American Atheist Magazine Third Quarter 2013

American Atheists
American Atheist
A JOURNAL OF ATHEIST NEWS AND THOUGHT
Bullies for Jesus: The Spread of the Good News Clubs
ATHEISTS.ORG
THIRD QUARTER 2013
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AMERICAN ATHEIST
A Journal of Atheist News and Thought
3rd Quarter 2013

Vol. 51, No. 3 ISSN 0516-9623 (Print) ISSN 1935-8369 (Online)
Photo by Rick Wingrove

President David Silverman and National Legal Director Edwin Kagin in Austin. Convention coverage begins on page 5.
In This Issue
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Pamela Whissel mageditor@atheists.org LAYOUT and GRAPHICS EDITOR Rick Wingrove rwingrove@atheists.org Copy editor and Proofreader Karen Reilly AMERICAN ATHEIST PRESS MANAGING EDITOR Frank R. Zindler editor@atheists.org
Published by American Atheists, Inc. Mailing Address: P.O. Box 158 Cranford NJ 07016 Phone: 908.276.7300 FAX: 908.276.7402 www.atheists.org
2013 American Atheists Inc.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. American Atheist is indexed in the Alternative Press Index. American Atheist magazine is given free of cost to members of American Atheists as an incident of their membership. Annual Individual Membership with subscription for one year of American Atheist print magazine: $35. Online version only: $20. Couple/Family Membership with optional print magazine: $35. Sign up at www. atheists.org/aam. Discounts available for multiple year subscriptions: 10% for two years, 20% for three or more years. Additional postage fees for foreign addresses: Canada and Mexico: add $10/year. All other countries: add $30/year. Discounts for libraries and institutions: 50% on all magazine subscriptions and book purchases. 3RD QUARTER 2013
5 6 9 10 14 18 20 23 24 27 28 31 32 33 34 46
Fifty Years of Reason Celebrated in Austin | David Muscato Bullies for Jesus: The Good News Clubs - Part One | Dale DeBakcsy One Man and One Woman? | Hector Avalos Ages of Atheism: Part Four | James Luce From Apostle Paul to Doubting Thomas | Dustin Lawson Forgive Me, But... | Ed Buckner and Michael Buckner Letter to the Pastor | Michael B. Paulkovich A Good Trade | J. T. Eberhard American Atheists at 50: 2013 Convention in Austin Independence Day | Paul Loebe Paul Provenza: Finding the Funny in Atheism | Becky Garrison Laughter Is Our God: Comics Riff on Atheism | Becky Garrison Voices of Reason Rally: David Silverman Author Alan Michael Wilt and His Holy Family | Cathy Puett Miller Good Intentions on the Road to the Creation Museum Why I am an Atheist | Gil Gaudia, Ph.D.
www.atheists.org | AMERICAN ATHEIST | 3
Letter from the
y the time you read this letter, American Atheists will have accomplished another first. In Starke, Florida, on June 29, a monument to Atheism was unveiled in front of the Bradford County Courthouse. It sits just a few feet from a six-foot slab of granite inscribed with the Protestant version of the Ten Commandments. It was placed there on the 2012 National Day of Prayer by the local Community Mens Fellowship. American Atheists sued the county over this religious display on government land and the case went to mediation, where National Legal Director Edwin Kagin successfully proposed a settlement allowing the religious monument to stay as long as American Atheists could put up one of their own. The next issue of American Atheist will feature the entire story. In the meantime, if you Google Atheist monument Starke Florida or some similar combination, you can see the enormous amount of news already generated by this victory. This settlement is the first of its kind in American jurisprudence. Never before has a monument to Atheism been placed on public land with the consent of the governing authority. As such, it sets another precedent for equal representation and makes more progress toward normalizing Atheism in the United States. The word normalize is often misunderstood. As a result, American Atheists is often incorrectly seen as an organization that wants to convert all religious believers to Atheism. We are not in the business of converting anyone. We are in the business of turning the word Atheist into one that does not put up red flags in anyones mind. To normalize something is to reduce (or elevate, depending on your perspective) it to the everyday. Atheism will be normalized once the words she is an Atheist are no more eyebrow-raising than the words she does not play bridge.
Editor
The view from my editors desk suggests that Atheism in periodicals has been solidly normalized in the US.
This settlement is the first of its kind
in American jurisprudence.
The view from my editors desk suggests that Atheism in periodicals has been solidly normalized in the US. This magazine is now in 422 Barnes and Noble stores across the country (up from 211 just one issue ago) and is continuing to sell strongly at Book World stores in the US as well as Chapters Indigo stores in Canada. Of course, you may be reading this digitally. Most of our subscribers do. But at a time when more reading material is sold online than in bricks-and-mortar-stores and the material itself is read electronically at an ever-increasing rate, the number of print magazines Barnes and Noble has ordered for this issue is almost four times what it was last issue. It has been thrilling to be able to elevate this magazine from a publication that was simply mailed out to members to one that flies off newsstand shelves. But, at the same time, this can only mean that the niche filled by American Atheist was woefully empty for far too long. Pamela Whissel MagEditor@Atheists.org
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Celebrated in Austin, Texas

by David Muscato, American Atheists Public Relations Director
Atheists used to have to beg hotels to take our convention business, especially in the South. Now, they solicit us for business.
David Silverman
he 2013 American Atheists Convention was a golden anniversary party celebrated in the city of its founding, Austin, Texas. From March 28 to 31, the one thousand attendees could not have felt more welcome at the Hyatt Regency Austin. I arrived with the rest of the staff on Wednesday the 27th and was immediately informed that some hotel officials wanted to meet with us. As President Dave Silverman, Managing Director Amanda Knief, Development Director Nick Fish, and I walked into the conference room, I was astounded to see 25 department heads, including the hotel general manager, ready to address all questions and concerns. One by one, they introduced themselves, described how their department would contribute to a successful convention, and then gave us the opportunity to bring up any last-minute requests or concerns. The hotel bar even created The Hitch, a drink in honor of the late Christopher Hitchens featuring his personal favorite, Johnny Walker Black. Years ago, this sort of kindness and treatment would have been unthinkable. Atheists used to have to beg hotels to take our convention business, especially in the South. Now, they solicit us for business, said Silverman. On Wednesday, March 27, David Silverman and American Atheists Vice President Kathleen Johnson participated in a panel discussion with Austin-area pastors to discuss the common misconceptions people have about the worldviews of Atheists and the worldviews of religious believers. The entire discussion is on YouTube at http://TinyURL.com/ Austin-Panel. We hoped for a few dozen attendees, but the standing-room-only crowed topped 250. Diversity of Speakers Statistically speaking, men tend to self-identify as less religious than women, and Caucasians generally tend to identify as less religious than non-Caucasians. We are, of course, very proud of our entire roster of speakers, but it is worth noting that more women than men spoke at this years convention, something our founder Madalyn Murray OHair would be pleased to see. At our fundraising Dinner with the Stars on Thursday, former US Representative Pete Stark,
Quiet Company
Tombstone
Austin, Texas
Continued on page 24
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All Photos by Reid Nicewonder
Fifty Years of Reason
This article is the first in a series that will follow the trials of a group of parents in Californias Castro Valley School District. In 2009, the district was invaded by Good News Clubs, after-school programs with an extreme apocalyptic bent which have as their goal the evangelizing of children as young as five. Dale DeBakcsy, one of the parents and a regular contributor to American Atheist, explains in Part One what Good News Clubs are and how they have infiltrated Americas school system. Part Two will feature an interview with Katherine Stewart, author of The Good News Club: The Christian Rights Stealth Assault on Americas Children (PublicAffairs Books, 2012), and in Part Three well catch up with the progress of the Castro Valley parents in fighting the Good News Clubs encroachment.
Bullies for Jesus:

Part One
The Spread of the Good News Clubs

by Dale DeBakcsy
The CEF presents a fluffy-bunnies-in-the-gardenof-paradise face at PTA meetings and then an iron doctrine of damnation in its meetings with children.
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Many have tried to dislodge them only to come up against the full legal artillery that the CEFs deep pockets are able to field.
Manipulation of fear and guilt, dehumanizing non-believersthese t is the quietest of invasions. The sort that covers a core of pure malevolence with an innocuous facade of handmade posters, are the tools with which the volunteer is armed as he or she goes into a homemade brownies, and affable How could you ever think classroom after school hours and is given free reign over the minds of wed do something like that? smiles. Since 2001, when the kindergartners and elementary-school children. One of our parents sat US Supreme Court ruled that they have the right to do so, the in on a meeting and counted 59 uses of the word sin and two instances Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) has been planting after-school of the children being made to label themselves as sinners. But it doesnt programs called Good News Clubs into the very heart of our public end there. school system.1 Their empire now stands at 3,500 schools and is growing every day through their efficiently organized, End-Times-passionate national campaign. To the public, the CEF portrays the Good News Clubs as mere handmaidens of morality enhancementwith some light Biblical instruction on the side. In reality, the clubs are, quite explicitly, vehicles by which the CEF is attempting to proselytize non-Christian children at our public schools, using their own classmates as the harvesters (their term) of these lost souls. When a new club is established in a school, it is helped on its way by volunteers trained at the CEFs Childrens Ministries Institute, an academy which trains shock troops in the most effective methods of seducing children into surrendering themselves to Christ. One of the first things I did to prepare our case was to read through the training material that these volunteers are given. A fair amount of it is available online so as to facilitate the fastest possible training and fastest possible diffusion of the clubs, and it makes The second-grade daughter of one of the parents in our group found this flyer under for chilling reading.2 What is immediately clear is that her backpack after the last GNC meeting of the year when the kids were encouraged these are people motivated by a sense that Jesus himself to share a wheel of sin with their friends. We dont know yet if this flyer is connected to is commanding them to impress upon children their the GNC or not, but the timing is interesting. sinful nature and to compel them to see the world, As Stewart reveals in her book, these trained, first-wave organizers which includes their fellow non-saved classmates, as fundamentally evil and broken. The pamphlet Why Evangelize Children? makes the do not limit themselves to the after-school activities of the GNCs, but case that, It is clear from the Bible that a child who has not trusted volunteer in classrooms, so that the children associate them with the Jesus Christ as his Saviourno matter how young he isis therefore schools authority structure. The result is that when the volunteers go spiritually dead, a sinner by nature and action, and that he is outside on to tell the kids after school about the horrors awaiting non-believers Gods kingdom (35). Luckily, it should be easy to convert children in hell (which they do, and encourage the children to repeat to their because they are so susceptible to shame and guilt: We all know from non-Christian friends), their words have that extra touch of It must experience and from our own memories of childhood that childrens be true, an adult from my classroom said it that children are so illhearts are tender, and that they can be very sensitive and feel guilty prepared to defend against. These children, however, arent the real targets of the groups. That concerning sin. They are more sensitive than adults and feel guilt more honor belongs to the children of non-Church families who are ordinarily easily than adults (35). The key, then, to evangelizing children is to purposefully and out of the reach of the long arms of the CEF. They see the public schools strategically riddle them with guilt and fear until they succumb. And, as their way of approaching these children but, darn it all, they cant, as lest you feel worried that making children feel fear so that they believe in adults, harangue the children directly on school property. But what they the same things you do is deeply messed up, the author reassures us that can do is train other children to do the work of proselytizing for them. And that is precisely their strategy. By dangling carrots in front of this is entirely in line with the Biblical plan: It is clear that Moses believed it was possible for all four groups, including the children (the their members for each non-Church student they drag to the GNC, they effectively create an on-campus army in their own image to do little ones), to fear the Lord (26, their emphasis).
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The CEF saw that children in public school had a refuge from indoctrination and set about systematically destroying that safe harbor.
the work that they are prevented by law from doing themselves. Joseph Rockne, a parent at Loyal Heights Elementary, describes to Stewart what he overheard at a GNC meeting at his daughters school: They had their club meetings next door to my daughters classroom. There are accordion walls and you can hear that its all about, If you recruit your friends youll get candy and prizes. They coach the kids to exert pressure on other kids (23). It is a loophole so deviously grotesque that nobody thinks to protect children against it until it is too late. The CEF establishes its clubs so quickly and efficiently and its shock volunteers are so expertly trained that by the time parents in a district realize what is really going on, the organization is so firmly implanted as to be all but immovable. Many have tried to dislodge them only to come up against the full legal artillery that the CEFs deep pockets are able to field. Administrators who have other things to be worrying about are harried by CEF lawyers, while local pastors are pressed into service to make the parents of the GNC children feel like martyrs under attack by the vicious secular world. PTAs that used to work together for the greater good burn themselves out in paroxysms of mutual distrust and ideological posturing, all but crippling their ability to actually help the students succeed. Jeanne, another parent at Loyal Heights, describes the poisoned atmosphere that formed at her school: When parents were picking up their kids, you could see that groups divided along faith lines had formed. Parents werent intermingling anymore. Parents who supported the GNC were sticking together, and parents who opposed it stuck together. And in the meantime, the students twist in the venomous wind, victims of the CEFs almost reptilian sense of opportunism and tactical advantage. I want you to put yourself in the shoes of an elementary school student for a moment. Youre on the playground, trading Yu-GiOh cards or jumping rope (kids still do that, right?), when three of your friends come up to you. Why dont you go to the Good News Club after school? they ask, eager for the prizes theyve been promised for every new recruit they bring into the fold. I dont want to, you might answer if youre unusually brave. I dont know, if youre a normal kid terrified of peer rejection. Well, you should, because we all have sinned, and the club teaches you how not to go to Hell, they press, quoting from the literature theyve been given which teaches them in vivid detail about the destruction of the non-believers during the End Times. You could respond, Thats not true! but then they will point to the signs for the club that the school has been pressured to allow or the flyers that your teacher has put into your hand advertizing the clubs meetings or the fact that the meetings are held At School. To a young mind unaware of the fine distinctions of Official Recognition, this all implies that because its in their school, its true. In my own district, the superintendent allowed teachers to distribute CEF propaganda in class, citing district guidelines. Is there a six- or seven-year-old kid in the world who wouldnt crumble under that kind of pressure? Playgrounds, where kids arent supposed to deal with anything more nefarious than a breach of four square etiquette, are being shamelessly recast by adultswho should know betteras acceptable zones of religious conflict. As if being a kid werent difficult enough, now our children have to deal with the one place where theyre supposed to be safe from ideological pressure becoming a war zone in an orchestrated holy battle. This is clearly not a matter of morality enhancement, as the CEF claimed when bringing its case before the US Supreme Court. This is a narrow band of zealots seizing an opportunity to rake as many children into their clutches as they can before the clear illegality of their actions catches up with them. As the Columbia (South Carolina) Midlands GNC states on its website, We dont know how long we will be able to openly share the Gospel within the Public Schools, so that is why it is our goal to establish a Good News Club in every public elementary school in our district.3 It is hard not to feel a simmering outrage at these tactics. The CEF saw that children in public school had a refuge from indoctrination and set about systematically destroying that safe harbor, weaponizing the schools own students as part of the process. And no matter the result, the CEF wins. If the GNC at a school flourishes and grows, then its base of believers swells. If it encounters resistance, then the public school ceases to function under the weight of the conflict, and the CEF can check another institution off its enemy list. To an organization that subscribes to such a deep-seated hatred of humanity as lies at the core of End-Times zealotry, anybody and anything destroyed in the process of elevating the elect become merely tokens of glory, the foundation of refuse upon which gods chosen must stand to enter heaven. Whether they thrive in a school or break, it is all the same to their cynical estimation of humanitys worth. So, yes, outrage is easy, but it is also what the CEF is largely counting on to fulfill its larger goals. They want and need Atheists, Jews, and Muslims to react sharply to their needling advances. They need people who worked together before suddenly separated by an unbridgeable gulf. They need the GNC parents to feel like their way of life is under imminent and real threat from their neighbors and friends. That is why we must be proactive in our response to the problem, to cut off the
Organizers volunteer in classrooms, so that the children associate them with the schools authority structure.
One Man and One Woman:

