By Eric Jayne

Minnesota Atheists is Minnesota's oldest and largest atheist organization. We are an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit, educational organization that seeks to promote the positive contributions of atheism to society and to maintain separation of state and church. Your membership is a vital element to continue these needed efforts and, if that wasn’t reason enough to become a member, we are now offering an added incentive to become a member. Before we discuss this added incentive, let’s review a little more deeply why your membership is so important.

Each year we hold eight monthly meetings with guest speakers, three picnics, and a Winter Solstice banquet. We also have a full calendar of events, such as dinners, movie nights, game nights, family outings, volunteerism, discussion groups, book clubs, various classes and more. Information about these events is found on AWE (Atheists Weekly Email) and our Meetup page—both of which have financial costs associated with them.

We produce a public access cable TV program, "Atheists Talk," and a weekly radio show on KTNF AM 950 (Sunday’s at 9am) of the same name. Both of these also carry significant costs and the latter is also available on podcasts. We offer speakers to the community free of charge and we specialize in presentations to high school and college comparative religion classes.

Those Minnesota Atheists t-shirts that come out every year are sold to consumers at about cost, meaning we make no profit. We do this because we want our supporters to have a quality and affordable way to show enthusiasm for their atheist identity!

We participate in parades and set up booths at community events including the annual Twin Cities Pride. We have even arranged billboard campaigns and a unique partnership with the St. Paul Saints baseball team to provide community outreach efforts that we hope will publicize our community in a positive way to other freethinkers and the public at large.

Your membership is a sound investment because your membership makes these things happen! And about that aforementioned added incentive: Members receive discounts for Mr. Paul / Ms. Paula Aints merchandise, our regional conferences, and other future items and events that cost money.

If you're not a member, please consider becoming one today!