Leadership Heritage

Luis Granado Presentations

Written by Atheist Alliance | 13 July 2010

PRESENTATIONS BY LUIS GRANADO

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These are presentations that Luis Granado would be happy to give at any upcoming AAI affiliate meeting.

Please contact Luis directly if you are interested in scheduling a presentation with him.

(Note that these presentations do not necessarily represent the opinions or positions of AAI.)

Julian vs. Augustine

How tolerant Roman Paganism was displaced by Christian totalitarianism – how drug-induced Zoroastrianism begat Judaism which begat early Christianity which begat Augustine’s Middle Ages. In one easy lesson.

Who Killed Neil Beagley?

Much of the science vs. religion debate centers on evolution. Interesting, but not as directly related to our daily well-being as the science of medicine – which exists despite the most strenuous opposition of Christianity over the centuries, in some quarters continuing right into the 21st century.

The Overrated Reformation

Protestants boast that they ended the abuses of the Middle Ages Christianity. Not exactly.

America’s Holy War

The current split-up of the Anglican Church has uncanny parallels with the schisms in the Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians that helped bring on the Civil War.

Azaña vs. Mussolini

Born three years apart in Catholic southern Europe , both rejected religion as young adults, and went on to lead national revolutions. There the similarity ends: Azaña’s secular revolution removed the Catholic Church from political dominance in Spain , while Mussolini’s cynical alliance with the Vatican led him to destroy Azaña.

Buddhism and the Bomb

There is no reason for secularists to be soft on Buddhism – a religion of death, which caused Asia untold agony in the 20th century.

The Grinch Who Stole Valentine’s Day

Mohandas Gandhi was a nut – certifiable – whose religious fanaticism caused a million deaths at the partition of India .

Calvinism and Apartheid

Churches take credit for ending apartheid – what they don’t tell you is how they started it.

Advocacy Action Alert Signup

Written by Atheist Alliance | 13 July 2010

When the wall of separation between church and state is attacked, it's vital for secularists to respond quickly to mitigate the damage. By signing up with AAI, you'll be notified of immediate issues that need YOUR attention.

Just fill out this Advocacy Alert Contact Form:

Atheist Internet Outreach Organizational Bylaws

Written by Atheist Alliance | 13 July 2010

Atheist Internet Outreach Organizational Bylaws

as of May 27, 1997

Article 1
Article 2: Members
Article 3: Board of Directors and Officers
Article 4: Amendment of Bylaws

ARTICLE 1

1.1 Name. The name of this organization is Atheist Outreach.

1.2 Purpose. The Atheist Outreach is organized:

1.2.1 Inform isolated and disaffected atheists of church-state separation and other national and international political, social, and cultural issues affecting atheists and other freethinkers;

1.2.2 To democratically find and recruit individual isolated or disaffected atheists an enlist their support for the goals, policies, and programs of the Atheist Alliance and its member organizations;

1.2.3 Educate the general public on the fallacies and superstitions of religion and their detrimental effects of the culture, politics, and the general society in which atheists must live.

1.2.4 Encourage isolated atheists to join established Atheist Alliance member organizations and/or to educate and encourage isolated atheists to organize and establish atheist organizations themselves.

1.2.5 Foster friendly relations with atheist groups around the country and around the world, in order to broaden the scope, meaning, understanding, and influence of individual and non-aligned atheists.

1.2.6 To provide a sense of fellowship and community for isolated and disaffected atheists with no ready or convenient access to organized atheism.

1.3. Business Office. The initial business office of Atheist Alliance is at 278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575. The Board of Directors (hereafter called "Board" -- see Article 3) is hereby authorized to change the location of the Alliance's business office. Any such change and its date shall be recorded by the Secretary, but shall not be considered an amendment to these Bylaws.

1.4 Annual accounting period. The annual account period begins on January 1 and ends on December 31.

ARTICLE 2: MEMBERS

2.1 Member in Atheist Outreach is open to anyone who supports the principles of Church-State Separation, a freethought perspective on the issues of the day, and desires to support the need to educate the general public on the meaning and validity of atheism.

2.2 Application for Membership. Anyone seeking membership in the Atheist Outreach shall provide their name, address, and pay their annual dues. The membership role of Atheist Outreach is confidential. No member's name or address is to be made public without the express permission of that member.