This essay originally appeared in the Des Moines Register on June 2, 2013. On June 26, the Supreme Court of the United States declared the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. Although this ruling significantly advances the civil rights of LGBT Americans, their right to marry is far from absolute. American Atheist is reprinting this piece to give readers an excellent tool to help destroy the entirely religious claim that there is only one definition of traditional marriage.
Not the Only Biblical View
by Hector Avalos, Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies, Iowa State University Robert R. Cargill, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, University of Iowa Kenneth Atkinson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History, University of Northern Iowa
he debate about marriage equality often centers, however discretely, on an appeal to the Bible. Unfortunately, such appeals often reflect a lack of biblical literacy on the part of those who use that complex collection of texts as an authority to enact modern social policy. As academic biblical scholars, we wish to clarify that the biblical texts do not support the frequent claim that marriage between one man and one woman is the only type deemed acceptable by biblical authors. The fact that marriage is not defined as only that between one man and one woman is reflected in the entry on marriage in the authoritative Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000): Marriage is one expression of kinship family patterns in which typically a man and at least one woman cohabitate publicly and permanently as a basic social unit (861). The phrase at least one woman recognizes that polygamy was not only allowed, but some polygamous biblical figures (e.g., Abraham, Jacob) were highly blessed. In 2 Samuel 12:8, the author says that it was
preferred option (1 Corinthians 7:8, 28). Although some may view Jesus interpretation of Genesis 2:24 in Matthew 19:3-10 as an endorsement of monogamy, Jesus and other Jewish interpreters conceded that there were also non-monogamous understandings of this passage in ancient Judaism, including those allowing divorce and remarriage. In fact, during a discussion of marriage in Matthew 19:12, Jesus even encourages those who can to castrate themselves for the kingdom and live a life of celibacy. Ezra 10:2-11 forbids interracial marriage, and orders those people of God who already had foreign wives to divorce them immediately. So, while it is not accurate to state that biblical texts would allow marriages between people of the same sex, it is equally incorrect to declare that a one-man-and-one-woman marriage is the only allowable type of marriage deemed legitimate in biblical texts. This is not only our modern, academic opinion; this view of the multiple definitions of biblical marriage has been acknowledged
The phrase at least one woman recognizes that polygamy was not only allowed, but some polygamous biblical figures were highly blessed.
God who gave David multiple wives: I gave you your masters house, and your masters wives into your bosom... And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. (Revised Standard Version). In fact, there were a variety of unions and family configurations that were permissible in the cultures that produced the Bible, and these ranged from monogamy (Titus 1:6) to those where rape victims were forced to marry their rapist (Deuteronomy 22:28-29) and to those Levirate marriage commands obligating a man to marry his brothers widow regardless of the living brothers marital status (Deuteronomy 25:5-10, Genesis 38, Ruth 2-4). Others insisted that celibacy was the
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by some of the most prominent names in Christianity. For example, the famed Reformationist Martin Luther wrote a letter in 1524 in which he commented on polygamy as follows: I confess that I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not oppose the Holy Scriptures. Accordingly, we must guard against attempting to use ancient texts to regulate modern ethics and morals, especially those ancient texts whose endorsements of other social institutions such as slavery would be universally condemned today, even by the most adherent of Christians.
Ages of Atheism:
Why Its Difficult To Be An Atheist From Day One To Death

by James Luce
urprisingly, backsliding into idolatry is much more common with Atheists than for people with religious faith, but thats just because were the only people who can. Pagans, Hindus, and Buddhists are already overtly and proudly idolatrous. The rest of the worlds major religions, all of which are officially idol-free, have already backslid. Jews gave up on golden calves long ago (Exodus 32:1-34:3) but, otherwise, their temples and homes are replete with mezuzahs, menorahs, magens, tzitzits and tallits1. Protestant churches abound with bloodless crucifixes to which the congregation bows reverently. Catholic churches are positively crammed full of gory, crucified Christs, Virgin Marys, and saints, all of which are kissed, touched, stroked or otherwise paid homage to with ecstatic devotion. The Koran also forbids holy symbols, but mosques are essentially architectural idols (e.g., the Kaaba in Mecca) adorned with the revered Ay-yldz (Star and Crescent). The al-Hajar al-Aswad (Black Stone) is the centerpiece of the Hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca every Muslim must make at least once) and cornerstone of the aforementioned Kaaba. Every devout Muslim must touch or kiss it at least once during their lifetime. In other words, all people of religious faith are idolaters, even if their faiths dogma forbids it. In as much as Atheists have firmly abandoned idolatry, our only options are: a) remaining idol-free or b) backsliding.
Part Four: Until Death Do Us Depart: Lingering Doubts, Backsliding, and Foxholes
Forces That Can Send Us Sliding As mentioned in Part Two of this series, there are many reasons why Atheists may backslide into religion. The causal factors may be emotional, biochemical, situational, or even intellectual. Heres a short list of what I call the foxholes, pits into which we may stumble: Lingering doubts from childhood that are intensified by the loss of a loved one or other emotional trauma, leading to a disturbing cognitive dissonance that is resolved by accepting a gods love in compensation for the loss or in mitigation of the trauma, Intense feelings of guilt for having abandoned the religious faith of our parents, especially when this fact is mentioned tearfully by them on their death beds, Threats of imminent and eternal death brought on by old age, serious misadventure, disease, or a real foxhole around which your buddies are being blown to pieces, and youre probably next,
In the absence of a rational explanation for why life is treating us so poorly, its not uncommon to seek an answer in the irrational.
Persistent peer pressure from friends, family, or supervisors that squeezes all the reason and logic out of your brain, leaving a painful vacuum thats filled by religious faith, Various biochemical changes of the brain associated with schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, and other psychoses or neuroses can lead to feelings of spiritual euphoria or otherworldly hallucinations and fantasies, Brain trauma or ablation caused by everything from falling off a ladder to cancer can cause a reversion to earlier behaviors and beliefs, and finally, Even without any apparent single cause, we may find our minds adrift in doubt or confusion simply from the myriad and cumulative irritations, disappointments, and failures we encounter in normal life. In the absence of a rational explanation for why life is treating us so poorly, its not uncommon to seek an answer in the irrational or to seek comfort from the religious beliefs we held as children.
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The number of traps lurking out there is, indeed, daunting. Its like statistics thrown at us by insurance actuaries that make us afraid to stay at home yet afraid to go outside for fear of either slipping in the tub or being struck by a careless driver. Sometimes it seems amazing that we somehow manage to get through another day alive, let alone continue to live each day as an Atheist. But here we are. Wow! Made it through another one. Thanks. Its more likely than not to survive another day and not backslide, in spite of the long list of dangers and pitfalls. You see, insurance companies use the same trick with their clients that prosecutors use with juries in situations when the actual numbers and facts arent scary or persuasive enough. This manipulative device relies on whats known as false cumulative probability.2 As with most slights of hand, this trick can be convincing if youre not on the alert. For various evolutionary and developmental reasons too numerous to list here, our brains tend to perceive the world as more mysterious and unpredictable than it really is. For example, its hard not to feel that the coin is more likely to come up heads when it has just come up tails fifty times in a rowwhen in fact we know intellectually that the odds are still 50-50. This feeling is an example of false cumulative probability and is perfectly natural. Nothing to worry about. The truth is that the dozens of possible causes for our backsliding are not all present simultaneously in our lives every day nor are they all independent of each other. Furthermore, its very unlikely that youll encounter each and every one of them even if you live to be a hundred. The long list of foxholes seems daunting only because our brains kick in
during the Boxer Rebellion. He lived with his parents and siblings in a walled mission compound near a small town in rural Shandong Province. He was often not allowed to play in the front yard in the morning nor in the backyard in the afternoon because in the morning, stray rockets and bullets would fly over the front yard walls. When the battle moved in the afternoon, they flew over the backyard walls. When the war lords werent in battle, my father, age six or so, would ride his trusted donkey for miles through the fields and farms surrounding the mission. There he would see, in stark contrast to the natural beauty and friendly peasants around him, people dying of starvation or battle wounds. Father later left China for boarding school and college in New England where he twice nearly died of pneumonia, penicillin not yet being available. When World War II started, he was already in his thirties, married with two children (I came along later), and exempt from the draft. Nevertheless, he volunteered for the Army Air Corps, serving as a fighter-controller on Attu and Kishka in the Aleutians. He often had to send fighter pilots out to meet incoming Japanese Zeros and bombers, knowing that they would likely not return to home base because of the thick fogs that materialized at random times every day and totally obscured the island airfield. Those pilots who were not shot down by the Japanese frequently ran out of fuel searching for the airfield and had to ditch in the frigid ocean, only to drown. The fact that the pilots knew this when they took off did not lessen my fathers sadness and perhaps guilt (although he never mentioned any) about having ordered them to go. Sometimes, the Japanese bombers got through, and Father would have to take cover for a few terrifying minutes. After the war, my father experienced the usual births and deaths of
Physics has never lied to you or asked that you sacrifice your first-born son on some bloody altar or sacred rock.
with cumulative probability concerns even when were not aware of it. Lingering irrationality from childhood may also make an Atheist concerned about backsliding. Black cats, broken mirrors, the number 13, even cracks in the pavement give us pause. We knock on wood even though thats a superstitious ritual handed down since Neolithic times as a way to not stumble over and startle shy, evil spirits that might be just ahead of us in a dark forest.3 We still use it to give us good luck when faced with a dubious choice or a frightening thought. But the fact that I knock wood or say, Thank god! is not, like a stuffy nose is to the flu, a warning sign that Im at risk to suddenly start believing in spirits or deities. Habits, after all, are not beliefs, but rather are much more like non-cognitive reflexes, a knee-jerk over which we have no control. The Faith of Our Fathers At age 68 and thus as old age stealthily approaches me seemingly out of nowhere, Ive taken to digging through my dusty files and memorabilia in search of my past. I most recently found a letter from my father, Sheldon, which discusses his views on god and cosmology when he also was 68.4 However, his life and mine up to that same age have been considerably different in terms of experience with death. Father was born and raised in China in the early 20th century during the War Lord Period of civil unrest and horrific violence that started
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his extended family. During his thirties, he lost both parents to long, painful illnesses. As Father grew older, he suffered several heart attacks and other near-death experiences, including a burst gall bladder. At the time he wrote the letter about his relationship to god, he was suffering from mild angina, meaning hed wake up frequently during the night wondering if this was to be his last and fatal heart attack. Thus, my father, at age 68, was an old hand at death and at understanding his mortality.5 My fathers letter was addressed as Memo to the Californians, meaning all friends and family who resided there rather than on the East Coast. My older brother, then recently born again, apparently had asked Dad what his views were on the subject of god, and my father wrote the memo in reply. Its contents came as a surprise to me for several reasons. Dad was the son of a dedicated Presbyterian missionary in China. In my younger years, Dad claimed to be a Presbyterian like his father and was even a church elder for awhile. Yet Father had never objected to my being a declared Atheist from the age of seven. Indeed, we never even discussed religion except in a casual comparative manner during our frequent discussions about history, politics, philosophy, cultural diversity, and so forth. Therefore, I assumed that my father must have evolved into a closet Atheist sometime in my teens. The following excerpts from the letter are illustrative of the fact that I was not far off in that supposition, but nevertheless mistaken.
Here are my comments on the subject of my relationship to Godor at least what I think it may be.I rate myself as a deist, at least. I am Theocentric rather than Christocentric.I am on Square Onenot able to arrive at any acceptance of the related extensions of God such as the Trinity, etc.I will touch on only two areas of belief, Assurance of Salvation and God as Mover of the World.Perhaps it is a residue of misunderstood predestination but I have never in the classic fox-hole sense felt that Salvation was a goal to attain.To the extent that Salvation is connected to the Forgiveness of Sin, I see it rather delicately up to God as it were.Mans history is full of examples of individual or mass urges to seek aid or counsel from God.The problem for me is that, while the distinction in concept between people and God is clear, that distinction at any given moment in time or place is not. And the distinction becomes really complex when the question of Good and Evil is contemplated.I am committed to Square One, planet Earth, the Universewhatever in the world that may be. This letter was written by a man brought up in a strict, devout
May I suggest that grasping for assistance from something as ethereal, ambiguous, and fanciful as god is neither logically nor emotionally efficacious. May I further suggest that grasping for a helping hand attached to any minister, shaman, rabbi, priest, evangelical, or mullah is to little avail inasmuch as they are simply blind instruments of some mythical divinity and are as useless as he, she, or it. You have the eye of reason that is not blind. You have, most of all, the hand of true friends to grasp. You have, most of all, a belief in something thats substantial, tangible, and certainnamely the universe around you with all its orderly laws, proved cause and effect, and accessibility to your five senses. Unlike sacred scriptures, the healing properties of love, friendship, joy, compassion, empathy, and life itself are not mythical, mystical, ephemeral products of our ancestors imaginations, nightmares, and fears. Rather, they are manifestations of our very tangible brains that evolved directly from the very real hell of a quantum creation and which, by a very natural selection process, transport us to a true heaven on Earth, a kingdom already come, where over millions of years the prophesies of Leviticus 26:14-39 have already come to pass without ending the world. Mountains have already crumbled, oceans dried up,
If my father was able to refrain from backsliding to the faith of his father, then I suggest we all can.
Christian family, had seen death up close and ugly hundreds of times, and had spent several years contemplating his own mortality which was, at best, fragile. Yet his view of god and his relationship with him as expressed in his memo clearly was one more of philosophical speculation rather than fear or adulation. The night before his last bypass surgery, which was decidedly unsuccessful, he spoke with me about his understanding that the operation was risky and that it probably would kill him. Nevertheless, he had decided that he would rather die than to live each day with a fear of dying. He made no mention of going to a better place, but rather demanded that his life on Earth (Square One) be tolerable or not at all. The memo also makes clear that my father understood that god was the creation of man, not the reverse. Questions of good and evil were not part of Dads theology, but rather part of his philosophy, his concepts of morality. This is consistent with his frequent references to authors like Marcus Aurelius, HH Munro, and George Bernard Shaw, three of historys greatest explorers of the human condition in all its goofy, grimy complexity.6 If my father was able to refrain from backsliding to the faith of his father, then I suggest we all can. When the Foxhole Turns into a Fiery Furnace7 Many Atheists, at one time or another, find themselves in desperate situations that cause them to question their knowledge that god does not exist. Prolonged shelling while huddled, scared, wet, and cold in an actual foxhole for hours or days at a time is one of these. Similarly, prolonged vigils at the bedside of a dying loved one in helpless pain is another such test. Any situation where your adrenal glands and psyche are tormented and taxed can give rise to doubts and a descent into despair. To reach outside of self for help is a good thing. The question is, What do you reach for? great cities destroyed by fire and earthquake. Great plagues and famine have devastated whole nationsall without any evidence of divine vengeance and certainly without any intervention of gods alleged love for humankind. The words of all sacred scriptures are simply the sometimes pathetic and always inaccurate attempts by our very distant ancestors to explain a world they were incapable of comprehending. Are the broken promises and petulant ravings of any god a likely source of comfort for those in need of solace? Isnt the knowledge that we have the courage and ability to face whatever is thrown at us a sufficientindeed bountiful alternative inspiration? Ways to Increase the Coefficient of Friction on Slippery Slopes If instead of severe emotional trauma you are simply having intellectual doubts about whether youre an Atheist, here are some practical suggestions as to how to move yourself away from the edge of the pit: Read any chapter of something written by Richard Dawkins or any of the other great Atheists. Then read any chapter of the Bible or other sacred text. The contrast should shock you back to your senses faster than jumping into a glacier-fed lake from a steaming-hot sauna. Remind yourself why you became an Atheist in the first place. It made sense then and it still does. Remember that Atheism is not about the fact that there is no god, but rather that there is only one true universe out there, and its real. Physics has never lied to you or asked that you sacrifice your first-born son on some bloody altar or sacred rock. If youre a man, Natural Law has never suggested that your mother, wife, sister, or girlfriend is damned to perdition for having had sex or an abortion. If youre a woman, remember there is no scientific theory that suggests youre a lower, unclean form of life, naturally less intelligent
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than men, not worth educating, and good only for domestic chores. Alcoholics Anonymous is not the only organization known as AA which has caring members ready to assist the afflicted. Many associates of American Atheists are just as willing to tow you out of a ditch you may have backslid into as those from the other AA. Just call any one of them you know, if needed. Here is a final thought:
Pure Reason Knows no season. True Logic Is biologic. And the Scientific Method Should always get the nod. Faith is just philosophic. Charitys just philanthropic. Reality is the place to be If its truth you want to see. So it seems to me so odd That people ever turn to God. Humans will never be fulfilled Until into every brain is drilled The simple, singular, scientific fact That all religions should be sacked. We were not divinely created from dust, dirt, or sod Rather we naturally evolved just like birds, bees, and cod.
Footnotes: 1. Respectively: handwritten scroll containing holy scripture, sevenbranched candelabrum, shield/star of David, sacred fringes, and a four-cornered shawl to which the fringes are attached. 2. The probability of X, Y, and Z happening simultaneously is not properly determined by simply adding up the probabilities of each individual event unless each is determined not to be even remotely influenced by the others. That is, each event must be a true random variable. For further detail, go to MathGoodies.com/Lessons/ vol6/Independent_Events.html 3. The wood in knock on wood originally was a tree trunk, not a piece of furniture. Surviving Stone Age cultures still perform this ancient ritual when they leave the village and enter the forest or jungle. 4. The letter is dated March 14, 1978. 5. My life experience with death or near-death up to age 68 has only included a near-fatal horse-riding accident, a few brushes with armed criminals and a bomb scare or two when I was a Federal Agent in the OSI/USAF, plus the loss of my parents and a few friends. Ive never had death on my doorstep for months at a time nor been in an actual or metaphysical foxhole as my father had been. 6. My father especially enjoyed Meditations, The Tales of Saki, and Don Juan in Hell. They are all worth a read. 7. Fiery Furnace as in Daniel 3:1-36, the story of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego. James Luce is the author of Chasing Davis: An Atheists Guide to Morality Using Logic and Science. After four years as a criminal investigator in the US Air Force, he spent 25 years as a trial lawyer. Now retired, he lives in Spain. Read more by him at LucelySpeaking.com.
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From Apostle Paul to Doubting Thomas

