American Atheist Magazine Second/Third Quarter 2012

American Atheists
American Atheist
A JOURNAL OF ATHEIST NEWS AND THOUGHT
Reason Rally Convention 2012

&
ATHEISTS.ORG
2ND/3RD QUARTER 2012
AMERICAN ATHEIST
A Journal of Atheist News and Thought
2nd & 3rd Quarter 2012

Vol. 50, No.2
ISSN 0516-9623 (Print) ISSN 1935-8369 (Online) EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Pamela Whissel mageditor@atheists.org AMERICAN ATHEIST PRESS MANAGING EDITOR Frank R. Zindler editor@atheists.org LAYOUT AND GRAPHICS EDITOR Rick Wingrove rwingrove@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
Photo by John Welte

Above: Tim Minchin at Reason Rally 2012. Cover: American Atheists President David Silverman looks on as James Randi greets the largest gathering of Atheists in history. Photo by John Welte
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In This Issue
The Evolution of Theory | Pamela Whissel Coming to the Reason Rally | Seth Andrews The Gospel Truth | Michael B. Paulkovich Addresses from Reason Rally: 9 Nate Phelps 10 Penn Jillette 11 Indra Zuno 12 Michael Shermer 13 Adam Savage Pols Say the Damndest Things | Ed & Michael Buckner Coming Home to Carlin | Becky Garrison E.O. Wilson: An Interview | Ce Atkins From Faith to Freedom | Sarah Morehead Reason Rally 2012 American Atheists Convention 2012
www.atheists.org | AMERICAN ATHEIST | 3
2012 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. 2ND & 3RD QUARTER
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Letter from the
Editor
The Evolution of Theory
f evolution is a theory, then why not give creationism equal time and let people decide for themselves? Why not? Because evolution is a theory. Yes, a theory. This reason is the one you should give when you find yourself discussing the issue not with creationists but with those who believe that both sides have valid points. Lots of well-meaning people who sit on this fence rightfully believe themselves to be open-minded. They are the ones you can invite to join you in being open-dictionaried. As soon as they accept the invitation, right then and there grab the nearest dictionary from the shelf or a website like Dictionary.com. (Chances are the dictionary on your shelf is a Websters dictionary. Do not be too impressed by this. All Websters are not equal. Websters Dictionary is not protected by copyright, so a book with that title can be published by anyone. So can the Bible, by the way.) Now the fun begins. Together, read the definitions. Thats definitions, plural. Its important to read them all because front and center of any mention of including creationism in science textbooks must be the correct definition of theory. Just like species, words evolve too. My hardback 1983 edition of Websters Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, published by Merriam-Webster (the authoritative Webster), defines theory first as the analysis of a set of facts in their relation to one another. The second definition is abstract thought. Number three is the general or abstract principles of a body of fact, a science, or an art, as in music theory. Music theory is the first course every music major takes. Is there anyone in their right mind who says music is just a theory? Music theory is the study of the properties of music. You learn about things like notation, rhythm, melody, and structure in music theory class. You learn how to play an instrument in a performance class. Theory class is where you study how music works. Performance class is where you make the music happen. Its the same with evolution. Darwins theory of evolution was a study of how nature works. I say was because Darwins theoryhis aggregate of discoveries about how something workswas just the beginning, so even the correct use of the word theory isnt accurate. Thousands of scientists have since added millions of facts to this body of knowledge. Theory can also mean hypothesis. Sometimes. When I went to Dictionary.com, the first entry for theory was from The Random House Dictionary (another authoritative one). The first definition of the entry reads: a coherent group of tested general propositions, commonly regarded as correct, that can be used as principles of explanation and prediction for a class of phenomena. Synonyms: principle, law, doctrine. Second definition: a proposed explanation whose status is still conjectural and subject to experimentation, in contrast to well-established propositions that are regarded as reporting matters of actual fact. After listing six more definitions, the Random House entry even provides a helpful can be confused note: theory, hypothesis are used in non-technical contexts (italics mine) to mean an untested idea or opinion. A theory in technical use (mine again) is a more or less verified or established explanation accounting for known facts or phenomena. A hypothesis is a conjecture put forth as a possible explanation of phenomena or relations, which serves as a basis of argument or experimentation to reach the truth. The theory of evolution is the analysis of a set of facts about evolution. You can make a big difference to an open-minded friend if you recite that sentence every time you hear even a mention of a debate about creationism. Everyones heard someone say evolution is just a theory, but not everyonenot even close to everyonehas heard someone say the theory of evolution is the analysis of a set of facts about evolution.
Pamela Whissel
mageditor@atheists.org
P.S. The theory of evolution is the analysis of a set of facts about evolution.
4 | AMERICAN ATHEIST | www.atheists.org 2ND & 3RD QUARTER
REASON RALLY
by Seth Andrews, host of The Thinking Atheist podcast
musicians and movie stars. It was amazing! I was struck by the diversity of the crowd all colors, all shapes and sizes and personalities and backgrounds. Individuals, couples, families, and friends. Everybody seemed to be smiling, mingling, connecting, and having a good time. Despite the crowd and the long commute and the rain, these people were obviously, genuinely glad to be there. There was laughter everywhereloud, irreverent, genuine, contagious laughter! People brought homemade signs and held them up high and total strangers, including me, would just walk up to them and ask to take pictures. I met some of the best, sweetest, friendliest, funniest people.
Washington DC - March 24, 2012

