Minnesota Atheists strongly value the separation of church and state. To remind our government of who they represent, we make our collective voices heard in the State Capitol while our fellow citizens observe the National Day of Prayer. Every voice counts. If you can take a long lunch break, or have the free time, we would appreciate making your presence known with us. You'll be hearing from the leadership of Minnesota Atheists, as well as from our members. Prepare to be moved by famous speeches you may have heard before, and listen for original orations on separation and the rights of atheists.

This year, we will be featuring speakers from other organizations which support the separation of church and state in an effort to show why that concept is so important for everyone, atheists and the religious alike.

Come be a part of history and make your voice heard.

For information about the event, you can contact info@mnatheists.org or call 612-284-4495.

Location

Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda

75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Saint Paul, MN 55155

When

Thursday, May 7 at Noon at the Rotunda.

• quatrefoillibrary.org
• In Memorium David Irwin

By Crystal Dervetski

In the course of writing publicly about atheism, I have come across some questions, and many times opposition, regarding belonging to a formal organization for freethinkers. As with most questions, they are repeated multiple times by a variety of people, and oddly enough, many times they come not from religious persons but from fellow atheists. I plan on sharing a few great statements and questions I have received over the last year, and my answers to them.

At the March cable show taping James Zimmerman produced and hosted two programs. The first was an interview with Bjorn Watland on Minnesota Atheists' Meet-ups. This was an overview of meet-up activities listed on our meet-up site and easy-to-follow instructions on how to sign on to our meet-up. For the second program, Grant Steves joined the panel, and they reviewed and discussed Two Atheist-themed books. The first was 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God, by Guy Harrison, and the second book was Godless, by Dan Barker from the Freedom of Religion Foundation. If you would like to help on the cable program or sponsor the program on your cable access station or have ideas for a future program please contact me at spetersen175@comcast.org.

Cable Crew: Art Anderson, Brett Stembridge, Shirley Moll, Steve Petersen, George Kane, Todd Erickson, and Grant Hermanson.

Podcasts: MinnesotaAtheists.org. Made possible by Grant Hermanson.

• Cable Schedule
• Burnsville/Eagan Community Television: Channel 14. Check their web site www.bect.tv for day and times. Sponsor: Kevin Hardisty.
• Bloomington: Channel 16. Monday 9:30 p.m., Tuesday 5:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Sponsors: David and Joanne Beardsley.
• Minneapolis: Channel 17. Saturday 8:30 p.m. Sponsor: Steve Petersen.
• Rochester: Channel 10. Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 7:30 p.m. Sponsor: Jim Salutz.
• Roseville, Shoreview, Arden Hills, North Oaks, Little Canada, Falcon Heights, Lauderdale, Mounds View, New Brighton: Channel 14. Wednesday 10:30 p.m. Sponsor: Steve Petersen.
• St. Cloud: Channel 12. Thursday 8:30 p.m. Sponsor: Jack Richter.
• Stillwater: Channel 16. Tuesday 7:00 p.m.; Wednesday 9:00 a.m. Sponsor: Lee Salisbury.
• South Washington County: Channel 14. Tuesday 7:00 p.m. Sponsor: Raleigh Nelson.
• White Bear Lake, Hugo, Lake Elmo, Mahtomedi, Maplewood, North St. Paul, Oakdale, Vadnais Heights: Channel 15. Saturday 7:30 p.m. Sponsor: Michael Seliga.

By Vic Tanner

Easter: A Christian holiday with a pagan name dated with a Jewish calendar? There aren't many holidays in which the date needs to be calculated. Moreover, minor variations in the criteria for these calculations has resulted in different Christian groups, specifically the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, celebrating Easter on different dates. In 1928, the British Parliament made a suggestion to the Holy See to alter the dating method of Easter, not because of any great insight into theological issues, but merely to simplify the date to make the scheduling of secular affairs around Easter easier. The Holy See accepted the proposal.