by Dustin Lawson
How Working with Josh McDowell Changed Me
Out in the real world, with no feeling of divine guidance, I was terrified. I wanted back in the prison.
osh McDowell is one of the most influential Christian apologists of the 21st century. Through his speaking and his books like Evidence that Demands a Verdict and More than a Carpenter, he has led millions to Christ. When I was in college, he became my hero and my model for the kind of career I wanted. But things didnt go as planned. This is the story of how working with him for a year turned me from an on-fire Christian ready to evangelize the world, into a skeptical agnostic who thinks the Atheists are probably right. One Sunday morning, when I was eight years old, a pastors sermon on eternal damnation scared the hell out of me (pun intended). That
Dustin Lawson, age 15 evening, after an afternoon filled with the dread of being thrown into the lake of fire, I knelt next to my bed and prayed the simple Sinners Prayer, which goes something like: Dear Heavenly Father, I know that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus is your son and that he came to earth and died for mine and everyone elses sins. I want to ask him into my life. And thats how I gave my life to Christ. From that day forward, everything became filtered through that decision. Like most young boys, I dreamt of being a professional athlete or an astronaut. But at 15, that dream changed. That was the age that I began working as a lion and tiger trainer at a big cat reservation near my house. I now wanted to be the next Jack Hanna traveling all over the world
When I was eight years old, a pastors sermon on eternal d amnation scared the hell out of me (pun intended).
promoting animal conservation and making safari shows. During my senior year of high school, I began to make plans to go to Ohio State to major in zoology and broadcasting. But one Sunday morning in February, my pastor gave a challenge to all the high school seniors. He said that too many Christian kids were going to college to major in business in order to make a lot of money, but not enough were going into the ministry. One line in particular that he said stuck with me: What more important career could you choose than to lead people to Christ and help them grow spiritually? Over the next couple of weeks, as I continued to make plans to go to Ohio State, I began to feel like Jonah running away from gods will. Eventually, with the torment too strong, I enrolled at Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Ohio to prepare myself for the ministry. A couple of years later, I developed an allergy to tigers, of all things. I took that as divine confirmation that I had made the right choice. During college, I was offered a position in Las Vegas with Siegfried and Roys lions and tigers. I was also asked by an acting and modeling agent to move to LA because he liked my look and wanted me as a client. I passed on both offers because I thought that they were the worlds temptations trying to entice me away from gods calling.
I also grew to love preachingand the larger the audience, the better. All I wanted to do with my life was preach and write for Christ. During my senior year, I decided to spend time being mentored by an apologist. And there was no other apologist that I wanted to be mentored by more than Josh McDowell. I applied to be his assistant, and then I called his secretary every week to make sure that I was always on her mind. About a month before graduating, I finally asked if I had the job. She said, Yes, of course. It sounds like you are going to be the next Josh McDowell. It seemed like gods plan for my life was coming together. My year with Josh was amazing. I traveled over a 100,000 miles by tour bus and plane. I visited 44 states, as well as Mexico, Canada, Israel, Jordan, France, Poland, and England. I had many adventures and met many interesting people. But that year also caused me to challenge everything I had grown up believing. Josh would tell teenage audiences all over the country that they should be willing to respectfully challenge all authority, even Christianity. Josh had no reservations saying this because he thought Christianity could hold up against any measurement of truth. Personally, I thought that by reading all of those apologetics books back in college I was putting
I would wander into empty churches, stand behind the pulpit, and preach to imaginary congregations, wishing so badly that I could believe again and have my career path back.
During my junior year of college, I went through a bout of testicular cancer. For about two months, my right testicle had been gradually growing bigger. Thinking masturbation was a sin, it had been seven months since I had last had any release. For that reason, I thought that maybe I was backed up. But after a couple of weeks of breaking my rule of pleasuring myself, the swelling had not receded. Reluctantly, I went to a urologist. He diagnosed cancer, and the very next day I had surgery to remove my diseased testicle. Fortunately, the surgery was all that was necessary to get rid of the cancer. I came away from the experience believing more strongly than ever that my life had a divine destiny to fulfill and nothingnot the worlds temptations or even cancerwas going to keep me from fulfilling my calling. Throughout college, I memorized the New Testament, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and many Psalms. I also memorized numerous apologetics books. I turned my mind into an evangelistic machine gun prepared for any argument that any skeptic might throw at me, not so much because I wanted to, but because I had to if I was going to have peace. My conscience was always tormented by the thought of the millions of lost souls in this world. I was never free from it. Not even in sleep. There were nights when I would wake and be unable to go back to sleep until I drove downtown to a bar and told a lost soul about Christ. I would often avoid public places because I would get overwhelmed by the conviction to evangelize. It was as if I had a sixth sense and I could hear all the lost souls screaming from within the bodies walking around me. It was torture. But by the end of my senior year, I had grown to love evangelism.
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Christianity to the test. I didnt realize I had only let the defendant state his case in the courtroom of my conscience, but before he even stated his case, I had already concluded that he was right. I was the judge and the jury, and I had not even let the prosecution come into the courtroom, let alone state their opposition. I thought the evidence demanded a verdict and that verdict was that Christianity was true. So for most of my year with Josh, I didnt proactively challenge Christianity. But one evening, while Josh was speaking to a crowd of parents in southern California, something triggered my skepticism. Josh was going through arguments that he thought proved the resurrection of Christ. The specific argument my skepticism started on was this one: People die for lies, but they dont die for lies that they know are lies. So the resurrection must be true because the apostles would not have died for that belief if they knew it was false. And they would have known it was false since they were eyewitnesses. As I thought about that argument, I realized it takes too many things for granted. Theres no record in the Bible of how any of the disciples died, let alone that they died for their belief in the resurrection. Even if there were such a record, the New Testament books are dated no earlier than 30 years after the time of Jesus. Thats a lot of time. And the letters wouldnt have been widely circulated for decades, if not centuries, since there was no quick transportation, no Internet, and no printing press. There was probably no chance for any eyewitness skeptics to look at the letters and either refute or substantiate the claims of the New Testament letters. I had heard Josh say that argument hundreds of times before,
but, for some reason, it was only this time that the skepticism hit me. That night, back on the tour bus, I went to bed earlier than the rest. Lying in my bunk with the curtain pulled so that I was in the dark, I thought through many of Joshs other arguments. I found weaknesses in them all. I couldnt understand how I had been blind for so long to all the obvious holes. For the first time ever, I was truly challenging my own beliefs and it caused me to have a crisis because my whole preaching and writing career was going to be based on using arguments that I no longer thought sounded good. I fell asleep that night still believing in Christianity, but I no longer thought it was proven. Over the last month of the internship, I never told any of the guys on the tour about my concerns, not even Josh. When the year came to an end, I was unable to talk to him about my future because I was so confused. No longer able to preach, I went to grad school and studied global politics. During that first year, I spent most of my free time challenging everything I had grown up believing. Finally, one night on the second floor of the library, after about a seven-month search, I closed the book I was reading and stared at the wall in a daze. Doubt had won. For the next couple of months, I walked around in a fog. I felt like Neo outside of the Matrix and becoming aware, for the first time in his existence, of the false reality in which his mind had dwelled. It felt like being released from a prison I didnt know I was in. And now, out in the real world, with no feeling of divine guidance, I was terrified. I wanted back in the prison. I spent my nights staring at the stars and screaming out for god to give me a sign that would bring me back to full belief in him and Jesus so that I could start preaching again. Eventually, as I never received a sign, I became enraged. I was angry with every pastor and Sunday school teacher I had ever listened to. I was angry at every Christian apologetics book I had ever read that had for so long convinced me that Christianity was true. I was infuriated with Josh for being so confident in his weak arguments. I was enraged at my biology teacher and every other skeptic I had debated in high school and college whose arguments had not been good enough to show me at a younger agewhen I still could have more easily changed career plansthat Christianity was probably a myth. But most of all, I was furious with myself for having given everything to the cause of Christ and for allowing to be duped for so long. Still enraged, I flew out to Iowa from Ohio to meet with Josh. My plan was to debate himand lose. I was hoping that maybe he had some ace in the hole that he had never spoken of or written about, some argument or piece of evidence that would validate the resurrection, eternal life, and god. But Josh had nothing but the same elementary and archaic arguments he had been using for decades. The debate pretty much sealed the deal for me. Josh had probably done more research than anybody in history to try and prove
There were nights when I would wake and be unable to go back to sleep until I drove downtown to a bar and told a lost soul about Christ.
Christianity, so if he couldnt convince me, no one would. My friends, all Christians, kept asking why I was no longer in the ministry. For a while, I avoided telling them the truth for fear of losing their friendship. But then one night, while having dinner with about ten friends, I dropped the bombshell. At the table there was an empty chair next to me and I was asked if I was saving it for someone. I said, My new imaginary friend is sitting there. Everyone laughed. Then someone joked, Why do you have a new imaginary friend? What happened to the last one? Without hesitation, I said, Because my old imaginary friend and I dont get along anymore. His name was Jesus. That was the beginning of the end. Over the course of the next year, I would be rejected by almost every Christian friend I had. They couldnt handle being around me anymore. For years, I was the guy they all confided in when they needed spiritual guidanceand now I was a skeptic. I had many arguments with friends, most of which ended in our never talking again. One in particular stands out the most. A friend Ill call Andrew stood up from our debate and said, When you are done being blind and arrogant, give me a call. Then he stormed away. I knew which one of us was really blind and arrogant. We never talked again. Another friend, Alex, told me after one sermon I preached that I had a Billy-Graham-type of presence that god was going to use to change the world for Christ. After finding out about my apostasy, he emailed me to say, I had such high hopes for you. You were going to be one of the game-changers in the Christian world. That is how it went with one Christian friend after another. I also broke up with the Christian girl who I thought was going to be my wife because there was no way it would have worked out. My family relationships were also strained, especially with my devoutly religious stepmother. (Ironically, all the while I was growing up, my dad hated religion, and I was scared to ever bring it up around him. But during college I began to work up the nerve to talk to him about Jesus. Eventually, he became a Christian, and now he is the one who is trying to bring me back to Christ.) As I lost most of my friends, I began to hate life. I badly wanted to be a Christian again. I started calling myself Christian agnostic in a desperate attempt to be true to my skepticism without completely letting go of my former self. I would wander into empty churches, stand behind the pulpit, and preach to imaginary congregations, wishing so badly that I could believe again and have my career path back. Growing up, I was a mediocre athlete, artist, and student. I was good with animals and photogenic enough to be a model, but preaching was where I truly excelled and where I could have the most influence. But now I had this great gift and I could no longer use it, at least not for the cause of Christ.
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I found a minor outlet in breaking rules. I had always, obsessively, Often I would dream of having people come up to me in heaven and guarded my integrity in everything, to the point that I had to pay my thanking me for telling them about Jesus. I could think of no greater accountability partners a quarter every time I had a lustful thought. feeling. It still hurts to realize that will never happen. Marilyn tripped But now, I wanted to break rules. I would do things like run stops signs and fell, giving me enough time to catch up to her. But as I bent down to and steal pens from the doctors office! embrace her, she was only a mirage and my world came crashing down. I then had the crazy idea that if I became like Saul and started Disillusioned, I stood and looked around at the harsh desert, not persecuting Christianity then maybe I would get a Damascus Road knowing which way to go. The belief in eternal life had directed my experience that would bring me back to belief. So I wrote the book career choices, how I dated, how I spent money, how I treated people, Christian Agnostic: The Doubt Jesus Requires His Followers to Have. In and everything else. I began wandering around, thinking I saw Marilyn it I portray the Bible as being more open-minded and okay with some off in the distance. But each time she was still just a mirage. I considered skepticism. The book didnt do well, and I never received my Damascus buying a mannequin and dressing it up as Marilyn in order to try and Road experience. Eventually, I took off the word Christian and only deceive myself into believing she was real so that life would again be called myself agnostic. easier and I could get back to preaching. But I couldnt lie to myself and A failed writer no longer able to preach, I tried to join the military believe it. As Christopher Hitchens said, I do not live in a body, I am in order to find something that could give my life purpose. But the a body. This life is all I get. And now I had to navigate my way across military rejected me because of my cancer history. So, rejected by the Christian world, the military, and a god Josh McDowells traveling evangelism and apologetics team. and savior that I no longer thought existed, I decided Dustin Lawson is second from left and Josh McDowell is that I didnt want to live anymore. I know it doesnt second from right. make sense that once I stopped believing in eternal life, I wanted to shorten the one temporary life I did have, but I did. I went to the big cat reservation where I used to work with the intention of picking a fight with the male lion. At least then I would have an epic death. But I couldnt do it. My next attempt to move on was to relocate to Washington, DC, where I broke some more of my old rules. I got drunk for the first time (in the Capitol building, of all places) and I went out with nonChristian girls for the first time. But I still guarded my virginity like Fort Knox. Celibacy was the last Christian conviction for me to hold onto. Eventually, the military let me in. But I only joined the Reserves because I was still struggling to let go of Christianity and I didnt want to join the full-time military in case I had some religious experience that would bring me back to preaching again. As I think about why it was so hard for me to let go of Christianity, the desert without any hope of finding Eden on the other side because I feel it rests on one belief. As difficult as it was, I was able to let god at the end of the desert there is only a wall, finality. Though I no longer and Jesus go much sooner than the most difficult belief to let go of. believe in her, I still hope Marilyn exists. Nothings sexier than eternal Ultimately, god and Jesus were only means to an end, that end being life, but that level of sexiness is only a fantasy. eternal life. It has now been six years since that night in southern California Giving up the belief in eternal life is the hardest thing I have ever when my skepticism started. Periodically, I will put my body through a had to do. Picture belief in eternal life like a young Marilyn Monroe. detox in which I will fast for a day or two while taking some supplement She is leading me across a desert. The desert is life. All throughout life, to flush my system out. On the ideological side, logical reasoning and Marilyn remained about thirty yards in front of me, backpedaling and freethinking may never be able to completely flush all of the religion out seductively motioning for me to follow her. Like a desert, life is harsh, of my system, but I still think the detox is almost complete. but with Marilyn leading me I could handle anything. Cancer, crushed I have asked myself thousands of times over the past few years, dreams and relationships, family members dying, and every other trial What do I do with my life now that I dont believe in eternal life? I tried could be confidently faced because at the end of the desert, at the end of politics and the military. I enjoy them both, but they dont give me the life, I would finally catch up to Marilyn and be able to embrace her, an sense that I am utilizing my gifts to the best of my ability. The only eternal life of no more pain of any kind. thing that makes sense is to use my gifts with my tongue and my pen to With Marilyn leading me through life, I could confidently stare help continue pushing religion to the margins of society. In college, all down that dark-robed, faceless figure named Death and quote John I wanted to do was preach and write for the cause of Christ. Now all I Donne, Death be not proud, thou some have called thee mighty, for want to do is preach and write for the cause of freethinking. My former thou are not so. I knew that at the end of life, Marilyn would seduce friend, Alex, told me that I was going to change the world for Christ. I Death into letting me by so that I could enter heaven. I had persuaded still hope the change the world part is right. many other people to believe in Marilyn as well.
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Forgive Me, But

