Atheists gather in Minneapolis for national convention (this weekend)

[Breeze54]

Atheists gather in Minneapolis for national convention

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/03/21/atheists/

by Tom Weber, Minnesota Public Radio
March 21, 2008

St. Paul, Minn. —

Hundreds of atheists will spend this Easter weekend in a downtown Minneapolis hotel, attending the national conference of the group American Atheists.

The group's president, Ellen Johnson, said the conference will also focus on making atheists more visible during this year's presidential campaign.

"We are a huge voting block and yet the politicians ignore us, and that's a really important issue to atheists. Why does every other group get more attention than we do? Groups who are smaller, by far, as a voting block than we are," said Johnson.

A recent survey from the Pew Forum suggests that 16% of Americans are unaffiliated with an organized religion. But that figure includes atheists, agnostics and others; specifically, atheists are less than two percent of the population.

The fact that the event starts on Good Friday, one of the holiest days of the year for Christians, is just a coincidence, added Johnson.

"The hotels are empty this time of year and atheists aren't doing anything anyway, so the hotel industry vies heavily for our business."

The weekend's lineup includes a speech and book-signing from noted British author and atheist Richard Dawkins.

[evlbstrd]

1. What time is the prayer breakfast?

[Breeze54]

2. Ha! Funny!

:P

I'm sure they'll enjoy the speeches and meetings and meals in the quiet hotel though!

[texshelters]

3. I didn't know this!

Thanks for the post! Atheists unite!

Tex Shelters

[Breeze54]

4. Me neither but it is interesting!

But I don't think I'd want to go to Minneapolis for this!

I'd go if it was in a warmer climate though. It might be intersting!

:hi:

[grannylib]

7. *lol* Minneapolis at Eastertime is rarely REALLY nice...although

once in a while we get decent weather! But during March Madness, we usually get at least one good snowstorm, and apparently parts of the state are getting a little dumped on.
It's turned to rain here, and not much of it, at that.

Come to Minneapolis in summer or early autumn - it's a beautiful city :-) Better yet, head up to northern Minnesota.

[Breeze54]

8. I'm freezing my ass off in MA today but I'm sure it's pretty there!

I hear they have great food in MN too! ;)

I'll get there for a visit someday! :hi:

[grannylib]

9. You must mean the State Fair Food on a Stick *lol*

And that would be worth the trip! It's a pretty cool state fair, and there truly is some really good food there! My favorites include the wild rice burgers and some of the great Asian food; I am also a sucker for the chocolate dipped cheesecake and the chocolate dipped key lime pie (those ARE both on sticks, and holy cats, they're yummy!)
:hi:

[Breeze54]

10. I was thinking of the buffet restaurants but food on a stick sounds good too!

Especially cheesecake dipped in chocolate on a stick!! Oh my!! :P

I just told my son about that and he said, "Lets go now!!" :rofl:

[grannylib]

11. *lol* No, please don't rush the end of summer...we haven't even

barely started spring yet!!
State Fair and Renaissance Festival...two events I just love, but they do signal the beginning of the end of nice weather, and preparing for winter soon...

[Breeze54]

13. We have a bunch of state fairs here too and The Renaissance Festival for 3 months.

All are fun and beautiful with all the bright colors! You should come here too!

You'd enjoy our beautiful landscapes and fresh lobsters and great food also! :D

I think we have candied apples on sticks! :P

[grannylib]

14. I was in Massachusetts years ago; went to Cape Cod with family

following my brother's wedding, and all over the New England states, and to Niagara Falls, and it was a blast...although I did get food poisoning from some bad fried clams, unfortunately! My mom got sick as well, we were the only two who had eaten them, it was miserable...
But it didn't last too long and I still had a great time! I would love to go to a Renaissance Fair somewhere else...I hear Colorado has one, or maybe more than one, that is/are pretty cool as well!

Fresh lobsters, yummmm.....

[Breeze54]

16. I had that happen with scallops once too....

King Richard's Faire

The Royal Chefs prepare delectable edibles authentic to Renaissance times.
... 2008 King Richard's Faire | Corporate Office [phone] | Carver, MA
... www.kingrichardsfaire.net/

General Information
The Royal Zoo perform each weekend
Discount Coupons
What's New
unique hand-made wares
More results from www.kingrichardsfaire.net

;)

[grannylib]

18. Oooh, thanks for the links! I'll check those out!

:-)

[northernsoul]

12. looking out my window, this is not a great weekend to come here

I'd recommend MN in May/June and September/October

[Rob H.]

5. Oh man...

I wish I lived closer. I'd go just to hear Dawkins if for no other reason--I live in the Bible Belt so there's probably almost no chance he'll be speaking down here anytime soon. Looking at American Atheists' website, it looks like they're having a lot of other interesting speakers, too.

[Breeze54]

6. I've never heard anything he has to say. Is he good?

TN would be one helluva a drive and it's friggin' cold there right now! Brr!

