Atheists Talk

August Berkshire, President of Minnesota Atheists, and Steve Petersen, Associate Chair, will interview Tom Flynn, whose Wikipedia page describes him as "an author, journalist, novelist, entertainer, folklorist, Executive Director of the Council for Secular Humanism, and Editor of its journal Free Inquiry magazine. He is also director of the Robert Green Ingersoll Birthplace Museum.

"Much of his work addresses church-state issues, including the best-selling book The Trouble With Christmas, about which he has made hundreds of radio and TV appearances in his role as the curmudgeonly "anti-Claus." He is also the author of the critically acclaimed anti-religious black comedy science fiction novel, Galactic Rapture (2000) and its sequel, Nothing Sacred (2004). His latest work, The New Encyclopedia of Unbelief (2007), is a comprehensive reference work on the history, beliefs, and thinking of America's fastest growing minority: those who live without religion. He is currently writing a third science-fiction novel set in the Galactic Rapture universe."

Tom is affectionately known as the Anti-Santa Claus and Scrooge. A happy curmudgeon, he will discuss his book The Trouble With Christmas. His book and research put into historical context the Western celebration of Christmas. He challenges his fellow atheists and freethinkers to leave this holiday alone and raise the consciences of everybody.

We will discuss what many secular humanists celebrate - The Winter Solstice, HumanLight, or Festivus - and talk about those who just ignore the religiosity of the holiday and celebrate the togetherness of one another and humanity. Oh, yes, we will also cover the culture war of Christmas, Happy Holidays, and government's enchantment of supporting religious displays. So Happy Solstice, Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Eid, Happy Holidays, Happy Festivus, or Bah Humbug everybody!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_W._Flynn

http://www.centerforinquiry.net

http://www.centerforinquiry.net/about/council_for_secular_humanism

http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/ngoldwe_2000/troubxmas.html

http://www.pointofinquiry.org/tom_flynn_the_real_war_on_christmas

http://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Christmas-Tom-Flynn/dp/0879758481

http://debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com/2007/12/trouble-with-christmas.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festivus

 

The religious despair for atheists that with nothing but science and rationality for inspiration, we can't appreciate the beauty of art, music, poetry, prose nor the weaving of a rainbow.  By unweaving a rainbow, we are told that we miss out on the deepar beauty that underlies the "mystery of being."  Don't try to tell that to my guests on this show.  They will look at you, baffled, because they both draw inspiration for their art from the wonders of science.  Lynn Fellman is a frequent guest on the show, interviewing scientists she has met through the course of her art career.  She rarely gets the chance to talk about her own specialties in art and so I asked her to be an interviewee.  I also asked one of my friends I haven't met, but only know through internet interactions, Glendon Mellow of Toronto, Canada.  Glendon digs the artistic inspiration of fossils and trilobites.

 

Both artists are highly inventive in the ways thet they draw science into their art and I will mostly be listening in to the conversation as Glendon and Lynn talk about atheism, science and art.

 

 

  

There are just too many people for the earth to support.  One billion people are starving to death.  We are using up the planet's resources to feed and keep ourselves warm, and doing so at an alarming rate.  Our population has doubled over the last 40 years. We run into our annual overfeast on Thanksgiving with the realization that if we are not cognizant of the effects of humanity's continual growth, we will starve ourselves to death.

 

Workd Population Balance is an organization promoting a plan to restore balance to the population so that we can sustain not only ourselves but the rest of the biosphere.  David Paxson will be Scott Lohman's guest on Atheists Talk to explain constructive steps that can be taken to maintain a sensible population of people.