Vicarious Atonement:
An Absurd and Preposterously Immoral Doctrine
core part of the Christian religion for most of its followers, maybe even the central idea, is that Jesus died for their sins. All the Atheists we know find this absurd, quite unlikely to be anything more than wish fulfillment unsupported by logic or evidence. But as a somewhat separate matter, the doctrine is a dangerous, immoral idea even if there were any reason to think it is true. It is, to put it another way, morally preposterous as well as ridiculously unlikely. Our conclusions about this are not newFrank Zindler mentioned the morally outrageous notion of substitutional atonement in this magazine years ago.1 Thomas Jefferson, in letters he wrote in 1819 and 1820,2 declared his disagreement with the doctrine of atonement and asserted that he required a counterpoise of good works as a basis for any forgiveness. Nor is it only the conclusion of unorthodox thinkers like Jefferson or of Atheists like Frank or us. Spiritualists, believers in a separate plane of life after death and the possibility of communication with the dead through mediums, have explicitly rejected what they refer to as the doctrine of vicarious atonement.3 And, as J. K. Mozley wrote in 1916, There is no Christian doctrine which arouses fiercer resentment and opposition than atonement.4 The whole idea of forgiveness gets frequent attention in US secular culture as well. For example, on February 13 of this year, newspapers from Marietta (Georgia), Atlanta, and New York City all ran forgiveness stories that day. Other than the forgiveness angle, the articles had little in common. The Atlanta story concerned a man who had been executed by Georgia the previous day for heinous crimes committed 18 years earlier.5 He killed two strangers on a lovers lane, apparently just for fun. The murderers last words included a statement of regret to the families of the victims and included this: Im not going to ask you to forgive me. I cant even do it myself.
by Ed Buckner and Michael Buckner

The Marietta newspaper carried the weekly column My Answer, supposedly by Billy Graham, with his answer to a reader that included the opinion that no one can ever be so bad or so sinful that God will refuse to forgive him or her.6 Graham, or whoever ghostwrites his column these days, was not accurate even about apparent biblical principles, as will be discussed below. Finally, there was a balanced and thoughtful essay in the New York Times with the provocative title Sometimes Its Good to Not Forgive.7 Like the Atlanta story, this essay did not even mention Christianity or the possibility that Jesus might have died for anyones sins. A few days after the three articles appeared, a short news story reported on the life sentence given to a serial rapist.8 One of his victims was reported to have forgiven him, but despite the forgiveness, she still believed [the rapist] should never be allowed out of prison. That raises the matter of what good has been done the victim or the perpetrator by her forgiveness, as well as what it even means to forgive someone. Forgiveness can be an important part of a process of healing and recovery for people who have been injured as well as a positive thing for people who have done harm and have sincere regrets. But the American popular notion that forgiveness is always a good thing makes little sense. There are, in fact, injuries that are unforgivable and should be understood as unforgivable. Therefore, the Christian doctrine that a third party, not the injured party, has authority to forgive is morally repugnant on its face and plainly encourages irresponsible and immoral behavior. Even if we ignore all the fantastic and irrational ideas associated with thisthat an eternal being can meaningfully suffer or in any other way really be human, for examplethis is morally nuts. If someone is robbed, injured, or worse, it is unimaginable that it might be considered just or moral for someone not even involved to declare the wrongdoer forgiven. That the third party might be supernatural, allknowing, or all-powerful changes this not in the least.
Thomas Jefferson declared his disagreement with the doctrine of atonement and asserted that he required a counterpoise of good works as a basis for any forgiveness.
The Christian doctrine that a third party has authority to forgive is morally repugnant on its face and plainly encourages irresponsible and immoral behavior.
First, lets dispose of the false notion that the Bible says any possible sin is forgivable because it doesnt. It says right in Matthew 12:31: And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Apparently, not even the Lord God Jehovah can be that big. Nonbelievers often associate Christianity with harshness or judgementalism. Yet forgiveness, like judgement, can be taken to extremes that are neither rational nor moral. In Matthew 18:21-22, Peter asks Jesus, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus replies that one should forgive not seven times, but seventy-seven times (or, according to some translations, even seventy times seven times). If the thing being forgiven is your spouses grumpiness before the mornings first coffee, thats not unreasonable. However, if someone is committing the same serious wrongdoing against you seventy-seven timeslet alone almost five hundred timesit seems reasonable to conclude that when they ask for forgiveness for that seventy-seventh adulterous affair or that five hundredth murder, they may not be sincere in their repentance. Perhaps something other than I forgive younow go and sin no more is appropriate. A good Christian is not supposed to be judgemental, but judgement is a fundamental need for any rational being. Judgement includes being able to discern which transgressions are minor and forgivable an indefinite number of times. It includes being able to gauge the level of true and sincere repentance (perhaps combined with some attempt to make whole the one who has been transgressed against, or some concrete action that reassures that the act or omission will not be repeated) that is sufficient to allow genuine forgiveness for serious wrongdoings. It includes being able to determine when the asking for forgiveness is not being made in good faith or when a relationship should be ended. And it includes being able to decide that some things are not forgivable. Another irritating habit of a certain kind of evangelical Christian is the assertion that all wrongs are somehow equalthat all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), as if there were no difference between running a red light and orchestrating a campaign of genocide. But, holy Bible aside (where it belongs), the general Christian idea is that a saved wretch can meander through life being as vile and careless as he chooses to, so long as, before dying, that sinner takes Jesus as his personal savior. Thisand only this, at least according to many orthodox Christianswill result in that undeserving wretch making it into eternal, eternally blissful life ever after. (And never mind that the same eternally blissful follower may have to be blissful while knowing that unsaved loved ones are gnashing their teeth in a lake of fire forever.) Our friend Oliver Halle summed it up with what he called his Jew from Dunwoody story. Dunwoody is a relatively affluent suburb of Atlanta with a significant proportion of Jewish residents. Now, imagine youre a believing Christian, aware of and agreeing with John 14:6 (which quotes Jesus as declaring that no man cometh unto the Father, but by me). And also imagine (this will require an even more fertile imagination) that three peoplean Atheist, a Jew from Dunwoody, and a lifelong worthless scumbagall arrive at the Pearly Gates simultaneously. The Atheist and Jew have both lived ethical, honest lives, with only the most minor transgressions by either against his fellow humans. But the Atheist has not accepted, at least in the latter part of his life, any beliefs in any supernatural beings. The Jew has held a lifelong belief in the God of Abraham (the same one as the head god for the Christians) and has carefully followed all the commandments of his religion, and has, like the Atheist, treated his fellow human beings with justice, decency, and compassion. He has been true to his spouse, generous with his employees, and so forth.
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The scumbag has lived a rotten liferaped the babysitter, abused his children, cheated on his several wives, stolen from many bosses, killed three people while driving drunk, and more. But early on the day he died, just before his fatal heart attack, the scumbag was persuaded by a drinking buddy to fall to his knees and, with complete sincerity, ask Jesus Christ to be his personal savior and to forgive all his sins. Now remember, youre a Christianwho of the three gets eternal life and who is turned away? The correct Christian answer is apparently that all three are worthless sinners, whatever the apparent differences. That the scumbag makes it in, while the other two are necessarily excluded, is no different from the case of John Newton, the slave-trader, who wrote Amazing Grace and famously believed hed made the cut: Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound) That savd a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see. This bizarrely perverts justice and fairness and encourages all human beings to believe that they are hopeless wretches and that only a supernatural beingand not themselves or the people they have injuredcan make it right. The dangers are obvious enough that we cannot understand why Christians dont join in the fierce resentment of and opposition to the doctrine of vicarious or substitutional atonement on moral grounds. And also because it is totally unbelievable anyway. Endnotes 1. Frank Zindler, Chapter 25: Apologizing for Christianity, Part 2: Babbling About the Bible [based on his The Probing Mind in American Atheist, Vol. 33, No. 5], in Volume I: Religion & Scriptures of Through Atheists Eyes: Scenes From a World That Wont Reason (Cranford, NJ: American Atheist Press, 2011), p. 366. 2. Thomas Jefferson, letters to William Short in October 1819 and April 1820; the 1819 letter can be found in Merrill D. Peterson, ed., Thomas Jefferson: Writings (New York: Library of America, 1984), p. 1431; the 1820 letter, available online at Memory. LOC.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mtj:@field(DOCID+@ lit(ws03101)), is cited in George Seldes, compiler, The Great Quotations (Secaucus, NJ: Citadel Press, 1983), p. 373. 3. What is Spiritualism . . . ., Cassadaga.org/ WhatItIs.htm, accessed March 7, 2013. 4. J. K. Mozley, The Doctrine of Atonement (New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1916), p. v. Available online from University of Toronto Libraries: Archive.org/Details/ TheDoctrineofthe00mozluoft, accessed March 3, 2013. 5. Rhonda Cook, Executed Man Makes Apology, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 23, 2013. 6. Billy Graham, Biblical Passage Often Read at Weddings Teaches Us Much About Love, Marietta [Georgia] Daily Journal, February 23, 2013. 7. Alina Tugend, Sometimes Its Good Not to Forgive, ShortcutsNew York Times, February 23, 2013. 8. East Coast Rapist Gets Life in Prison, Marietta [Georgia] Daily Journal, March 2, 2013.
Ed and Michael Buckner are the co-authors of In Freedom We Trust: An Atheist Guide to Religious Liberty (Prometheus Books). Ed was president of American Atheists from 2008 to 2010. Michael is vice president of the Atlanta Freethought Society.
Dogma Watch
Religion has had an enormous impact on the world. In this series, Michael B. Paulkovich examines dogmas, myths, and religious notions, past and present.
Letter to the Pastor

