americanatheists

WINGROVE NAMED CAPITOL HILL REPRESENTATIVE FOR AMERICAN ATHEISTSNew lobbyist will give Atheists ?another voice? on key First Amendment, related issues in Washington, D.C.January 17, 2006AMERICAN ATHEISTS is pleased to announce the appointment of Rick Wingrove as its new Washington, D.C. lobbyist.Mr. Wingrove, 56, has served as Virginia State Director for American Atheists for over two years. He has been an Atheist since the age of 16. Rick attended the University of Texas, served with the United States Navy Seabees during the Vietnam era and has worked in the computer-IT field for over 30 years.Mr. Wingrove is well known as an activist for the First Amendment and state-church separation. His duties will include contacting legislators in the nation?s capital; networking with advocacy groups on issues of common concern; issue briefings and representing American Atheists on matters of political importance.?Given the current political atmosphere, it is urgent that Atheists establish a voice and visibility in our nation?s capitol,? said Mr. Wingrove. ?Religious groups have an established presence here and aggressively lobby on behalf of their interests. It?s only fair that Atheists have more of a role in crafting public policy. We have to make sure that our views are represented concerning the role of religion in the public square, the use of tax money to benefit religious groups, special rights for organized religion, and First Amendment issues.?For further information, Mr. Wingrove can be contacted through rwingrove@atheists.org. (AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil rights for Atheists; works for the total separation of church and state; and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.)

GOOD job to our friends at AU!

Americans United for Separation of Church and State today announced that it has settled a lawsuit over a California school district?s decision to teach a course promoting creationism.Americans United, with assistance from the law firm Arnold & Porter LLP, filed suit against the El Tejon Unified School Districtlast week, seeking to end a course called ?Philosophy of Design? that promoted creationist ideas, including ?intelligent design.? The course, taught at Frazier Mountain High School in Lebec by special education teacher and soccer coach Sharon Lemburg, relied heavily on videos produced by fundamentalist Christian groups that espouse creationism.Under the terms of the settlement, the course will terminate one week early. The district?s board of trustees has also agreed to language stating, ?No school over which the School District has authority, including the High School, shall offer, presently or in the future, the course entitled ?Philosophy of Design? or ?Philosophy of Intelligent Design? or any other course that promotes or endorses creationism, creation science, or intelligent design.?

And now time for Intense subject matter. This intense topic may upset some people with the intensity of the intenseness. Intense Viewer discression is advised.What do you say when someone sneezes? What do you say when someone blesses you?I say nothing when someone sneezes. If at all possible I continue on with the conversation. If not, in order to avoid the awkward silence, I will inquire about the sneezer’s health or if he wants allergy medicine / tissues. But I never bless.I also never thank anyone for blessing me. See above. After they know me a while, I tell them with a smile “don’t bless me — I’m an Atheist” (GRIN), and continue with conversation. I find it a handy way to get the news out.My wife gesundheits me, even though she doesn’t get it back. She says it’s reflex and she can’t stop, and gesundheit means “to your health” and is not religious. I deal with it.I’ve never been upset in any way at a person who blesses me, but it does grate on me a little when such blessings are given in quantity (winter).So let’s all chime in (theists too) and settle this once and for all.Achoo!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060116/ts_nm/chile_election_dcChile elects an Agnostic president! Should it matter? Does it?Thanks to Jim for keeping my ears out on this one.

