We have a new leader and a new direction, and it’s your turn to say what you like/ dislike about the organization. Let Frank and the Board know what you think! We want to know!Ready? Go!
We have a new leader and a new direction, and it’s your turn to say what you like/ dislike about the organization. Let Frank and the Board know what you think! We want to know!Ready? Go!
Since 1963, AMERICAN ATHEISTS has been the premier organization laboring for the civil liberties of Atheists, and the total, absolute separation of government and religion.
Copyright 2012. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of American Atheists.
OT, but a question of civil rights that should be addressed. A teacher fired for refusing to sign a loyalty oath.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-oath2-2008may02,0,6280956.story?track=mostviewed-storylevel
“But the day before class was scheduled to begin, her appointment as a lecturer abruptly ended over just the kind of issue that might have figured in her course. She lost the job because she did not sign a loyalty oath swearing to “defend” the U.S. and California constitutions “against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
The loyalty oath was added to the state Constitution by voters in 1952 to root out communists in public jobs. Now, 16 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, its main effect is to weed out religious believers, particularly Quakers and Jehovah’s Witnesses.
As a Quaker from Pennsylvania and a lifelong pacifist, Gonaver objected to the California oath as an infringement of her rights of free speech and religious freedom. She offered to sign the pledge if she could attach a brief statement expressing her views, a practice allowed by other state institutions. But Cal State Fullerton rejected her statement and insisted that she sign the oath if she wanted the job.”
It’s possible Ms Johnson doesn’t want to satisfy our curiosities as to why she left.
I find these hesctoring demands to know why more than a bit childish.
Ernesto
I gave you my sincere apology and apparently you are not big enough to accept it.
Well now, I have never been accused of not defending my views. Apparently you think Seeker’s 10 commandments was an accurate reflection of the views of atheists. As many here have stated, they are not. You are wrong. Can YOU admit that?
Jesus-Ernesto
I think what does defend his views. And while I find him strongly opinionated, I don’t find him offensive. He has certainly never offended me. He uses strong language in response to weak arguments. The post by Seeker involving the atheist ten commandments was something we would have expected from phreedm, not from another atheist who wasn’t being facetious.
Why don’t you either accept or reject his apology, and leave matters between him and others where they belong. If others have issues, they can settle them separately. We are all adults here, after all.
I think Jie is offering to help redesign the greater atheists.org Web site, not this blog.
The magazine editor before Ellen Johnson was (drum roll) . . . Frank Zindler, with his also hardworking wife Ann! Before now, they already had their hands overloaded with other AA responsibilities. Can “more effort” to develop the magazine come from him again? Or from the other few, committed, already overloaded AA activist leaders?
The magazine is just one area where new blood can improve an AA asset. Who has the dedication, creativity, accuracy, and timeliness needed month after month after month, often without reward? And who wants to donate that?
New resources aren’t going to come from “on high,” as the religious might say. If members want improvement in AA, they may have to help make it happen.
I’m a lapsed AA member who will be rejoining because of this “transition.” It was exciting when AA moved its HQ close to me around 1999, and I helped out for next couple of years, first in person and then remotely. But since then I saw more organizational stagnation than achievement, and gave up on it.
The next few months will be rough for us all. But this looks like a fresh and positive step forward, after years of standing still.
Josh
Interesting. What, specifically, is occurring now that has compelled you to reconsider?
What: my expertise is limited to the artwork; things such as logos, banners, illustrations, layout design, and animation… my web construction/coding skills are sadly out of date, (we’d still need other volunteers for that aspect) but regarding your question, I think a few well-placed images shouldn’t tax most systems too much.
What: Josh is correct. I was referring to the Atheists.org website. I believe the Blog does it’s job fine just the way it is.
Ignore him.
He’ll flame every post I make from this point. Eventually regular readers of this blog will catch on.
Karen,
Done.