by Michael B. Paulkovich
n Bithynia, in 111 CE, the younger Pliny dealt with some Christians (people of a new offshoot Hebrew cult) and wrote a letter to Rome proclaiming Christianity an absurd and extravagant superstition, and a contagion.1 Around the same time, Suetonius wrote of Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition.2 Pliny and Suetonius were among the first honest and venerable writers exposed to x, the christiansa word simply meaning anointed ones, and not followers of a guy named Christ. I am sure you realize that this mystery man was not Jesus Christ, son of Joseph and Mary Christ. In the third century, philosopher Porphyry wrote that Christians oppose each others beliefs, and thus it is impossible to tell what Christians truly believe. The same is true in the 21st century; there are over 40,000 denominations. When I was a young boy, my parents dragged me weekly to church. Then, one day, when I was ten or so, without explanation, my father stopped going and I got to stay at home with him. My Sundays were no longer ruined by impositions of fear and ancient superstition. Yet I was never presented an option to prosecute a formal rejection of the irrational beliefs stuffed into my young noggin against my willa self-excommunication as it were. A declaration of rational apostasy; an
To the pious and brainwashed Christian, my letter must seem devastatingly rude. Well, at least I dont burn people alive.
un-baptism. As an adult, I finally performed a bit of Internet sleuthing to discover the name of the current pastor of that dusty, old church. I found their web site and wrote him a letter. I strained, manfully, to be humble and respectfulto a man who takes money for the privilege of teaching outrageous lies to children. A spade is a spade, a liar a liar, a charlatan a charlatan. And a freethinker is a freethinker. I was cordial and careful. At one point, I found myself removing the phrase absurd cult of death-worship, even though it perfectly describes Christianity: they worship the death of their savior as well as their own impending death, which, they have been convinced, will result in magical transportation to heaven. Yet, as I review it today, my letter to this pastor nevertheless pulls very few punches. In my mind, I was honest and logical. To the pious and brainwashed Christian, my letter must seem devastatingly rude. Well, at least I dont burn people alive. Yet, I based my case solely on the central, non-contentious grounds of the religion. And that was all it took to debunk Christianity as presented in the Bible and taught by clergy. Christianity is an absurd, illogical, and verifiably dangerous superstition, as both Pliny and Suetoniusamong many othersrealized almost 2,000 years ago. What follows is the letter I sent, slightly edited.
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Dear Pastor X, I am sure that we have never met. I have no reason to doubt that you are anything less than a decent and loving man. You are the current pastor of the church of my youth, decades ago. So I address this letter to you, successor to our pastor of old. While this is a feat I could perform solo, I write you today because my desire is to officially resign from your Christian church. In fact, from all Christian doctrine and dogma. As I summarize Christian beliefs, my logic will become clear. Neither exaggeration nor hyperbole is necessary to expose the mendacities that innocent children of Christian parents are taught: ONE: Son Of God. God sent his son to Earth to save mankind from original sinwe are all born filthy and deplorable because Adam and Eve ate a forbidden fruit that gave them knowledge, as taught by Paul in Romans 5:14. (Do you actually believe the Adam and Eve story?) Jesus preached some time around 25 or 35 CE, as far as we know. One wonders why your Christian god waited hundreds of thousands of years before finally intervening, to save humankind. And why was knowledge such a deplorable trait for A&E to acquire? TWO: Virgin Birth. This virgin tale is proven to be a 300 BCE
proven to have been later interpolations by dishonest Christians.3 Even the original text is impossible to believe, written by Paul, a madman who did not witness anything (as he admits), declaring himself the least of the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:9) and who was, by any dispassionate account, sick, drugged up, and/or quite insane. SEVEN: Ascension. After crucified (or hanged), Jesus ascended visibly to heaven. Like Elijah, taken up into heaven by a whirlwind (2 Kings 2). And Enoch, who whisked off to paradise while still alive (Genesis 5). Jesus promised he would return for his grand finale within a generation (Matthew 16:27-28, 1 Thessalonians 4:17, Mark 9:1). But he never did. After 2,000 years, where is our savior? EIGHT: Communion. Christian belief holds that if you consume the blood and guts of the son of God, you may live forever. Come on, Pastor. NINE: Jesus the Pious Hebrew. The OT should be irrelevant to modern Christians, butgod damn it!venerable and omniscient Jesus professed belief in Hebrew tales. Any good Christian believing in Jesus must bow to his authority regarding the Tanakh: Jesus believes
The death toll due to Christian oppression, even excluding the massacre of Native Americans under Manifest Destiny numbers in the tens of millions.
erroneous translation of the Hebrew Tanakh into Greek in Alexandria, the Septuagint. Yet NT writers still claimed Mary and Joseph were just friendsno benefits. THREE: Jesus Ministry. The son of God, Jesus, preached for a short timehalf a year (Matthew, Mark, Luke), or perhaps three years ( John)only in a jerkwater region of Judea. Jesus was a miracle-worker, like many others of ancient times. Yet he spoke violent words, and was openly a vile racist (Luke 12:46-47, 49; Matthew 11:20-24, 15:22-24; Acts 13:17-19, Jude 1:5-8). Apparently, Jesus was a glutton and drunkard: The Son of man [ Jesus] came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners (Matthew 11:19). Do you truly believe he was the perfect son of god? FOUR: Redemption. Gods perfect plan was that his son should die for your sinsthe ultimate scapegoat, a completely immoral concept, and perhaps the most lame-brained plan ever devised. FIVE: Crucifixion. Some people killed Jesus. Perhaps they were Romans (Mark 14-15, Matthew 26-27, Luke 22-23, John 18-19). Or perhaps Jews (according to Thessalonians 2 and Mel Gibson). Jesus was either hanged in a tree (Acts 10) or crucified (Colossians 2, Matthew 27, Mark 15). SIX: Resurrection. Christians believe that after he was killed, Jesus was born again, and seen alive at the Sepulchre. Seen first by whom? Well, either: By two women (Matthew 28:1-9), or Only by Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9), or By Joanna, Mary Magdalene, and Mary, mother of James, along with more women (Luke 24:15-18), or By Mary Magdalene ( John 20:14), or By Cephas, a.k.a. Simon, then by the twelve, as well as five hundred brethren (1 Corinthians 15:3-5). This particular version of the story was formulated long after the nonevents it purports to chronicle: the 500 witnesses and apostles claims of 1 Corinthians 15 are
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in Adam and Eve (Luke 3:38) and Noahs ark (Matthew 24:37, Luke 17:27). He concurs with Deuteronomy 21:18-21: kill rebellious offspring (Mark 7:10 and Matthew 15:4). Jesus believes Jonah lived in a fish for three days (Matthew 12:40). Jesus apparently believes Lots wife turned into salt (Luke 17:31-32). When Jesus returns, I have a bridge for sale that he would no doubt be interested in. TEN: Heaven! Andsorryhell. If you dont believe in Jesus, or simply have never heard of him, he promises you that you will be tortured for eternity (e.g. Matthew 25:41-46, John 3:17-21, John 3:36). Pastor, how true are these ten Christian tenets? How valid? How moral? Where does an inquiring mind find any proofs? Clearly, like the OT, the NT is pure BS. The Church, online. I have seen your churchs web site, Pastor, which says: We encourage all church members to read and interpret the Bible, reflecting the early disciples tradition of No creed but Christ, no book but the Bible. Seriously? No creed but Christ? The violent and racist idiot who believes in Hebrew fairy tales? No book but the Bible? That absurd book of lies, god-approved genocide, and myths? No science books? No language texts, no math, no history, no philosophy? Do you espouse a return to Bronze Age epistomophobia? The Dark Ages? No book but the Bible. Your Bible encouraged witch-burnings, Crusades, Inquisitions, genocide, and more for almost 2,000 years. Proofs of the Christ. Only in the wholly unreliable scriptures do we see supposed records of Jesuswritings translated, copied time and again, modified, corrupted, translated again, and interpolated for over 1,500 years before becoming only somewhat stable at the time of the Council of Trent.4 Next, hundreds of different versions were printed in English alone. Which is the correct version? Paul swears he is not lying about his hallucinogenic visions of Jesus
(Galatians 1:20). Yet he admits his visions could well have been imaginary (2 Corinthians 12:2-3). Pauls advice is not to marry (1 Cor 7:32-3). In 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, Paul denigrates women: it is a shame for women to speak in the church and 1 Timothy 2:11-12, I suffer not a woman to teach. No book but the Bible? Really? Christian History in a nutshell. History reveals outrageous Christian atrocities: clerical celibacy (and consequent, pervasive child-rape), massive censorship and book-burnings, 13th-century Jerusalem Massacre genocide against the Cathars and Stedingers, the war against German peasants, millions killed in witch-hunts; the Inquisitions, appalling torture, Crusades, French Wars of Religion, the Thirty Years War, even slavery, approved and even legislated within the Bible. The death toll due to Christian oppression, even excluding the massacre of Native Americans under Manifest Destiny numbers in the tens of millionsinnocent people killed in the name of your savior. Millions of victims of your cult were not simply murdered, but burned alive.
In the crucifixion, where was any sacrifice on Gods part? If Jesus hadnt been killed, what would have been the other choicefor him to remain on Earth forever? Is that better than heaven? Or would Jesus have had a limited lifespan? If so, when Jesus dies, what then but off to heaven! Words like myth, superstition, and hogwash do not come close to describing the outrageous sardoodledom of the Christian belief system. Thus I abnegate. I eschew. I wash my hands of it, sir. I think Ill come up with some way to un-baptize myself. EPILOGUE I signed and mailed my letter. It included my address and an offer for his response, to give me his retort, his testimony. That was over three years agoand nothing yet. Perhaps I convinced him, and he is an apostate now? Doubtful, and either way, the web site indicates he is still pastor. And, to their repugnant shame, it still says no book but the Bible. How sad for them. Regardless, I wish them all wellthe pastor, and all his sheep. Yet, I hope he loses sleep due to my letter. I feel good in calling him out and want to do more. Perhaps I should paste a similar letter to the doors of all churches in my area, emulating Martin Luther. I have continued my religious polemics, contributing several articles to Free Inquiry, The American Rationalist, and this series in American Atheist. Dangerous superstitions should be exterminated like pests. My creative pursuits in this arena have also culminated in a book, No Meek Messiah, wherein I indict the ancient cults and ongoing atrocities. Thus, Christianity is rather easy to debunk, as is calling out the unctuous perpetrators of the ancient nonsense. Actions like this tend to change the world for the better. Enlightenmentlittle by little by little. We should all strive to improve the world, and debunking dangerous and juvenile cults seems like one of the most important tasks. My mother is 92 as of this writing. She may well live another ten years (she has an older sister and a cousin who just turned 100). But I have put some consideration into what Ill say at her funeral. The part that I shall not saybut truly believeis that I can never forgive her for taking me as a child to a building where, week after week, year after year, adults taught the myth that God will have us tortured for eternity if we do not believe in the absurd and violent words of his son. That is child abuse; even an eight-year-old can imagine the concept of eternity, with great horror and fear. I only wish there was a way to bring these detrimental rituals to their rightful terminus. We can all strive to do so, in whatever ways we discover. We can change the world. Endnotes: 1. John Delaware Lewis, The Letters of the Younger Pliny by Pliny. Letter X:XCVII (Trbner & Co., Ltd., 1890). 2. Suetonius, Lives of the Caesars. Nero XVI, accessed from Penelope. UChicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/ Nero* 3. Price, Robert M., The Case Against the Case for Christ. (Cranford, NJ: American Atheist Press, 2010), 235-239. 4. Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, (The Encyclopedia Press, 1907-1913), 274.
Michael Paulkovich is an aerospace engineer and freelance writer. His book, No Meek Messiah, is available in paperback from Amazon.
Only in the wholly unreliable scriptures do we see supposed records of Jesus writings translated, copied time and again, modified, corrupted, translated again, and interpolated for over 1,500 years. I based my case solely on the central, non-contentious grounds of the religion. And that was all it took to debunk Christianity as presented in the Bible and taught by clergy.
This is but a matchbook-size list of atrocities performed by Christians in the name of Jesus the Christ. Gods Grandest Plan. How was Jesus to save mankind? The famous verse John 3:16 says, For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten Son. Wait a sec, I dont get it. Where is Jesus today? Buried in a grave, eaten by maggots? Suffering in hell? No, Christian belief has Jesus securely in heaven with his dad, plotting their violent sequel: iniquitous judgement and violent vengeance. Revelation. The Parousia. The glorious Rapture.
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A Good Trade
by JT Eberhard
The irony is that for most of us it was a huge and lengthy undertaking to escape our placid natures and to actually get to the point where we could be sincere about our anger.
make my living writing about religion and debating religious people, both in person and in print. Its a satisfying life working to convince people to be reasonable about even gods existence. I definitely go to sleep at night feeling good about what I do. There are, however, things that I miss, not the least of which is performing. I was a paid opera singer for a few years and performing was a place to let my imagination run wild. It was a place where my natural shyness melted away, where I could be in the presence of lots of people without my throat going dry from self-consciousness. But the time I now spend on the road combating faith doesnt lend itself to opera rehearsal schedules that span six to eight weeks. Besides, the shower is really where the most phenomenal demonstrations of a persons vocal capabilities occur anyway. Im happy with what I do, but Id be lying if I said I didnt miss performing. But these are sacrifices made by every person of character who realizes that institutionalized irrationality (faith, religion, or whatever other moniker it has been assigned) is a prolific source of humankinds inhumanity toward humankindso much so that something must be done. The warrior archetype of social change is usually occupied by someone who was forced into it either by circumstance or by conscience. It is seldom someone who naturally relishes battle. They are people who, like me, have grown accustomed to it over time. To live a quiet life intentionally secluded from what transpires in the world, at least in my eyes, is to condone the insanity in it. So I leave my room and I engage religious people. I eschew gaming with friends or one-on-one time with loved ones and I research and write. I work against my nature because I think it would be immoral to be complacent and less effective to not fight tooth and claw. And yes, I fight pretty much every day, even though Id rather be fishing or napping. I know how much I miss the things in my life that have been supplanted by my activism, but getting paid for my activism is a salve for those feelings. That makes it a lot easier. I have a galaxy of respect for the person working 40-plus hours per week who gets home tired, makes dinner, and wants nothing more than to spend the few remaining hours of another day playing video games or watching a favorite showbut instead they load up their computer to work on an event or manage a local secular group. They are the reason religion is on the decline. They are the ones who care enough to trade a life of serenity for a better future. And when a person in the local pews realizes that theyve spent a lifetime forgoing the things they wanted to do for a god in which they no longer believe, its the activists who will give them a place of comfort to start catching up on all the experiences of which faith had robbed them. There are tons of people in this movement like us who fight because
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we think its the best way to change things. For us, a quiet life tainted by guilt is more miserable than a life of staring down the worlds ugliness on a daily basis. We are the answer to the argument that the gnus are assholes out to offend for the sake of offense. In fact, the most fiery activists Ive encountered are often the kindest: Greta Christina, Hemant Mehta, Ed Braytonhell, anybody who has met PZ Myers in person knows hes a teddy bear. We all find our own ways to make it fun and to enjoy the fight. We add snark, make jokes, dress as pirates, etc., but the truth is that most of us would live and let live were we able to stomach the status quo. The truth is that we care too much about the world, about humanity, to watch it from a distance. Take Jessica Ahlquist. Here is a young woman thrown into a maelstrom who has had to grow up long before her time (and far ahead of most of the adults in Cranston, Rhode Island). She is shy and always eager to try and please everybody around her. She has worked against her nature to fight a good and necessary battle, yet scores of people accuse her of being evil and selfish. We dont get to live our quiet lives. What we often get is to listen to others tell us how much we hate peace, and how were incapable of masking our anger. The irony is that for most of us it was a huge and lengthy undertaking to escape our placid natures and to actually get to the point where we could be sincere about our anger. Most of us saw the necessity of expressing displeasure with our neighbors long before we got past the politics of getting alongand long before we were ready to let go of a life of serenity outside the culture war. Most of the firebrands are not assholes. Were normal people (some of us even introverts *raises hand*) who realize that in order for things to change, someone has to honestly tell people their beliefs are embarrassing, and were willing to tell people the damn truth and to take the rap of being agents of unhappiness that comes with it. Most of us, including me, have no regrets about this. But for all you activists and organizers out there, from the local group leaders to the people who attend and make others feel welcome, all the way up to David Silverman, I know how you feel. And I love you for the sacrifices you have made. One day, the choice to be an out Atheist will be free from fear of social consequences at the hands of religious people (which most of us have already had to endure ourselves). That is what you will have given every subsequent generation. It is a legacy that is worth the sacrifices we made.
JTs blog, What Would JT Do?, is at Patheos.com/Blogs/WWJTD/. He previously worked for the Secular Student Alliance, where he was their first high school organizer. He is the co-founder of the Skepticon conference and served as the events lead organizer for its first three years.
Fifty Years of Reason
Continued from page 5
Aron Ra and Cara Santa Maria
A. C. Grayling
of California, stressed the importance of supporting politicians who are openly Atheist. He also encouraged more politicians to come out of the closet. He spoke of the importance of supporting rational, Atheist lawmakers, even if we disagree on other issues. For example, if an Ayn Rand Atheist is running for office, that person should have the support of all Atheists, even those who disagree on that approach. Stark believes our goal is first and foremost for openly Atheist politicians become not just acceptable, but commonplace. We need our elected representatives to know that Atheists make up a significant portion of the population and that publicly acknowledging or appealing to Atheists doesnt cost them support, but gains them support. Politicians do not have to throw themselves at the altar of religion in order to win elections anymore. Also part of the dinner were our first art All Photos by Reid Nicewonder
Beth Presswood
Blair Scott and Matt Dillahunty
The hotel bar created The Hitch, a drink in honor of the late Christopher Hitchens featuring his personal favorite, Johnny Walker Black.
show and silent auction fundraisers. Among the auctioned items were a first-edition Robert Ingersoll book, an illustrated The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy signed by the late Douglas Adams, artwork from the American Atheists collection including some owned by Madalyn Murray OHair, a needlepoint made by Madalyn, and a vacation package to Costa Rica. Another first was our live streaming video feed available online and child care provided by the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Science and Reason. Camp Quest returned with its popular mini-camp for older kids. Our speakers list this year was downright star-studded, from A.C. Grayling, Pete Stark, Katherine Stewart, and Jay Jay French to Richard Carrier, Hemant Mehta, Mandisa Thomas, Hector Avalos, David Tamayo, Cara Santa Maria, and forty-three others. A collection of these talks is available on DVD. To order one, go to Atheists.org/Store.
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Jerry DeWitt
Cristina Rad
Katherine Stewart
Jay Jay French
Greta Christina
Janet Heimlich and Bethany Brittain Hemant Mehta Seth Andrews
David Silverman
Mandisa Thomas Pete Stark
Teresa MacBain
Keith Lowell Jensen
Frank Zindler
Dale McGowan - Sarah Morehead - Kelly Mochel
Hector Avalos Margaret Downey
The Austin Folks