Photo by Seth Andrews
bumping into people I recognized in the hotel lobby and shamelessly begging them for photos. Everywhere I went I had this palpable awareness that I was among friends. And if youll forgive the clich, it felt like coming home. The Reason Rally was everything I had hoped it would be, and so much more. It was about the value of living honestly. It was about education, science, and common sense. It was about protecting our politics and our science textbooks from fairy tales and fantasy. It was about connection and community. It was about peopletens of thousands of people secular human beings who came together to represent an even larger group of secular men, women, and young people, looking each other in the eye and reminding each other its okay to be skeptical, to be an individual, to be comfortable in your own skin. To live your life honestly. To follow the facts wherever they lead. To speak out against ignorance, dogma, deception, and hate. To stand up for reason. Im so glad I was just a tiny, tiny part of the Reason Rally, and I hope my own limited perspective gives you at least some hint of what that day was like. Just imagine, as humankind evolves, if we can all find the clarity and the courage to see our world through the eyes of reason, imagine how high we might go. Go to TheThinkingAtheist.com to watch the video based on this article, listen to podcasts, read the editors blog, and much more.
t was promoted as the single largest gathering of secular people in history: a rally on the National Mall in Washington DC, a statement to America and the world that the nonbeliever has a voice and deserves to be heard. March 24, 2012, would be a day that actually celebrated what is arguably the most misunderstood and most maligned demographic in the country: the Atheist. On March 23, I was traveling by myself from Oklahoma to Dulles International Airport with a video camera and a tripod. I rolled some video here and there, wondering what to expect, wondering if anybody else on my plane was going to the rally, wondering just how many people that brushed past me at the airport were there just for the Reason Rally. I didnt have a VIP pass or backstage access, no speaking slot or vendor booth, nothing like that. I was going just to be a part of it. Id hoped I might get to meet some people from The Thinking Atheist community. Maybe Id bump into one or two who might recognize my T-shirt. But on that Saturday, in the rain, with the secular and religious world watching, would anybody show up? I can tell you theres no feeling like it standing shoulder-to-shoulder with people who get it. Who arent standing in judgment of you because you have a mind of your own. Who join you in the rejection of the irrational, the false, the destructive, and the just plain crazy. Who cheer scientists, rationalists, and educators as they speak loud and proud against superstition, the way others cheer for
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Would anybody show up?

The protesters showed up, just like we expected. (I never saw the Westboro crowd there, but several other people said they showed up.) The protest I saw was a really small group holding up signs and warning us all that we were going to hell unless we repented. There was some spirited debate, but nothing got out of hand. Everything was totally civil. DCs finest had no cause to intervene. By 5:30, after nine straight hours, my feet were tired, my voice was gone, my camera gear was wet from the blowing rain, and I retreated back to the hotel. I was exhausted, feeling like I had just participated in something really important. I spent the whole evening with this big stupid smile on my face, randomly
The Gospel Truth

