The following is shared for informational purposes only. Although I personally agree with everything FE does, American Atheists takes no position on the issue officially.

But here’s a good topic — assisted suicide for the terminally ill and hurting. Is this a separation of church and state issue?

As a Board Member of Final Exit Network, I am contacting you to ask for your help. Our organization is under attack by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Final Exit Network supports people who are suffering from an irreversible illness which has become more than they can bear. Typically these are people suffering from cancer, neurological diseases such as ALS, multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy, respiratory illnesses and degenerative afflictions such as congestive heart failure, stroke AIDS, and many others. After an extensive interview process and doctor’s validation of their disease, applicants may be accepted to our program. They will then receive information on how to hasten their death and be visited by two “exit guides” who will be present to offer emotional support during the exit. The help we provide is only informational – we never physically assist a person to end their life and we believe we have broken no laws.

Recently four of our members were arrested in a sting operation in connection with an exit in Georgia. In addition the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has raided the homes of several of our Board members and seized computers and assorted files. Worse they have frozen the bank account of Final Exit Network and our Affiliate Chapters. As a consequence we have no money to pay lawyers for the defense of the four arrested members or even for operational expenses to stay in communication with our membership, the press, or the general public. It is clear that the real purpose of the GBI assault is to put us out of business.

As a believer in Atheism and the rights of every person to live their life as they choose, I am sure you appreciate how grave a threat this is to our individual civil liberties and human rights.

You and your members can help by sending contributions to either or both of the following:

For general funds (tax-deductible)
Final Exit Network
c/o Jerry Dincin, President
1628 Huntington Lane
Highland Park, IL 60035

For the defense fund:
Final Exit Liberty Fund
c/o ERGO
24829 Norris Lane
Junction City, OR 97448

We would appreciate your passing this email on to your members.

Thank you for whatever help you can provide.

Judy Snyderman
Board Member
Final Exit Network
mmjudy@cinci.rr.com

Everyone wonders why people who “know God exists and that they are going to Heaven” are so fearful of death. Here’s the answer: They don’t believe what they profess to believe. Deep down, they fear death because they know the invisible magic man-in-the-sky is fiction. Their intellect won’t allow them to accept death or revel in the coming bliss, because they KNOW the bliss is fictional.

Really, this isn’t brain surgery. The religious people who flew planes into buildings — THEY really have faith. THEY think they are doing God’s work and they are sure they will bet their virgins in Heaven. But those who cling to life, at the expense of money, pain, and family hardship, they are doubters, plain and simple.

Pious ‘fight death the hardest’
A cross and candle
It is unclear why those who pray prefer more aggressive end-of-life care

People with strong religious beliefs appear to want doctors to do everything they can to keep them alive as death approaches, a US study suggests.

Researchers followed 345 patients with terminal cancer up until their deaths.

Those who regularly prayed were more than three times more likely to receive intensive life-prolonging care than those who relied least on religion.

This has to be the worst case of idiocy in government I’ve seen in a while. Science is not religion, Universities can do what they want, and Dawkins didn’t even get paid. This is McCarthyistic in nature and a pitiful example of Christianity’s final throws of life as it falls into its rightful place next to the mythologies of centuries past.

I feel sad for mythologists sometimes. Not today. Remember that idiotic resolution about Dawkins Speaking at the University? Well get a load of this.

Despite the sound and fury, Dawkins went ahead as scheduled on March 6, packing in an audience of several thousands. Case closed, right?

I have received indication from numerous sources that the Oklahoma legislature is pressing ahead with an investigation of the event, probably to divine if any state funds were used. Dawkins, for his part, adamantly denies accepting a single cent for the speech. He specifically waived his normal honorarium, because this would be a mainly student audience. Even if he had taken money, however, the University department that invited Dawkins would have been perfectly within its rights to pay him. If this investigation is indeed taking place, what the state legislature needs to understand is that in court cases dating back to the days of the House Committee on Un-American Activities, even investigating clearly protected speech on the basis of its viewpoint violates the First Amendment.

Think about it: If every time a student or faculty member invited, say, Rick Warren to speak on campus, they knew they would be subjected to a thorough and time-consuming investigation by state officials, you can all but guarantee that schools across the country would think twice before inviting Rick Warren. This would be a great way for state legislatures to chill speech they dislike without ever having to find the speaker guilty of a single thing. Talk about your un-American activities.

Read More

YAOUNDE, Mar. 18, 2009 (Reuters) — The Vatican on Wednesday defended Pope Benedict’s opposition to the use of condoms to stop the spread of AIDS as scientists and countries including his native Germany criticized it as unrealistic and dangerous.

Benedict, arriving in Africa, said on Tuesday that condoms “increase the problem” of AIDS. The comment, made to reporters aboard his plane, caused a worldwide storm of criticism.

“My reaction is that this represents a major step backwards in terms of global health education, is entirely counter-productive, and is likely to lead to increases in HIV infection in Africa and elsewhere,” said Prof Quentin Sattentau, Professor of Immunology at Britain’s Oxford University.

“There is a large body of published evidence demonstrating that condom use reduces the risk of acquiring HIV infection, but does not lead to increased sexual activity,” he said.

The Church teaches that fidelity within heterosexual marriage and abstinence are the best ways to stop AIDS.

Asked about the criticism, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the pope was “maintaining the position of his predecessors”. Read More

So here’s the leader of the Catholic Church, allowing his followers to die horrible needless death so he doesn’t have to say his predecessors were horribly wrong (which they were). In my opinion, this is horribly immoral and unethical.

The question is: Can you be an ethical Catholic these days? Can you follow a former Hitler Youth, who by the way was a major player in the pedophile scandals, who is currently LITERALLY causing needless suffering in order to avoid saying he and his church’s teachings are fallible?

I say no, and I am now beginning to question the morality of those who follow this evil, horrible religion. I know that’s an insensitive thing to say, but I’m calling out the Catholics. They need to fervently resist this kind of drivel from their leadership, lest they become (and remain) enablers of the ignorance.

VOLUNTEERS ARE HEREBY SOLICITED FOR
THE UPCOMING NATIONAL CONVENTION OF
AMERICAN ATHEISTS
April 9-12, 2009 * Atlanta, Ga.

AMERICAN ATHEISTS is seeking volunteers to work in the Book & Product/Registration Room at the upcoming National Convention of AMERICAN ATHEISTS slated for April 9-12, 2009 at the Emory Conference Center.

Areas of responsibility include:

* Staffing registration tables
* Working in and setting up the Book/Product area.
* Assisting conventioneers
* Sales and other tasks.

There will be an orientation meeting on Thursday April 9 prior to the evening “Welcome and Jump Start Event.” Please email us to volunteer