2.3 Termination of Membership. Anyone can resign their membership at any time for any reason. The Atheist Outreach may terminate an individual's membership by letter giving the reasons and at least 30 days advance notice of the effective date of the termination. Such termination can be appealed against by the member affected to the Atheist Outreach board of directors.

ARTICLE 3: BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

3.1 Composition of the Board. The Atheist Outreach board of directors shall number five members nominated from, and elected by, the Atheist Outreach membership.

3.2 Board Elections. Board elections will be held at the annual meeting of the Atheist Outreach. Nominations are open to any Atheist Outreach member. The balloting will be by ballot at the annual meeting, with provision made for absentee ballots for any Atheist Outreach member who cannot attend the annual meeting in person.

3.3 Board Term of Office. The term of directorship shall be 1 year. In the event of a resignation, the vacancy shall be filled by appointment of the remaining board until the next annual meeting..

3.4 Meetings. The Board shall hold an annual meeting at the time and place of the Atheist Alliance Annual Convention. Additional meetings may be held, as scheduled by the President, or at the request of any two Directors. Such meetings may be held "in person", or by mail, or by telephone conference call, or by E-mail. A majority of the total number of Directors constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business.

3.5 Election of Officers. At its annual meeting, the Board shall elect from the Atheist Outreach membership its President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The normal term of office shall extend from the end of the annual meeting at which the election is held until the end of the next annual meeting. If an officer is unable to complete his or her term, the vacancy shall be filled by a new officer elected by the Board for the remainder of the original term.

3.6 President. The responsibilities of the President shall be to serve as the chief executive officer of the Atheist Outreach; to preside over each meeting of the Board or to designate another Board member to preside; to make appointments to Board committees after consultation with the Board.

3.7 Vice-President. The Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President whenever the President cannot perform his or her duties by reason of physical absence at scheduled meetings, incapacity, resignation, or death. In addition, the Vice-President shall perform such continuing duties as may be mutually agreed with the other officers.

3.8 Secretary-Treasurer. The Secretary-Treasurer shall maintain Minutes of Board meetings, the membership roster, and other records as instructed by the President. The Secretary-Treasurer shall receive, disburse, and account for all funds of the Alliance, as required by law and by orders of the Board. The Secretary-Treasurer shall deposit Atheist Outreach funds in a safe depository approved by the Board. The Secretary-Treasurer shall have custody of and maintain the Articles of Incorporations, the Bylaws, and other basic records relating thereto, and prepare financial and other reports required by governmental agencies.

3.9 Powers and Responsibilities of the Board.

3.9.1 The Board shall determine what program of activities will be undertaking by the Atheist Outreach.

3.9.2 The Board shall adopt a budget for each fiscal year. The budget shall describe the activity program planned for the year and estimate the required expenses to implement the program. The budget shall prescribe the membership dues required to finance the expenditure program and the schedule for required payments.

3.9.3 The Board shall review and may approve applications for membership and may terminate membership for cause.

3.9.4 The Board shall appoint individuals who will serve as official spokespersons for the Atheist Outreach. No person shall communicate with the media, public, or officials on behalf of Atheist Outreach who has not been authorized to do so by a majority of the Board. No person may act as a spokesperson of the Atheist Outreach while using an alias.

ARTICLE 4: AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

4.1 Substantive Amendments. A "substantive amendment" is a change to the Bylaws which affects structure, powers, duties, requirements or methods.

4.1.1 Proposing substantive amendments. Any Director may propose to the Board a substantive amendment of the Bylaws. Such proposal must sate the specific new language proposed, indicate the old language to be modified or replaced, and provide a full explanation of the reasons for the proposed change(s). Such proposal shall be submitted to the President.

4.1.2. Publicizing proposed substantive amendments. The President shall distribute to all Directors the full text of a proposal he has received, and later the analysis and comments he and other Directors wish to make.

4.1.3 Voting on proposed substantive amendments. Voting by the Board on proposed substantive amendments shall take place not later than 60 days following their initial distribution either at an in-person Board meeting or by mail or by E-mail or by a combination in order to assure participation in the vote by each Director. A favorable vote by not less than two-thirds of all Directors is required to approve proposed amendments.

4.2 Technical Amendments. A "technical amendment" is a change in the Bylaws which affects only spelling, grammar, punctuation, parallel structure, consistent usage, or the numbering or titling of the various parts of the Bylaws or cross-references thereto.