by Michael B. Paulkovich
n the Fourth Quarter 2011 issue of American Atheist, I wrote about all the historical evidence of Jesus. That is to say, the complete lack of anyother than the tenuous Gospel claims. So lets examine the Good Book itself and see what we can glean in support of Jesus tales within scripture. Many Christians assume that four of Jesus apostles each wrote an account of their experience with him (e.g. The Gospel According To Mark, etc.) and that their writings became famous and absolutely holy and sacrosanct in the first century. But none of the twelve apostles wrote anything. Not a word regarding Jesus came about until many generations after the apostles did not, in fact, write their supposed hagiographies. Who could blame them: there was no reason to record anything! Jesus convinced his followers that the world would end very soonwithin a generation.1 Thus, after the thorny-crowned martyr, King of the Jews was supposedly crucified (something history has not recorded), the apostles went straight back to their temple (as claimed in Lk 24:52-53), continually praising and blessing God, waiting, expecting, believing the world would soon end, and their Lord would returnany day. Any day now, they thought. Any day. Soon, soon, for sure Like Elvis, Godot, Elijah, and Milli Vanilli, Jesus never came back. Not within a generation, and not before his followers would taste of death (as promised in Mt 16:28 and Mk 9:1). Bible scholars agree that the four Gospels were written anonymously, and the earliest copies of the texts do not indicate any authorship. Moreover, they were a cobbling of various texts, with writing styles differing from section to section within the same Gospel. According to the Encyclopedia Biblica: Almost every one of the apostles had a gospel fathered upon him by one early sect or another, if we may judge from the list of books condemned in the so-called Gelasian Decree, and from other patristic allusions. 2
6 | AMERICAN ATHEIST | www.atheists.org
I think Saul was simply
on something.
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The Catholic Encyclopedia states the existence of numerous and, at times, considerable differences between the four canonical Gospels is a fact which has long been noticed and which all scholars readily admit the present titles of the Gospels are not traceable to the Evangelists themselves.3 Take a look at The Gospel According to St. Matthew, not written until c. 85 CE. All references to the Matthew character are in the third person. (In that case, who wrote the book?) For example, Matthew 9:9: And when Jesus passed on from thence, he saw a man sitting in the custom house, named Matthew; and he saith to him: Follow me. And he arose up and followed him. Chapter 10:3 lists all 12 apostles in the third person, including Matthew the publican. This was not the style in those days as I have seen Christians claim.4 Saint Paul always writes from the first person point of view, as do the anonymous authors of all four Gospels. The same is true of Philo Judaeus and other writers of the same era. Eusebius (c. 310 CE) wrote that mere tradition is why people accepted that the
This could also explain Matthews fanciful account in 3:13-17 of god appearing in the sky during the baptism of Jesus (in a body of water likely inundated with floating hallucinogenic algae), as well as the many stories of miracles. Funny how magical things like that never happen anymore. The most we get these days is a tortilla with a semi-anthropomorphic smudge on it. The unctuous and simple mind concludes it must be Jesusif bearded or the blessed virgin if effeminate and apparently clean-shaven. I once saw a cloud that looked sort of like Albert Einstein. Does that count as a miracle? My hands-down favorite son of god (among so many candidates) is Apollonius Tyanus, a Jesus contemporary. These hallucinogenic fungi could explain the simple sentence made in the third century by historian Philostratus: Apollonius says to [the men of Tarsus] in a letter, Stop getting drunk on water [of the Cydnus]. 8 So Apollonius, a contemporary of Jesus as well as Saul, claims the men of TarsusSauls hometown, mind youwere getting drunk on the water of the river Cydnus! It seems that
writes about any act performed by Jesus. He seems aware of but two facts about Jesus life: that he was crucified and resurrected; and that he had brothers (notably, James the Lords brother of Galatians 1:19). Saul speaks of nebulous notions such as faith in Jesus, a man Saul never met,10 obedience to the faith,11 and the grace of Lord Jesus Christ, this Lord being nothing more than a rumor, and, from Sauls point of view, a mere scintillating apparition. This New Testament twaddle, cobbled together in the fourth century, reads much like the outlandish Homerian tales (which I am much more inclined to believe). If only the NT could hold itself together as rationally and integrally as the Iliad and Odyssey. Or the Harry Potter series, for that matter. Saul writes he is not ashamed of the gospel.12 As the Bible was not yet written, his gospel can refer only to one of two things: some book of scriptures like the Hebrew Torah, or of Mithras, or Sandan; or the good news of the prophesied messiah, apparently recently reified. In any case, why would Saul proclaim that he is not ashamed,
Bible scholars agree that the four Gospels were
written anonymously
natural waterborne hallucinogens pervaded the region in the first century. This may also explain the oddity in 1 Timothy 5:23, wherein Saul preaches complete abandonment of H2O in favor of wine. (Personally, I like the idea, but my doctor disapproves.) Perhaps Saul came to realize his out-of-control visions were a result of drinking water from the rivers edge. Some later versions of the Bible attempt to fix Sauls no longer drink water by changing it to no longer drink only water. Sauls original words were not good enough for us, it seems. Christendom claims Saul among the first NT writers; yet Saul never met Jesus. Apparently he spent a fortnight with Peter, long after the crucifixion: I went to Jerusalem to see Peter: and I tarried with him fifteen days.9 Surely Saul, tarrying with Peter, would have pestered Peter non-stop about the son of God. Or, vice-versa, Peter would have blathered on endlessly about Jesus incredible miracles, portentous medical knowledge, and incisive philosophical lectures. Clearly this is not the case. Saul never
first book was written by Matthew and the second by Mark.5
Drunk and Disorderly

