outreach, a member organization of Atheist Alliance, Inc. We are an organization of volunteers whose goals are to promote freethought issues such as the separation of state and church, provide a means for atheists around the world to communicate with each other, and to support the aims and purposes of the Atheist Alliance and its member organizations.
Membership in Atheist Outreach is free. Simply send your name and email address to AtheistOutreach@atheistalliance.org. You are also invited to submit letters, articles or comments for inclusion in our online publication. Should you prefer not to receive future issues, please send an "unsubscribe" message to AtheistOutreach@atheistalliance.org.
All newsletter subscribers have permission to utilize the articles on thematically-appropriate internet discussion groups, websites, and organizational newsletters. Please give credit to Atheist Outreach when doing so.
Sandy Feroe, Editor
"A free mind in a free society can still make mistakes, but those errors will never be canonized."
- Jim Cox, Contributing Editor
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