4.2.1 Titles. The numbers and titles of the various parts of the Bylaws are for ease of reference only and have no substance or effect.

4.2.2 Secretary's power. The Secretary may initiate any technical amendment by presenting it in writing to any Board meeting.

4.2.3 Board veto. The Board may, by majority vote, reject any technical amendment proposed by the Secretary. Any such proposal not rejected by the Board shall take effect at the end of the meeting at which it was presented.

Volunteer Opportunities

Written by Atheist Alliance | 13 July 2010

Administrative	Have some time to offer but can't handle anything long-term or intensive? These opportunities are designed to work well for the occasional temporary volunteer.
Speakers' Bureau	Enjoy speaking in front of people? Like to teach and educate? Have special and unique topics or talks? We have many opportunities, one-time and ongoing, for public speakers to strut their stuff and keep their skills polished.
Committees	AAI runs on its committees. Here's a list of all of them and a description of their areas of responsibility.
Leadership	Looking for a project that will challenge you? That will make a huge impact? Where you can call the shots? The opportunities in this category may be just the ticket for you!

AAI fulfills its goals and projects almost entirely with volunteer help drawn from our membership base. We strive to offer volunteer opportunities that are mutually rewarding and provide valuable experience and interesting challenges to our members.

As AAI is international, the vast majority of our work is done via the Internet. So a reliable availability to the Internet is usually an important expectation we have of our volunteers. On the other hand, we do occasionally have "on the ground" assignments that allow or require our volunteers to do much of their work by telephone or in person, for instance, scouting out hotels for convention sites or taking responsibility for hosting and promoting a new atheist group in your area.

We understand that many of our volunteers have very limited time that they offer in-between other priorities in their life, such as work, school, family, etc. Some volunteers can offer a little time each week on an ongoing basis; others can offer a lot of time on a short timespan as they find themselves between other obligations. Still others can only consider assignments a project at a time, because they just can't predict the future. Whatever your situation, and however many hours you are able to contribute, we will strive to meet your requirements and make your assignment work for both of us.

Help AAI build the future that you want to see! If you have skills and interest in any of the above projects or tasks, please send an e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with the volunteer opportunity you are interested in the subject line.

Beyond the opportunities listed, if you have a specific project in mind that you don't see, feel free to contact us about your interest. If you aren't available right now but imagine you will be in the near future, it doesn't hurt to coordinate those future opportunities now. Unplanned volunteer opportunities often arise during the year, and if we know you're interested in specific situations, we'll know to contact you when they do arise.

Our work in building our community is exciting and unique, and lays the foundation not only for today, but for the future. It's just waiting for you to step forward and take the levers to make it happen.

Atheist Internet Outreach

Written by Atheist Alliance | 13 July 2010

Introduction to Atheist Internet Outreach
Membership and Subscription Information
Organization Bylaws
How to Contact Atheist Internet Outreach
Webrings

INTRODUCTION TO ATHEIST INTERNET OUTREACH

Atheist Internet Outreach is made up of atheists from all over the world and is designed to allow people where there are no groups to be a member of an atheist organization. Membership in Atheist Internet Outreach is free, and we offer a quarterly electronic newsletter to atheists worldwide.

We also offer individual memberships to the Atheist Alliance, and anyone interested should check out the information here .

MEMBERSHIP AND SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

The Outreach newsletter is a quarterly (generally) online publication of Atheist Internet Outreach. The newsletter consistently promotes freethought issues such as the separation of state and church, and serves as a common bond between atheists around the world.

Membership...
Membership in Atheist Outreach is free by clicking HERE.

Submit your thoughts and ideas for publication...
We are always looking for letters, articles or comments for inclusion in the Outreach newsletter. Submissions should be sent in .txt (text) format, or in the body of an email, to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . We will edit only for spelling and punctuation, but cannot guarantee that all submissions will be used.

ORGANIZATION BYLAWS

As a member organization of the Atheist Alliance, the Atheist Internet Outreach program is subject to organizational bylaws which can be viewed here.

HOW TO CONTACT ATHEIST INTERNET OUTREACH

If you have any questions regarding the Atheist Internet Outreach program, including membership or submissions to the newsletter, please contact Joe Zemel, President.