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All Photos by Reid Nicewonder
Awards The annual First Amendment Award went to Pete Stark for being an openly Atheist US Congressman. Our Atheist of the Year award went to former pastor (and former American Atheists Public Relations Director) Teresa Macbain. We also awarded our annual Founders
Tracie Harris Ophelia Benson
It is worth noting that
more women than men spoke at this

years convention.
Scholarships with $2,000 going to Chris Calvey, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Calvey was recognized for his activism, first as an undergraduate at the University of Illinois and also in his current role. Under his leadership, his group secured a university grant of $69,000, the largest amount ever granted to a secular student group. A portion of the money is even earmarked for paid staff. Julie Mankowski, a student at George Washington University, won $1,000 for starting her schools secular student group. Her additional accomplishments include bringing Nate Phelps to campus, connecting her group with the campus LGBTQ group, and organizing the Stone a Heathen (with water balloons) fundraiser. The LGBTQ Atheist Activism scholarship of $1,000 was awarded to Los Angeles high school student Lillian Horin for her efforts to fight discrimination in her school, her citywide anti-bullying activism, her work at a hotline for troubled teens, and for saving her schools Gay-Straight Alliance from being dissolved. Rick Wingrove of Virginia was named Regional Director of the Year. Appreciation Awards were given to Affiliates Director Greg Lammers for his on-the-ground activism and to Pamela Whissel for her work as editor-inchief of this magazine. Next years convention is in Salt Lake City, Utah, where the significant population of exMormons want our presence and need our recognition. Make plans to join us April 18 20 at the Hilton Salt Lake Center. We are already planning another stellar list of speakers and events, including a panel discussion with Mormon church leaders. See you there!
Amanda Knief Anthony Pinn
David Tamayo
Amy Roth
The Godless Bitches Jamila Bey
Ed Buckner
Edwin Kagin Hyatt Regency - Austin
Eddie Tabash
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by Paul Loebe
n Independence Day this year, I looked back with introspection at my journey in the Marine Corps. The experiences that I have had to date, the memories Ive created, and the friendships Ive forged will be forever imprinted in my mind. It is not just a job, but a way of life. Its a lifestyle filled with camaraderie and laughter; misery and pain. Yet that shared misery is one I would willingly take on again. Of the many brave Americans who have made that same decision over the past 238 years, it is impossible to know the number of patriots who, without any delusions of an afterlife, gave their lives for the concept of freedom. I know they exist because I am one of them. And I am not alone! For many years, I had heard the phrase there are no Atheists in foxholes. I was a Fundamentalist Christian when I enlisted, so I didnt know if there was any truth to it or not. Before I reenlisted, however, I found no truth to that statement at all! I had lost my faith and embraced my Atheism just months prior to raising my right hand for the second time to swear that sacred oath. The seriousness of what I had done sank deep into the fiber of my very being. I had volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan during the spring offensive. For the first time in my military careerin my lifeI was an out-and-out Atheist deployed in a war zone without any delusions that if I died there would be something more. I was actually scared to die. I had been in dangerous and deadly situations through my two tours in Iraq and, oddly, had never felt the fear of death. I suppose the thought of living forever was, although disingenuous, somehow comforting. To many, the thought of continuing in such a dangerous profession sounds foolish and to the philosopher in me, it is. But its a decision I would make a hundred times over. I deployed to Afghanistan for the summer of 2010. On that Fourth of July, we celebrated by illegally shooting off some flares. There was an investigation and consequently our patrol base was shut down. But I digress I am thankful I made it back alive and I often thought about those who did so in the late 1700s. How many of them believed as I do? How many knew what I know? Certainly some had been Atheists or agnostics, just as others were believers. And just how many Americans, throughout the history of our nation, have laid their lives on the line without the thought that they would be rewarded in heaven? I would venture to say that it is a much higher number than any put forward or given credit for. It was in 1794 that Thomas Paine wrote The Age of Reason questioning the validity of Christianity. His work was extremely popular, which shows that many Americans had, for a long time, secretly questioned the religious dogma of that most-recognized institution. Today, over twenty percent of our nations fighting force now openly express no belief in a higher power! They are serving right now, having sworn upon the Constitution of the United States to defend nothing less than liberty. Since the Constitution declares that America does not profess a state religion and even declares that liberty supersedes religion, I believe that liberty is our national religion. Those of us mythical foxhole Atheists serving today are standing in the stead of those (believers and nonbelievers alike) who arent willing to lay it all down. We are defending and supporting the Constitution to the fullest extent. Let us all remember that since the founding of our nation, there have been real foxhole Atheists paying the ultimate sacrifice so that you can enjoy the liberty of religious freedom. Raise a toast to the military Atheists and please let them know they are not alone. Paul Loebe is American Atheists Military Director. The contents of his columns do not in any way speak on behalf of any part of the US government in any official context. He is speaking only from personal experience and opinion. Contact him at PLoebe@Atheists.org.
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PAUL PROVENZA:
by Becky Garrison
FINDING THE FUNNY IN AUTHENTIC A THEISM

Photo by John Welte
When I get a heckler who tries to proselytize me, I tell them I would respond but I have to take my girlfriend for an abortion because we think the baby is gay.
in no gods name did a comic emcee the Reason Rally? Has Atheism now de-evolved into a punch line thats past its prime replete with watered down cocktails, stock sitcom characters, and right leaning puppetry? Paul Provenza riffs via telephone with Becky Garrison on the evolution of comedy, Atheism, and all that jazz as he points the way forward for those seeking authenticity and truth in a culture driven by Christianity and commerce.
Who were the seminal figures in your evolution as an Atheist? Number one on my list is Penn Jillette, as he really crystalized a lot of things I hadnt seen so clearly and helped Atheism become more meaningful to me. I had been an Atheist since I was a teenager, but Penn helped me to be open and proud about my Atheism. Also, he introduced me to a whole community that altered my experience of being Atheist. Through Penn, I got to know James Randi and became connected with people in the movement like [American Atheists president] David Silverman, who became a good friend. Even though George Carlin never self-identified as an Atheist, his perceptions on critical thinking had a profound influence me. When I was a young comic just starting out, I was very cautious, as I didnt want to alienate people. George Carlins bravery became a benchmark. I became perfectly fine with alienating some people in the audience. That just comes with the territory. I had a conversation once with George Wallace after a show where, as usual, he won everyone over in the room with such fervor. I wondered how he was always able to create such a love in the room and asked him what his motivation was in doing comedy in the first place. He said, I just want to make them happy that they were in the room that night. Thats when I realized what I really wanted for the audience was for them to get into arguments on the car ride home. Im not sure why, but that just makes it more interesting for me.
Why
Reason Rally, Washington, DC
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I struggle with the tension of wanting to claim the right to say whatever I want with the desire not to further victimize an already oppressed group. For example, when I report on transgender people who suffer physical violence fueled in large part by hate speech, I know my work is diminished if I use trans slurs. But then, when I did a piece on the involvement of the trans community at Stonewall for the very irreverent web site Killing the Buddha, a trans activist found a tag line on the site that read 99% fatwa-free to be fatphobic and Islamaphobic. Seems you cant win. Yeah, thats tricky. You dont want to further screw the very people who are already screwed. George Carlin maintained that anything and everything is funny given the right context. This context also includes your own history with a given group. What I can get away with and where I can go is not a problem with my audience because they know me. It also has to do with your fearlessness. For example, when you do a corporate gig, theyll hand you a list of topics youre not supposed to cover because they might be offensive. But every good comic knows thats actually a list of what to open with. And thats when the sparks start to fly. Comedy is inherently subversive because it turns the normal reality on its head. The art form is all about these questions and contradictions. In comedy, were dealing with language that we all understand, but words can have a dozen other things around them that alter or affect meaning. Andy Kaufman was a great example of this dynamic. What made him the Picasso of stand-up comedy is that he played with two- and three-dimensionality, in a way. Part of what made Andy so funny is that half the audience didnt understand what was going on, which was the punch line for the other half of the audience. He moved the joke from being onstage to being the experience of it in the audience. Also, the line that everyone talks about crossing is different for each individual. When we screened The Aristocrats, we observed that every person in that room had different lines where the joke became too much for them. What offended one person didnt necessarily offend everyone else. So you no longer care if you cross that line that prevents you from doing commercial television? When I did The Tonight Show for the first time in 1983, it was back in that day when you needed to appease the arbiters of taste for millions of viewers so you could reach the 150 people that will come see you playing in their town the next week. If you want the big money, then yes, you need to play by the rules of the late-night hosts and movie executives. Its only greed that makes anyone concede to any gatekeepers. Social media allows comics to bypass the gatekeepers and connect directly with people who will want to come see them. I tell young comics that you now can be who you are and not compromise for anybody. The Internet opened doors and changed what now actually functions as entertainment. You can be exactly who and what you are, do exactly the kind of work you want to do, and theres an audience for it somewhere. As Bill Hicks proved when he got booted from Letterman, theres a major cost to pay when one bucks the system. Unfortunately, he died from cancer in the 90s without the following he deserved. Also, we never had a chance to see how his comedy would have evolved in this digital era even though his bits are just as relevant today as they
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were 20 years ago. Definitely. Doug Stanhope ran into similar problems when he first started out. But unlike Hicks, he has survived long enoughso farto get an internet following. Now he doesnt have to listen to anybody. He puts out there on his Twitter feed where hell be appearing, even if its someones backyard, and fans just show up. The Internet can produce a lot of garbage. We live in a world when someone can upload a video of a gerbil that gets a look in its eye and that video gets 75 million hits. Theres no telling what turns somebody on. Garbage for you is gold for someone else. And its all there for you to make your own decisions about. You have comics like Richard Pryor who was a maestro at taking taboo topics and garnering laughs. But most comics take this same material and it seems to come off as dirty, racist, and sexist. Richard Pryors vulgarity was authentic to him and who he is. But when some other young comics came along, they missed the key to his act, which was his quest for authenticity on stage. Thinking they were
Photo by Dan Dion Paul Provenza and Troy Conrad, co-founders of Set List edgy, they used the superficial bits like swearing and using the N-word, but their work lacked Pryors authenticity. How do you define a satirist? In the book Satiristas!, I talk about a much broader definition, one which refers to any comedy around social issues or politics. But satire in the purest sense is taking a point of view and embracing it so fully that its absurdity becomes self-evident. Such commitment often results in confusion between whats reality and whats satire. I learned from Tom Lehrer that in 1729, journalists of the day took Jonathans Swifts A Modest Proposal about eating children seriously, as if it were being put forth as a viable, realistic solution. Stories from The Onion get picked up and distributed around the world by people who dont bother to do any fact-checking, because they are so committed that they feel real. When you joke about religion, how do you move from doing rather silly no-god kind of jokes to really deconstructing the big topics like the problem of evil? When I get a heckler who tries to proselytize me, I tell them I would respond but I have to take my girlfriend for an abortion because we think the baby is gay. My work tends to be more three-dimensional,
When you do a corporate gig, theyll hand you a list of topics youre not supposed to cover because they might be offensive. But every good comic knows thats actually a list of what to open with.
trying to explore the conundrums that shape critical thinking in all different kinds of contexts. When people critique me for placing god and Jesus in all kinds of settings, I argue that its not blasphemy at all unless you believe. How does your Atheism inform your comedy and activism? I engage more in inactivism. My participation has been limited to attending the American Atheist conventions, lobbying Congress with David Silverman and emceeing the Reason Rally. Lee Camp and Jamie Kilstein are two passionate and funny comics whose comedy is very much a part of their real, genuine activism. How does your Atheism come into play on Set List and The Green Room? Theyre both all about whats happening in the moment. The Green Room creates an environment where comedians can be themselves, which most of the time means critical thinkers. And when you get Atheists like Martin Mull and Penn Jillette, Atheism will become a topic of conversation when they discuss their points of view. On Set List, comics are often put into situations where they have to deal with the tensions inherent in topics like religion, the pope, Nazis, Jews, and race. This format puts them in a place where one of the elements we can deal with is the tension of the topic alone. How do we change the media conversation toward more authentic voices given the proclivity of the mainstream media to put forth false equivalencies by promoting debunked science and leaders of hate groups as credible sources? George Carlin said, If youre born in this world, youre given a ticket to the freak show. He adds, And if youre born in the US, youre given a front-row seat. Some of us are allowed notebooks and pencils, and Im one of them. I get to make notes and review the show from time to time. Theres at least a generation of people who have been weaned on what now passes for news. They have no reference point to recognize sincerity and authenticity. I know so many people who are craving authenticity. They connect with it when it arrives. We need to bring back the term World Wide Web to describe the Internet; its best feature is that Web partjust keep putting it out there. Even if a podcast only has 400 listeners, its still putting it out there. There might be people in, say, Singapore who will connect with what youre doing in your bedroom in your underwear. I used to try to convince people over to my side but Im finding much more creative freedom in just being an example. This is particularly helpful with people who are doubting their faith. Just be who you are and let your values and art speak for themselves.
Given the proliferation of online hubs where you can connect virtually, why did you agree to show up in person to emcee the Reason Rally? The Reason Rally was a demonstration to show how meaningful this is. Tens of thousands of people got off their keyboards and came to stand in the rain. A number of Atheists are loners and not joiners, so its interesting to see them come together and identify as a group. This symbolism was meaningful, as it inspired a lot of people and showed Washington a sizable presence of people who do not believe. What do you think of humanist chaplaincies and other similar communities of nonbelievers? We know that a lot of people classify themselves as Christian or Jewish, but they only belong to a church or a synagogue for the communityand the brunch afterward. But I can do the same thing at the Center for Inquiry in Los Angeles by going to a nice lecture on Sunday and then hanging around for coffee. In a similar vein, Im looking forward to showcasing Satiristas! LIVE again at The Amazing Meeting because this event brings people together for a different kind of exchange than just going to hear lectures. How do you see comedy interacting with the anger one finds present at times in Atheist circles? If a conversation gets too heated and personalized, then people get so angry they are unable to get together over issues of common concern. If we can laugh about a situation, this can serve to diffuse the problems. Can we come together to work on issues of common concern without having to be perfect? Im paraphrasing the late Steve Allen who said something along the lines of, A lot of battles are fought between the good and the good. For example, if feminists want more women to be included, it doesnt make much sense to exclude themselves and ask women to boycott an event where Richard Dawkins is going to be present. How does self-exclusion serve the goal of inclusion? Then theres the whole Christian versus Atheist faith fights. These battles might make for good television but its ignoring the reality that there are plenty of Christians who fight the Religious Right and champion LGBT rights. Most Atheists just want a country with a clear distinction between church and state, as it is meant to be. Such separation safeguards the religious as much as non believers to practice their beliefs without any governmental interference. LGBT people would receive the same civil rights as other people, and no one could object on religious grounds. I see no reason why Christians and Atheists who both agree on these issues cant work together for that same end. Its only the extremists who are the problem. Most Americansreligious and non believersagree on civil rights for all. Can I get an Amen? Uh...never mind.
To connect with Paul, follow him on Twitter (@PaulProvenza) and like his Facebook page. Becky Garrison is a storyteller and religion satirist. Her seven books include Roger Williams Little Book of Virtues and Red and Blue God, Black and Blue Church (Publishers Weekly Starred Review). Her website is BeckyGarrison.com and shes on Twitter (@Becky_Garrison).
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Laughter is our god