KAGIN NAMED AMERICAN ATHEISTS NATIONAL LEGAL DIRECTOR Attorney Edwin Kagin has been named as the new American Atheists National Legal Director. A native of South Carolina, Mr. Kagin served in the United States Air Force, and later attended the University of Missouri. He earned his J.D. from the School of Law at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky. As an attorney, Mr. Kagin has frequently litigated on civil liberties and constitutional issues. He has been a member in good standing of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States since 1975. He was a founding member in 1991 of the Free Inquiry Group, Inc. (FIG) of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. He is also a prolific writer, and in 2003 contributed to Kimberly Blaker?s book ?Fundamentals of Extremism: The Christian Right in America.? In 2005, a collection of his essays, poems and opinion columns was published in his book, ?Baubles of Blasphemy.? Mr. Kagin, along with wife Helen Kagin, a retired anesthesiologist, founded Camp Quest, the nation?s premier camp for Atheist, Freethought and other nonbelieving youngsters. The couple was named ?Atheists of the Year? by American Atheists in 2005. Edwin Kagin also serves as Kentucky State Director for American Atheists. He is an outspoken public critic of religious intrusions into government, and a frequent speaker and debater at local and national events. He has appeared on hundreds of radio and television programs, sparring with such prominent religious right advocates as Michael Medved. He ran prominently, albeit unsuccessfully, as the ?candidate without a prayer? for the Kentucky Supreme Court (1998) and the Kentucky State Senate (2000). As Legal Director, Mr. Kagin will help supervise and plan First Amendment and related litigation on behalf of the organization. His appointment replaces Duane Buchholtz, who has served as the AA National Legal Director since 1996 and is retiring from that post. (AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil rights for Atheists; works for the total separation of church and state; and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.)

American Atheists Press Release: 1/15/06Blog member wins famed caption contest.A Rope Leash, famed regular on the NoGodBlog, has won the caption contest on the NGB for his outrageously funny (if somewhat off-color) suggestion. Now dubbed “The Dorothy One”, the remark is one of many many many remarks that were suggested starting about 2 weeks ago when the contect began. There were so many suggestions being submitted, “NoGod” Dave left the contest open for an extended period of time (translation: he didn’t have time to review them all till now)Riches galor await the now famous winner. I don’t know where they will come from, but I’m sure they await. In the mean time, Rope wins a free 6-month membership to American Atheists.When asked for comment, an emotional Rope replied “Who are you and what are you doing in my living room”?

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) – A rural high school teaching a religion-based alternative to evolution was sued Tuesday by a group of parents who said the class should be stopped because it violates the U.S. Constitution.Frazier Mountain High School in Lebec violated the separation of church and state while attempting to legitimize the theory of “intelligent design” by introducing it as a philosophy class taught by a minister’s wife, according to the federal lawsuit filed by parents of 13 students.”The course was designed to advance religious theories on the origins of life, including creationism and its offshoot, ‘intelligent design,’” the lawsuit said. “Because the teacher has no scientific training, students are not provided with any critical analysis of this presentation.”The lawsuit was filed by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which successfully blocked Dover, Pa., schools last month from using science courses to advance the theory that living things are so complex they must have been designed by a higher being

Now this is not a political Blog, and we aren’t a political org, so this is my own opinion.But does anyone out there believe Alito is telling the truth? I don’t. Does anyone out there buy the whole “I can’t give you my opinion on a specific case” speech? I don’t. I think we all know he’s a conservative and that he wouldn’t have been nominated unless he had a conservative agenda. I watched the hearings today. I watched him say the right things sometimes. I didn’t believe a word of it.

MECCA, Saudi Arabia (CNN) — More than 2 million Muslim pilgrims from almost 180 countries started moving after sunrise Monday towards Mount Arafat to perform the central rite of hajj, the annual pilgrimage to the holy city. At Mount Arafat, they will offer prayers of repentance and ask for salvation and spiritual renewal.On Sunday, pilgrims raised their hands to heaven and chanted in unison as they hiked through a desert valley to a tent city on the outskirts of Mecca.As they walked, they chanted “Labaik Alluhumma Labaik” (”We are coming answering your call, God”).The pilgrims’ march took them along the steps of Islam’s 7th century prophet Muhammad who gave his last sermon in A.D. 632. on nearby Mount Arafat.”I feel healthy, I feel strong, I feel young,” said Zakariya Chadawri, a Pakistani pilgrim who was helped along the dusty road by friends.”Allah is everywhere but here I feel he is much closer to me,” said Soumai Trabulsi, a Syrian pilgrim as she raised her hands high in prayer.

Allah is everywhere, but it helps if you go climb a mountain. Yeah. that makes sense.

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