[Sabriel]

23. Here's a link to listen to him, Breeze

I love hearing him take on the callers. Look for the Feb. 27, 2008 archive, at 8 a.m.

http://www.wpr.org/ideas/programnotes.cfm

[Breeze54]

24. Thanks....he has a radio show? Then maybe I have heard him!

I was listening to an Athiest radio show once and the callers were pissed and trying to
convince him that God existed and his logical reasoning with them had me in stitches! :P

[Sabriel]

25. He was a guest on Wis. Public Radio

I don't think he has his own show.

[Rob H.]

29. I've heard him on the radio a couple of times

and he's an entertaining, engaging interviewee (as opposed to Daniel Dennett, who's very dry, imo). He's been on Freethought Radio twice; you can download the podcasts at the Freedom from Religion Foundation's website, if you're interested. :)

[Breeze54]

30. That's the station I was talking about upthread.. Freethought Radio

I liked that show i listened to that night.

The host was a riot and smart! ;)

Thanks! :hi:

[ShadesOfGrey]

15. Very cool...

I don't have the belief gene in me, so I guess that makes me an atheist? I get tired of having to explain my non-belief to others (I live in the bible belt). It's comforting to know that there are others like me out there.

[Breeze54]

17. You shouldn't bother to explain it to anyone!

We have the same mindset here in the northeast, trust me, the Midwest isn't the only place.

My brother was all aghast that I didn't send my youngest to Catechism classes.

And that I didn't have him 'officially' baptized! :eyes:

But I have sisters that think like me. We don't buy into it all either.

[ShadesOfGrey]

20. I moved to NC when my daughter was 8 years old...

there is a church on every corner where I live. Ack! Shorty after moving here, I got a call from the mother of one of my daughter's friends stating that her daughter would no longer be allowed to associate with my daughter because my daughter said, "it's okay not to believe in god". This woman was outraged that I was not insisting that my daughter BELIEVE in a god! WTF???

Trying to raise a non-christian child here in the bible belt has been rough. In my daughter's senior year of high school, one of her classes did an election poll. She actually stated that she was an independent because she didn't want to bear the wrath of the republicans (90+% of her class) and admit that she was a democrat! Oh well... she made it through those years and now she's in a liberal college where her beliefs and non-beliefs are accepted. Thank you god, goddess, or whatever...

[Hugabear]

19. Why do you all hate Amurika so much?

Bunch of god-hating commies! :spank:

:pals:

[Breeze54]

21. I don't hate ...just not into it!

:P

I gave up fairy tales long ago. ;)

[Sabriel]

22. Thank god they're organizing like this.

I jest. As a Midwest atheist myself, I'm pleased just to know Richard Dawkins in is my geographic region.

(edit for lack of tense)

[Generic Brad]

39. I'm sure they will be more effective at organizing than the anarchists

:think:

[mdmc]

26. I pray it don't rain

:)

[Breeze54]

27. They'll be inside, so they'll be ok!

;)

[NickB79]

28. We just got 4-6" of heavy, wet snow dumped on the Twin Cities last night

Maybe it's a sign :)

[Juche]

31. What are the demands though

What do atheists want in politics? I am an agnostic secular humanist but I don't really 'want' anything the way the religious right wants things. I don't want any minority groups oppressed, or demand that people live the way I think they should live. I just want seperation of church and state, a respect for science and more compassion and humanitarianism in domestic and foreign policy. These sound like stereotypical progressive values. What seperates atheists from non-atheists in politics?

I read that secular humanists now make up as large of a voting block as the religious right. They make up about 20% of the voters, and so do secular humanists. And secular humanists tend to be just as partisan as the religious right. They prefer the GOP 2-1, secular humanists prefer the democrat party 2-1.

[Breeze54]

32. I'm not sure what they want bsides being recognized but you said it well, I think.

"I just want separation of church and state, a respect for science
and more compassion and humanitarianism in domestic and foreign policy."

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Maybe they also want respect, as far as politicians always invoking God, as if every American was on board?

[Juche]

33. I can see that

I wish politicians would come out in the open and just say 'I don't believe in God' or 'I don't really think about the issue' w/o it being a liability.

[Breeze54]

34. I know and by their behavior, we know that's true!

:P

But they have to stay PC to appease the crowds. Honesty is out!! :sarcasm:

It sucks because we know a lot of them are hypocrites! :grr:

It's sad, really.

BTW? Welcome to DU, Juche! :hi:

[musette_sf]

35. ...and in the airport tea room

things are really, really slow this weekend.

it'll be like Grand Central Station when the Puke convention comes around, though.

:evilgrin:

[Breeze54]

36. At least the bathrooms will be free from politicians doing fancy foot work!

:P

[NJSecularist]

37. The "no religion" voting bloc reliably votes Democratic.

Which is why the Democrats feel no need to court it. I am not saying it is right, but that is just the reality. And I am an agnostic.

[Breeze54]

40. I didn't know that but I guess they're tired of being excluded, ignored or omitted?

But I'm not involved with the group, so your guess is much better than mine! ;)

[alarimer]

38. Also PZ Myers (of the Pharyngula blog) got thrown out of the Expelled movie

That movie about how oppressed creationists are. Myers is a big atheist. But, get this, they let RICHARD DAWKINS into the movie and he's the biggest atheist in the world (He wrote The God Delusion).

Story here: (scroll down a bit)

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/