AA has accomplished a lot of great things since the murder-kidnapping of Madalyn and her family. Ellen can take credit for most of that. AA regained and even improved its public-speaking role for atheism. It began working with other, like-minded groups after years of a bunker mentality. It rescued its property from oblivion in Austin, relocating to a kinder neighborhood where it didn’t have to fight just to get the mail out. It refined and republished its books.
But I’ve also seen too much AA resistance to change, too many missed opportunities for growth, too much floundering. Maybe that’s been due in part to a lack of funds, or to our notoriously hard-to-organize, non-joiner demographic. Yet almost all the other major freethought groups have grown more than AA has in the last several years.
Change is good, and after working hard in atheist organizing for some of that, and then waiting several years to see more of it, this is the first sign I’ve seen of major change in AA. I’m positive about it.
Seeker:
You state on your website:
Were you formally educated in Theology or Divinity? If so, may I ask where?
jeff_r,
Very well said!
I just never have gotten the impression that American Atheists is actually accomplishing a great deal, especially compared to organizations such as Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation. Perhaps it is partly a matter of perception, because the AA website and magazine are both so dismal and not at all timely. Perhaps AA needs to have less on its plate if it doesn’t have the manpower and/or funding to do more.
One thing for sure – to me, this blog is the most positive, useful, and dynamic feature of American Atheists.
Seeker
Ahhh! That’s so much easier on my eyes! Thanks!
I agree largely with Josh (far above) and Tarma (just above).
I blog for the NYC Atheists and I feel that it shouldn’t really matter much who runs AA. The point is, there are plenty of “agenda items,” and I’d assume whoever ultimately takes over will be on the correct side of things.
Maybe AA should take a nod from Americans United and FFRF and try to be more politically effective. I’ve got a few creative ideas, and maybe AA and NYC Atheists should do more “cross-pollination,” like our recent collective effort at protesting the pope (although NYCA really did the heavy lifting on that one, it seems…)
Michael from http://nyc-atheists.org/blog/
Liberty University.
Sorry, but to retain anonymity I don’t care to reveal many details. Yet.
At some point I may have to come out of the proverbial closet. (Imagine the hey-day What and Phreedm will have when they discover who I REALLY am.)
BTW, what is it about this blog that keeps drawing me back? My mind keeps asking, “Geeze, I wonder who posted what?”
Jie
Thanks for the clarification. I think an artful and dignified revamp of the .org pages would be fantastic.
Would you mind posting links to some of your work?
If not, understood. Just curious.
Seeker
Unless you have been misrepresenting yourself in your closeted life why would I care who you “really” are?
Because you hate me.
Sniff.
Seeker:
http://www.ggstudio.org
Look under “Julio’s Work”. That’s me.
Seeker
Liberty U? Oh, dear.
You definitely have opted for the road less traveled now, haven’t you?
And why do you keep coming back here?
Because I’m here, of course!
Karen,
Keep in mind I’m 55 years old. That puts me at Liberty back before it was Liberty University.
Originally it was Lynchburg Baptist College (when I showed up on campus.) Lynchburg College was (almost) across the street. Dr. Falwell decided to change the name to Liberty Baptist College. By the time the Liberty University moniker was adopted, I was long gone.
Jie,
Thanks! I’ll have a look.
Jie,
Absolutely phenomenal!
Why not add the url to your profile?
I have always considered joining AA, however I have always hesitated.
As many have mentioned, the web design is not up to date, but what I find more troublesome, is the ads.
Does there really need to be 2 of these on the homepage?
“the atheist’s riddle
so simple, any child can understand so complex, no atheist can solve”
Seeker
There, there honey. Have a good cry. You’ll get over it.
Jie-
You freakin’ rock!
Great work, man.
I’m a fellow artist (way different than you), and I can tell you have a solid grasp of light (which is very difficult).
Here’s a suggestion for the blog. How about writing some code that will tell us when posters are using sock puppets.