Rhode Island is the birthplace of American religious freedom and the wall of separation between church and state. Sometime between its founding and 2010, however, Rhode Island seems to have forgotten this proud part of its history. That was when a new student noticed a banner at Cranston High School West that read:
Our Heavenly Father.
Grant us each day the desire to do our best. To grow mentally and morally as well as physically. To be kind and helpful to our classmates and teachers. To be honest with ourselves as well as with others. Help us to be good sports and smile when we lose as well as when we win. Teach us the value of true friendship. Help us always to conduct ourselves so as to bring credit to Cranston High School West.
Amen.
This student was Jessica Ahlquist, and her challenge to the legality of the banner under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment made history for for her poise and determination--and for the viciousness with which it was met. Jessica is in town for the American Atheists Regional Convention this weekend, and she will join us in the studio to talk about her court case and about how life has been since it was won.
Atheists Talk is produced with funding from the Minnesota Atheists and the Humanists of Minnesota. We also wish to thank Q. Cumbers restaurant for purchasing on-air advertising and for providing a great place to eat and gather. This radio program is put together by dedicated volunteers and the generous donations of listeners. If you are able to help with a donation please consider doing so at our Radio Fund page.
Listen to AM 950 KTNF on Sunday at 9 a.m. Central to hear Atheists Talk, produced by Minnesota Atheists. Stream live online. Call in to the studio: 952-946-6205, or send an e-mail to radio@mnatheists.orgduring the live show.
Researcher and science writer Jesse Bering delights in being provocative. From the description of his new book, Why Is the Penis Shaped Like That?: And Other Reflections on Being Human:
Why do testicles hang the way they do? Is there an adaptive function to the female orgasm? What does it feel like to want to kill yourself? Does “free will” really exist? And why is the penis shaped like that anyway?
In Why Is the Penis Shaped Like That?, the research psychologist and award-winning columnist Jesse Bering features more than thirty of his most popular essays from Scientific American and Slate, as well as two new pieces, that take readers on a bold and captivating journey through some of the most taboo issues related to evolution and human behavior. Exploring the history of cannibalism, the neurology of people who are sexually attracted to animals, the evolution of human body fluids, the science of homosexuality, and serious questions about life and death, Bering astutely covers a generous expanse of our kaleidoscope of quirks and origins.
With his characteristic irreverence and trademark cheekiness, Bering leaves no topic unturned or curiosity unexamined, and he does it all with an audaciously original voice. Whether you’re interested in the psychological history behind the many facets of sexual desire or the evolutionary patterns that have dictated our current mystique and phallic physique, Why Is the Penis Shaped Like That? is bound to create lively discussion and debate for years to come.
Join us Sunday as we talk to Jesse Bering about the range of human behavior tackled in his book.
Atheists Talk is produced with funding from the Minnesota Atheists and the Humanists of Minnesota. We also wish to thank Q. Cumbers restaurant for purchasing on-air advertising and for providing a great place to eat and gather. This radio program is put together by dedicated volunteers and the generous donations of listeners. If you are able to help with a donation please consider doing so at our Radio Fund page.
Listen to AM 950 KTNF on Sunday at 9 a.m. Central to hear Atheists Talk, produced by Minnesota Atheists. Stream live online. Call in to the studio: 952-946-6205, or send an e-mail to radio@mnatheists.org: 0px none; font-size: 11.8182px; color: #555555; line-height: 20px;">during the live show.
Join us on KTNF AM 950 this Sunday July 29th when we interview August Berkshire and Eric Jayne about the upcoming “Night of Unbelievable Fun” – an atheist-themed baseball game played by the St. Paul Saints, and sponsored by Minnesota Atheists and American Atheists. August and Eric will also talk about the American Atheist Regional Conference which is taking place in Saint Paul on the same weekend.
On Friday August 10th Minnesota Atheists and American Atheists will sponsor a St. Paul Saints baseball game at Midway Stadium. For this one evening the St. Paul Saints will be renamed the “Mr. Paul Aints”, the team will wear Mr. Paul Aints jerseys during the game, and the letter “S” will be covered up on the word “Saints” throughout the ballpark. Dave Silverman, the current president of American Atheists, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the game! Minnesota Atheists banners will hang in the stadium, and baseballs fans will be greeted at the main entrance of the park with a Minnesota Atheists information table.
The 2012 Regional Atheist Conference will take place the day after on Saturday August 11th in St. Paul. Confirmed speakers include Dave Silverman, PZ Myers, Teresa MacBain, Ayanna Watson, Hector Avalos, Jessica Ahlquist, Robert Price and J. Anderson Thompson. Tickets are available for the conference, and lunch and dinner tickets can also be purchased. After the conference, there will be a pub crawl through downtown St. Paul.
So join us this Sunday on AM950 KTNF to get all of the latest information about the Mr. Paul Aints and the American Atheist Regional Conference. As always, we welcome your questions or comments by phone and email.
Atheists Talk is produced with funding from the Minnesota Atheists and the Humanists of Minnesota. We also wish to thank Q. Cumbers restaurant for purchasing on-air advertising and for providing a great place to eat and gather. This radio program is put together by dedicated volunteers and the generous donations of listeners. If you are able to help with a donation please consider doing so at our Radio Fund page.
Listen to AM 950 KTNF on Sunday at 9 a.m. Central to hear Atheists Talk, produced by Minnesota Atheists. Stream live online. Call in to the studio: 952-946-6205, or send an e-mail to radio@mnatheists.org during the live show.
Can we prove atheism? Can we prove that no god exists? According to one school of thought, the answer is "No", because we can't absolutely prove a negative. Philosopher Matthew McCormick, however, considers this standard to be unrealistic. It isn't the standard we apply for any other question that influences how we live our lives. Why should we treat it as the standard for accepting atheism?
In his soon-to-be-released book, McCormick lays out the case for atheism along multiple lines of argument. From the publisher's description:
Is the evidence about Jesus as it has been relayed to us over the centuries of sufficient quantity and quality to justify belief in the resurrection? How can we accept the resurrection but reject magic at the Salem witch trials? What light does contemporary research about human rationality from the fields of behavioral economics, empirical psychology, cognitive science, and philosophy shed on the resurrection and religious belief? Can we use contemporary research about the reliability of people's beliefs in the supernatural, miracles, and the paranormal to shed light on the origins of Christianity and other religions? Does it make sense that the all-powerful creator of the universe would employ miracles to achieve his ends? Can a Christian believe by faith alone and yet reasonably deny the supernatural claims of other religions? Do the arguments against Christianity support atheism?
This Sunday, Matt McCormick joins us on air to discuss his book.
Atheists Talk is produced with funding from the Minnesota Atheists and the Humanists of Minnesota. We also wish to thank Q. Cumbers restaurant for purchasing on-air advertising and for providing a great place to eat and gather. This radio program is put together by dedicated volunteers and the generous donations of listeners. If you are able to help with a donation please consider doing so at our Radio Fund page.
Listen to AM 950 KTNF on Sunday at 9 a.m. Central to hear Atheists Talk, produced by Minnesota Atheists. Stream live online. Call in to the studio: 952-946-6205, or send an e-mail to radio@mnatheists.orgduring the live show.