Comics riff on Atheism
Hampton Yount
Keith Lowell Jensen
Mark Normand
Adam Clayton-Holland
Getting people to laugh with you, and even at you, is a great way to build bridges and challenge conventional wisdom.
How do you define Atheism? Hampton Yount: Normality. It would appear to me that having god in your life takes extra effort. Atheism is putting morals on ourselves. Were good not because we fear something but because we agree its beneficial. Religion clearly does not constitute having morals. Keith Lowell Jensen: Having no belief in any gods. Period. Thats it. Mark Normand: Not believing in a god thats controlling everything and watching us and all that jazz. Come on... Adam Cayton-Holland: Not believing in the existence of a higher power. How does Atheism inform your comedy? KLJ: Living in a religious country as an Atheist becomes a part of your identity and affects how you interact with the world. So, of course that is reflected in my comedy. Its organic in that way, but I do make a concerted effort to confront religion in a way that might get through to people who are at all open to questioning their faith. I play in a lot of small towns and it feels like an opportunity that just shouldnt be missed. HY: My worldview is now geared a certain way. Maybe Atheism makes me a tad cynical. As I believe a lot of so-called morally upstanding citizens (clergy, politicians, pundits) are frauds, it makes me wary of people pursuing power. But I feel that fear could just as easily be gained from a history lesson. MN: I think 90 percent of comics are Atheists. Its how were wired. We question things and are realists. Were cynical. However, some are very religious, so you never know. AC-H: I dont consider myself an Atheist but I do find people who think they know about the mysterious forces behind existence one way or the other to be kind of arrogant. No one knows for certain, especially those who think they do. What do you think about the rise of Atheist comedians? MN: I definitely think more comics are admitting theyre Atheists. But most dont even mention it even if they are. Thats the beauty of being an Atheistyou dont have to mention it. Thats what I love about not
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believing, you can just do your thing and not worry someone is watching you. We govern ourselves. The reason gays cant marry is all because of religion. Thats dumb. Why do you need a book to tell you to be a good person? Just be a good person. KLJ: I think its similar to Jews finding a voice in comedy, followed by black comedians, and now you see an explosion of minority comics from groups that have been underrepresented in popular culture, particularly Arab comics and Indian comics. Getting people to laugh with you, and even at you, is a great way to build bridges and challenge conventional wisdom. And it doesnt hurt that George Carlin was able to have huge mainstream acceptance even as an out-and-loud Atheist. That takes away one big excuse comics may have used for keeping their Atheism to themselves. HY: I think the rise of Atheist comics is just in keeping with the rise of out Atheists. Comics talk about their lives and what they know, and with Atheism on the rise and societal aggression dissipating, it leads to what youre seeing. AC-H: I think most comedians would probably skew towards Atheism because comedians are by nature skeptics, people who point out the absurdities in life and draw humor from them. And organized religions are some of the most absurd structures on the planet. Plus, things considered sacred are inherently powerful or taboo to a mass audience. Comedians, I think, enjoy prodding that sensitive territory a little bit. So couple an inherent skepticism with the desire to intrigue and provoke, and perhaps a trend towards Atheism in comedy could be construed. Laughter is our god. Thats why were all so damn disappointed all the time. Becky Garrison Follow Hampton Yount on Facebook, Twitter (@Hamptonyount), and at HamptonYount.com. Adam Cayton-Hollands podcast is at AdamIsFreakingOutRightNow. com. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter (@CaytonHolland). Keith Lowell Jensen blogs on RockAss.net. Follow him on Facebook, Google Friend Connect, and Twitter (@KeithLowell). Mark Normands website is MarkNormandComedy.com. Hes also on Twitter (@marknorm) and Facebook.
Voices of Reason Rally

Because our past coverage of the March 24, 2012, Reason Rally on the National Mall in Washington, DC, has been a mere glimpse of that day, we will continue to feature the words that were spoken by some of todays greatest voices of reason.
David Silverman
They said you wouldnt come in the rain. They were wrong!
Photo by John Welte
am privileged to be the president of American Atheists, which was founded in 1963 by Madalyn Murray OHair, who led the fight to remove forced prayer from public schools. Since then, American Atheists has been known as the Marines of the freethought movement. You see, sometimes things need to be said and fights need to be fought, even if they are unpopular. Minority points of view are often overlooked unless they are shouted. Rights are trampled unless they are protected. Equality is never granted unless it is demanded. Thats our job. We are the Atheists with the picket signs and the megaphones. We put up the edgy billboards and file the unpopular but necessary lawsuits like the 9/11 miracle cross. We are the hardliners. Some call us extremists, but thats just because were extremely right.
to call out people when they insult usevery time they insult us. Get in their faces because confrontation works. Bigoted teachers need to be fired, bigoted athletes need to be traded, and bigoted politicians need to be called out in front of the cameras and voted out on Election Day. Zero tolerance. Bigotry is stupid, and its not okay, no matter where its directed. I am therefore calling on all of you, and all the organizations sponsoring this event, to adopt this simple proposal: from now on we stand our ground. From now on we demand equality. From now on, if they insult us, they will deal with us. My friends, for every cause there is a beginningand a time when the task seems monumental. But then there is a precipice which, once passed, allows the struggling movement to flourish and grow and succeed. Fifty years ago, the founder of American Atheists faced
Our methods deliver a clear message to the closeted Atheists: you are not alone, and you deserve equality.
We demand equal treatment by our government even if the Religious Right doesnt like it. The message we deliver is undeniably true, even if it is politically incorrect. God is a myth, and reason is inherently Atheistic. Our methods deliver a clear message to the closeted Atheists: you are not alone, and you deserve equality. We also deliver a clear message to the theists: we are here, and we will never be silent again. And now I have a message for all of you. I am here today to propose our first-ever nationwide, movement-wide policy. Ladies and gentlemen, its time to stop taking crap. I propose a zero-tolerance policy towards bigotry and hate. I am asking every Atheist everywhere a monumental obstacle in organized religion and took it head on. And now, ladies and gentlemen, we are at our precipice. We have the numbers, we have the momentum, and we have every rightand, indeed, the responsibilityto demand an end to bigotry and hate. I want to invite personally all of you to join American Atheists and take part in our righteous fight for our reasonable future. Thank you all for comingin the rain!
David Silverman was the creator and executive producer of the Reason Rally. He can be reached by email via DSilverman@Atheists.org, on Twitter (@MrAtheistPants), or at 908-276-7300, ext. 5.
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Author Alan Michael Wilt and His Holy Family

by Cathy Puett Miller s an Atheist, I tend to read more non-fiction than fiction. For one thing, highly engaging fiction that can entertain and inform both believers and non-believers is, in my opinion, rare. So I was skeptical when I picked up this book, but intrigued as well, since this Atheist author titled his work The Holy Family. It turned out to be one of those rare gems, the kind of good book where, in the words of Ernest Hemingway, after you are finished reading one you will feel that all that happened to you and afterwards it all belongs to you; the good and the bad, the ecstasy, the remorse and sorrow, the people and the places and how the weather was. Like many modern titles, this one carries a double meaning, not fully revealed until the end. All along the way, however, Alan Michael Wilts prose, with poignancy and tenderness, draws back a curtain and reveals real people, real feelings, and real explorations of the questions we all ask as human beings about life, faith, and love. Wilt himself is a compassionate, complex, and somewhat private man. His easy response to my questions made our interview more like a conversation with a new friend, even though our talk almost exclusively centered on the book. He comes from a varied religious background. During his college years, he moved from faith to agnosticism to an exploration of Eastern religions, and he settled for a while on the Catholic Church. His journey included earning a masters degree from the Maryknoll School of Theology. The search for meaning is also central to the books two main characters, Martin and Justine, who meet, get to know one another, and fall in love. Their story is about the cycle of life and death: birth, loss, and renewal. As the young couple moves beyond infatuation into marriage and a family, this thread continues with language that is honest and relatable. In writing the story, Wilt wanted to show that change is an opportunity to move beyond something that is no longer meaningful while being able to build upon it. He wanted to show how one can move beyond loss and find meaning. He wanted his readers to explore the question, How can I go on? when faced with sadness. And he wanted to honestly depict those who choose not to believe in a supernatural being and how that colors their responses to human dilemmas. While he was exploring his own world view, Wilt worked as an editor for several religious publishers, always searching for ways to present the faith he still clung to in new ways. He also learned how writers develop their characters, choose their words wisely, and parse out their stories in the right dosages. Throughout his quest, he never bought into eternal salvation or the need to have all the answers. He wanted to turn the dogma upside down and see what was underneath. Even as he actively searched for ways to do that, he never felt like he fit in. He didnt comply; he asked questions. Instead of searching for answers, he searched for meaning. He exposed and rejected the convenient safety net religion offered for dealing with the unknown, with life, and with death. In 2006, he decided it just wasnt worth it anymore. He found himself deconstructing the Catholic mass with a skeptics eye. I kept thinking, Is this belief or poetry? Thats when nonbelief began to make sense to me.
He wanted to honestly depict those who choose not to believe in a supernatural being and how that colors their responses to human dilemmas.
He still finds it amazing that contemporary Christians frequently give credit to a father god rather than embracing the natural or developed abilities and passions that lead us to what is truly a personal choice. During his early drafts of the novel, he only wanted to craft a meaningful story and view his own experiences from the outside, looking in. He did not want his novel to be a preachy or shallow portrayal with a how-to agenda. He had seen too many religious authors make that mistake. Although a quick read, The Holy Family has an undercurrent, something dark and undefined, which surfaces from time to time. Wilt gives readers a unique, frank insight into not only the partnership between two people living with everyday struggles and joys, but snapshots of two particular individuals whose journeys began in unique places. Justine is a beautiful, artistic, inquiring freethinker from the get-go. Martin is a questioning, hardworking, wouldbe-actor-turned-agent who, without coercion, eventually discards his Catholic faith, like a coat that doesnt fit anymore. But the characters are neither onedimensional nor predictableforever black or white, believer or nonbelieveras life is rarely that simple. Regardless of the circumstances his characters face, Wilt portrays truthful, authentic, forthright responses to life. By the storys midpoint, the undercurrent
Tri-State Freethinkers on their adopted highway. The group is based in Northern Kentucky just outside Cincinnati, Ohio.
Good Intentions
on the Road to the Creation Museum
arly in May, Highway 1308 in Petersburg, Kentucky, got a sprucing up from the Tri-State Freethinkers, a group founded last year by Kentucky regional director Jim Helton. Every year, thousands of drivers take this road to visit the Creation Museum. I think Adopt A Highway is a great idea for a lot of organizations. We were going to do this no matter what. We just got a bonus with the location because more people will be aware of it, said Helton. One of the people who took note was the museums director, Ken Ham, who wrote on his blog, [W]e found it to be a nice touch when we learned that a local group had adopted a highway. . . [W]e look forward to having clean roads around the Creation Museum as the summer crowds pour in. But Ham took issue with the term freethinker when he said, As I reviewed some of their beliefs, I noticed some close-mindednessHere is what a Freethinker is, according to an online dictionary: a person who forms opinions on the basis of reason, independent of authority
or tradition, especially a person whose religious opinions differ from established belief (emphasis mine). This is about community service, not cleaning up after the creationists. The irony that we are doing it along the route that leads to their property just makes it more fun, said volunteer Michele Grinoch. In his post, Ham extends an invitation for an open dialogue with the group. For our part, we would be willing to meet with these local Freethinkers and chat with them. The group plans to accept his offer and American Atheist will cover the meeting if it does take place. In the meantime, Ham vows that he and his staff will do what we can to teach thousands of people at the Creation Museum to be equipped to answer the empty arguments of these people who are not really Freethinkers but are bound spiritually by the one the Bible calls the father of lies ( John 8:44). Hams entire post is at: Blogs.AnswersInGenesis.org/Blogs/ Ken-Ham/2013/05/14/Thank-You-Freethinkers.
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by Ken Loukinen ~ KLoukinen@Atheists.org
new REGIONAL Directors

