By August Berkshire

Many religious people claim that the god they believe in is “pro-life” when it comes to abortion.  They also believe in “ensoulment” at conception: that a “supernatural” “soul” somehow enters a human egg the moment it is fertilized by sperm.  Let us examine these and other religious claims to see if they make sense and are consistent.

 

By Eric Jayne

 

For the past 12 years my wife and I have put up our Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving and this year was no exception. This year we celebrated in our usual fashion which includes eggnog and the Bing Crosby White Christmas album. Our three children eagerly rummaged through the boxes of Christmas decorations and proceeded to decorate our dog’s indoor kennel with the same red ribbon that was used for the same purpose the year before. My wife carefully wrapped our tree in lights and ribbon while the kids and I hooked on the ornaments. When it was all completed, we took a couple of steps back and admired our festive, twinkling tree enhanced by the backdrop of a quaint suburban neighborhood covered in a fresh blanket of white snow beautifully framed in the panes of our living room window. It was at this moment that I excused myself from the rest of the family and went down to the basement to contact my comrades from the Secular Progressive Coalition Force (SPCF) to get the latest on our fight in the War on Christmas.

 

 

Freethought Follies and Solstice Celebration
Sunday, December 19th.
The most fun you’ ll have all year!

 

By Eric Jayne

The concept of positive atheism in action is undoubtedly a valued principal among members of Minnesota Atheists (MNA). Some members have suggested that positive atheism in action precludes some events from happening in order to spare the feelings of religious believers who might be keeping track of our events. This was the main reason why 34 cents was recently added to the $6.66 recurring Spaghetti Dinner admission fee. The concept of positive atheism in action was also invoked by a few members who made requests to discontinue debaptisms and ban a particular book from a book club discussion. This all begs the question: What, exactly, is positive atheism in action? The mission statement of Minnesota Atheists says the organization is “dedicated to building a positive atheist community that actively promotes secular values through education programs, social activities, and participation in public affairs” with a purpose “to promote the atheist viewpoint as a valid contribution to public discourse.” That sounds good, but what are secular values and the atheist viewpoint? Maybe if we define our shared values and viewpoints we will have a better understanding and consensus of what is meant by positive atheism in action.

 

To:

Governor Tim Pawlenty
Office of the Governor
130 State Capitol
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155

Governor Pawlenty:
The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights announced that it is purchasing and shipping to every governor a crèche, with a request to display it in a government building to commemorate the Christmas season.  An accompanying letter by league president Bill Donohue claims that the displays would pass constitutional muster because they were purchased and donated by a private organization.