Chuck is a civil rights activist and businessman in Huntsville, Alabama. He holds a degree in history from the University of Florida and has done post-graduate work in organizational communications at Florida State University and in criminal justice leadership at the Florida Criminal Justice Institute. He served in several capacities with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement before becoming a consultant to the Navy, NASA, and the Treasury Department. Chuck is a co-founder and past director of the Secular Coalition for Alabama. He is a Life Member of American Atheists and also belongs to our Affiliate, NAFA, the North Alabama Freethought Association. I am excited and honored to be appointed to this position. I am so proud of and grateful for the work American Atheists does in Alabama, where a sane rational perspective on separation of religion and the state is most needed. Please welcome Chuck at CMiller@Atheists.org.
Charles Chuck Miller, Alabama
An active member and co-organizer of Columbia Atheists, Carla Burris lost her belief in god at the same time she stopped believing in Santa and the Tooth Fairy. Eight years of Catholic grade school only reaffirmed her rejection of supernatural beliefs. For the longest time, I didnt realize anyone actually took this stuff seriously, she says. Once I realized that everyone else around me believed those stories, I felt very alone. Attending public high school and state universities gave her a reality-based education and exposure to diverse belief systems, so religion ceased to have any relevance in her life. Increasing public piety and political attacks on womens rights over the past decade have recently led her to publicly identify as an Atheist to fight the encroachment of theocracy into American lives. As a loud and proud Atheist, she wants the rights of nonbelievers to be protected, the public to understand that secular people are good people, and for no other kid to think theyre the only one who knows that gods are make-believe. Carla replaces Greg Lammers, who has been named American Atheists Affiliates Director. Contact Carla at CBurris@Atheists.org and Greg at GLammers@Atheists.org.
Carla Burris, Missouri
John was instrumental in forming the Tallahassee Atheists, an American Atheists Affiliate. A Life Member, he was the lead organizer for the Florida Secular Rally and has been involved in many Florida protests. John is retired and is ready to devote his time to an absolute separation of church and state. This has been a dream of mine for quite some time. I am looking forward to representing American Atheists and our Florida members and friends. Please welcome John at JPorgal@Atheists.org.
John Porgal, North Florida
A Life Member of American Atheists, Jim replaces Ed Hensley, who stepped down to devote more time to local activism in the Louisville area. Jims professional life includes starting businesses from the ground up and having them succeed. Jim has already demonstrated his leadership skills. In January, he started Tri-State Freethinkers, based in Northern Kentucky. Please welcome Jim at JHelton@Atheists.org.
Jim Helton, Kentucky
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Good News Clubs Continued from page 8
The clubs are vehicles by which the CEF is attempting to proselytize nonChristian children at our public schools.
CEFs lines of ingress before their strategy has a chance to unfold to its calculated conclusion. Thats where you come in. If your school hasnt been invaded by a GNC yet, take a look at the policies on using the facilities. A good way to head them off at the pass is to make sure that the policies are worded unambiguously to prevent the establishment of institutions, like the Good News Club, that encourage discrimination or emotional bullying. Unfortunately, what some lawyers can make, others can unmake. The best place to start, I think, is simply to let people know that this organization exists by publicizing its own statements of intent. Most parents who sign up for the club simply dont know what it is and would
Holy Family Continued from page 33
have never done so if they had been informed ahead of time of its goals and intentions. The CEF lives and grows on stealth and misinformation, on presenting a fluffy-bunnies-in-the-garden-of-paradise face at PTA meetingsand then an iron doctrine of damnation in its meetings with children. It is resolutely and purposely a creature of the shadows, capable of surviving only if it sets down its roots before light is shone upon it. So share what you know. Read Stewarts book and tell others about it. Send links on Facebook to your parents group and get their warning antennae up early. A little bit of shared knowledge before the deluge can go a long way. Who knowsthe school you save may be your own!
The next issue of American Atheist will feature an interview with Katherine Stewart.
Endnotes 1. For the Supreme Courts opinion on Good News Club v. Milford Central School, go to www.SupremeCourt.gov/ Opinions/BoundVolumes/533bv.pdf and scroll to page 102. 2. www.CEFBookMinistry.com/Downloads/ WhyEvangelizeChildren.pdf, accessed May 11, 2013. 3. http://www.cef-sc.org/columbiamidlands/ id2.html, accessed May 11, 2013.
Dale DeBakcsy is the writer and artist of the Atheist web comic The Vocate and a regular contributor to several secular, humanist, and Atheist journals. He is at the moment saving up to buy a wicked-cool stormtrooper costume.
Instead of searching for answers, he searched for meaning.

Alan Michael Wilt
of sadness is even stronger, but still not fully evident are the true extent or major cause behind these pulls at the heart. At one point, Martin reflects, If there is one thing I learned fromand sometimes in spite ofthe theologians I read and studied, it is that the best thing we can do with death is to know it, own it, and let its reality and inevitability make more vital and essential human beings out of us. During the course of our interview, Wilt talked about the death of his younger brother, which happened not long after he finished the book. I think death is one of the main reasons we hold on to religious myths. When I peeled away the myth and contemplated how I might face my own mortality or that of those I care for, it gave me a great sense that I just might have gotten this dealing with loss and moving beyond it thing right. There is strength and contentment in that realization and the reflection has truly been important to me. For Wilt, writing the book began as a means of personal reflection, but as the process unfolded, he began to think of The Holy Family as contributing to the normalization of Atheism. Sometimes, fiction is a safer place for open dialogue between readers who may have diverse viewpoints on religion, belief in a god, or coping with loss and change. Photo by Harvey C. Steiner Experiencing stories like The Holy Family is actually where human literacy begins, according to Kendall Haven, author of Story Proof: The Science Behind the Startling Power of Story. In this summary of qualitative and quantitative research on the subject of storytelling, Haven presents evidence that the human mind understands and creates meaning through specific story elements, and it is through story structures that our minds can remember and recall. The Holy Family is a story that touches the very essence of what it means to be an open, growing human being who refuses to let circumstances dominate or define life.
A Life Member of American Atheists, Cathy Puett Miller is president of TLA, Inc., a national literacy consulting firm. Her reviews of both adult and childrens fiction and nonfiction have appeared in the New York Journal of Books online service at NYJournalOfBooks.com/reviewer/ Cathy-Puett-Miller. She is a member of the Board of Directors of both The Reading Tub and the Alabama Literacy Alliance. She is also secretary of the North Alabama Freethought Association, an Affiliate of American Atheists.
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From the author of the Dogma Watch series in this magazine
Religion, especially Christianity, has enjoyed unwarranted respect for far too long. Jesus did say a few nice things, but he was no humble or wise prophet. How do we know?
Its in the Bible.

Available in paperback from Amazon.com
NoMeekMessiah.com
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New from American Atheist Press
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Seeking Regional Directors

Are you more concerned with societys secular issues than holy book debates? Are you a motivated, passionate Atheist? Do you want more than potluck dinners and discussions in a pub? Do you want to make a real difference? Activists and activism are what create change. And that is where we want you. American Atheists is looking for volunteer regional directors. Our directors monitor legislation and issues in their areas and take action when needed. They are also the personal contact for the friends and affiliate groups of American Atheists. And they represent American Atheists in local media and assist in national projects in their part of the country. Your efforts will boost the Atheist, freethought, and secular presence in your community. You will meet and work with other well-known activists and celebrities in the movement. You will stand out at our annual convention and meet others from your area and beyond. Interested individuals should be self-motivated, confident, well-spoken, have a professional appearance, and belong to American Atheists for at least one year. Some experience with activism and organizing is preferred. If this sounds like you or someone you know, contact Ken Loukinen, Director of State/Regional Operations, at KLoukinen@ Atheists.org.
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Aims and Purposes

merican Atheists, Inc. is a nonprofit, nonpolitical, educational organization dedicated to the complete and absolute separation of state and church, accepting the explanation of Thomas Jefferson that the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States was meant to create a wall of separation between state and church.
American Atheists is organized:

To stimulate and promote freedom of thought and inquiry concerning religious beliefs, creeds, dogmas, tenets, rituals, and practices; To collect and disseminate information, data, and literature on all religions and promote a more thorough understanding of them, their origins, and their histories; To advocate, labor for, and promote in all lawful ways the complete and absolute separation of state and church; To act as a watchdog to challenge any attempted breach of the wall of separation between state and church; To advocate, labor for, and promote in all lawful ways the establishment and maintenance of a thoroughly secular system of education available to all; To encourage the development and public acceptance of a humane ethical system stressing the mutual sympathy, understanding, and interdependence of all people and the corresponding responsibility of each individual in relation to society; To develop and propagate a social philosophy in which humankind is central and must itself be the source of strength, progress, and ideals for the well-being and happiness of humanity; To promote the study of the arts and sciences and of all problems affecting the maintenance, perpetuation, and enrichment of human (and other) life; and To engage in such social, educational, legal, and cultural activity as will be useful and beneficial to the members of American Atheists and to society as a whole.
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theism involves the mental attitude that unreservedly accepts the supremacy of reason and aims at establishing a lifestyle and ethical outlook verifiable by experience and the scientific method, independent of all arbitrary assumptions of authority and creeds. aterialism declares that the cosmos is devoid of immanent conscious purpose; that it is governed by its own inherent, immutable, and impersonal laws; that there is no supernatural interference in human life; that humankind, finding the resources within themselves, can and must create their own destiny. It teaches that we must prize our life on earth and strive always to improve it. It holds that human beings are capable of creating a social system based on reason and justice. Materialisms faith is in humankind and their ability to transform the world culture by their own efforts. This is a commitment that is, in its very essence, life-asserting. It considers the struggle for progress as a moral obligation that is impossible without noble ideas that inspire us to bold, creative works.
A A
theism is the comprehensive world view of persons who are free from theism and have freed themselves of supernatural beliefs altogether. It is predicated on ancient Greek Materialism.
M
M
aterialism holds that our potential for good and more fulfilling cultural development is, for all practical purposes, unlimited.
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Why I am an Atheist
ne does not choose to be an Atheist any more than one chooses to be homosexual. It just is. In some cases, ones awareness of it doesnt happen until adolescence, adulthood, or even old age. In others, it is there from childhood. Just as some adults remember being five years old and feeling an attraction to the same sex, so, too, do many Atheists recall wondering as children about the veracity of the religious stories that were fed to them, as well as the confusion regarding the mysterious rituals of their parents religion. My intent here is to present what I (and a significant number of other Atheists) believe, while bearing in mind that not all Atheists believe the same thing any more than all religious people believe the same thing. I do not intend to confront, criticize, or condemn; only to describe. Rather than engaging in an argument, I am aiming for others to understand my Atheist position. Whenever or however it begins, Atheism is no more a whimLets see if I can get everyone to hate me by saying I dont believe in god! than a gay persons intent is to elicit rage from others over their sexual orientation. It is undeniable that rage is often expressed toward both homosexuals and Atheists. In fact, I believe that Atheists are now the most despised and underrepresented minority in America. Although there are members of Congress and other governmental bodies who are openly gay, with the exception of former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura; Pete Stark, a former Congressman from California; and Juan Mendez, a State Representative in the Arizona Legislature, I have never heard a candidate or a current political figure claim to not believe in god. As an Atheist, I believe in only one world, the natural world. I feel very strongly that only the natural world can be observed, studied, and eventually understood. Most important is my belief that the natural world adheres to the rules of logic and reason. This is the world that science apprehends and attempts to comprehend. In it, the laws of gravity, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak forces of the nuclear system cannot be violated without explanation. In this world, when objects follow (or fly out of) their orbits, there is a reason that can eventually be understood. This is the world I live in, and I understand that I must abandon this world upon my death. Atheism is simply the rejection of beliefs (usually religious) that are not in accord with the scientific rules of this world. If religious people would only try to imagine how difficult it would be for them to surrender their fervor and love of god just because someone asked or demanded it from them, then they might at least appreciate how Atheists feel about giving up their skepticism in a world they see as only material. But religious people (many of them accepting these things about the natural world) also claim to know there is another world where the rules do not apply, a supernatural world to which they will eventually go when they die. A religious person then, unlike an Atheist, is somehow capable of believing in two worlds: a natural world and a supernatural world. In this arrangement, god or his representatives are able to suspend or alter the
by Gil Gaudia, Ph.D.
rules, either for some unexplainable reason or as a response to human supplication. Religious people are able to accept what appears to me to be the whimsical behavior of a capricious god, and then label that behavior Gods plan, or Gods mysterious ways. Some believe it is their gods displeasure at the behavior of humans that precipitates both personal and universal catastrophe. In a system of one world, it is possible, I believe, to assign value to events in some orderly way based on fair principles that foster a comprehensive moral code. In a two-world system, that code is still desirable, but it is complicated and contradicted by the necessity to explain the inevitable unfairness imposed by random natural events like hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes, or mechanical failures that cause people to die in accidents. War, illness, and other misfortunes seem to be also unfairly distributed around the world. A two-world system that involves an omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent god elicits unavoidable complications created by the apparent unfairness that sometimes prevails in the natural world. This results in my refusal to believe in a god who would either allow or cause these unfair events. These are some of the things that separate me from theists. I am unable to understand, and therefore to accept, that there are two worlds operating under different laws or controls. Most difficult for me, however, is the religious claim that forces from the supernatural worldgods, angels, saints, or devilscan interact with and alter events occurring in the natural world. An additional obstacle is the inclusion within the supernatural world of the concepts of heaven, hell, and an afterlife that are all based upon punishment or reward for the life led in the natural world. These are monumental difficulties for a natural-world-based Atheist like me. I find it impossible to understand how thinking people can surrender to what I consider the illogic of dual citizenship in the world of realitythe world that science investigatesand the world of fantasy or wishful thinking. No one, believer or non-believer, has ever been able to explain how the natural world of cause and effect could be affected by any agent from a supernatural world. What could possibly be the interface between the material of the physical world and the ethereal forces of the supernatural world that, presumably, are not composed of the elements, atoms, electrons, or even quarks that comprise the architecture of the material world? How would one collide with the other? Where would they meet? Atheists like me say only that we have not yet been provided with an explanation for supernaturalism. We are without the belief that most others find comforting because we are unable to simultaneously exist in two worlds.
Gil Gaudia is a professor emeritus at State University of New York. A former editorial assistant of this magazine, he has contributed dozens of articles to it as well as other freethought publications. When his novel, Outside, Looking In, was published as a thinly-veiled autobiography in 2003, it did not become a runaway bestseller.
Why are you an Atheist? We are soliciting submissions that answer this question in 800 to 1,000 words. Send them to MagEditor@Atheists.org. Essays may be subject to revision and publication is at the sole discretion of the Editor-in-Chief.
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American Atheist Magazine Third Quarter 2013

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American Atheist Magazine Third Quarter 2013

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