Saul of Tarsus claimed he saw magical phantasms and spectacular lights shining from heaven.6 I think Saul was simply on something. Until recent times, scholars hypothesized that Sauls brain was not firing on all cylinders, suffering the delusionary side-effects of malaria, or perhaps epileptic seizures. It is more likely that Saul (later Paul) was regularly under the influence of a hallucinogen. Scientific research supports this hypothesis. Rains and climate conditions in the first century were extraordinarily favorable for certain hallucinogenic fungi such as Claviceps paspali to flourish in Asia Minor.7 This is clearly the most likely explanation for Sauls visions, and Occam would agree, no doubt, sheathing his well-honed blade for use another day. Many other people of that time and locale would have been exposed to hallucinogens upon drinking from the rivers edge, or consuming tainted flora or grains.
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unless it would seem obvious to the rational observer that he should, in fact, be thoroughly embarrassed of this supposed gospel? Who is Sandan? He is the mythical founder of Sauls hometown of Tarsus, and the son of god.13 Mithras, Horus, Hercules, Krishna, and so many other figures were also the son of god. Saul surely was taught of Mithras, whose worship had landed in Tarsus a couple centuries before Sauls birth.14 And, of course, of his home-town hero made good, Sandan, as well as Hercules, and probably Horus, just a couple stadia to his south in Egypt. Might these sons of god have affected Sauls theology?
The Importance of Being Snipped

In Genesis 34:14-17, family Hemor wishes their children to marry those of family Jacob, but only if their sons weenies had been whittled: We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised... if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.
Circumcision is, oddly, an essential and earnest covenant between the Hebrew god and his penis-chopping clerics. God damns the soul of any male who has the audacity to retain genitalia fully intact.15 It is unfortunate that some Orthodox Jews still practice the grotesque custom of metzitzah bpeh, wherein the mohel sucks the blood from the boys penis with his mouth after circumcisionto clean the wound. In 2004, twin boys in Staten Island contracted Type-1 herpes from their superstitious and contaminated rabbi as a result of the sterilization. One of the infants died.16 In a more recent case this procedure resulted in the death of an infant of two weeks in September 2011; the hospital recorded the
16th century declaring, It is well known to all ages how profitable this fable of Christ has been to us.20 One can visit Vatican City to witness how profitable the fable truly has been. I have seen the treasures of this eternal Ministry of Love estimated at $500 trillion; I believe this to be a gross underestimate.
Fluff and Fancy

These black holes in the Jesus historicity are understood and accepted by theologians. The Catholic Encyclopedia (vol. 3, 274) provides great insight into the ongoing delusions and schisms, admitting that a New Testament canon existing from apostolic times has no
Jesus said his goal was to drive families apart, ...and a mans foes shall be they of his own household (Mt 10:35-36). The OT presents similar preachments, like a mans enemies are the men of his own house (Micah 7:6). As recorded in John 15:6, Jesus promises you this: If any one abide not in me, he shall be cast forth as a branch and shall wither: and they shall gather him up and cast him into the fire: and he burneth. He came not to bring peace, but a sword (Mt 10:34). It seems the words recorded from this Jesus person accomplished it all. Christianity divides societies, families, nations. It toppled the Roman Empire, as Edward Gibbon observed. It murdered tens of millions, as
Like Elvis, Godot, Elijah, and Milli Vanilli,
Jesus never came back.

foundation in history, and did not reach final form until the sixteenth century. Even then, the form was not final, as subsequently dozens of Bible versions have been written, in English alone. It also claims (vol. 4, 498) that it was common for Christian scribes to pad out and reinterpret the scriptures as they made their copies: In general it is the public charter of all divines, to mould and bend the sacred oracles till they comply with their own fancy, spreading them (as Heaven by its Creator) like a curtain, closing together, or drawing them back as they please. This source also (vol. 12, 768) speaks of an incredible liberty...under the spell of the Renaissance. The Renaissance imposed freethought and critical examination upon the rickety histories and contradictory philosophies in the Bible, a text still being modified and mutated to this day: There was a need of a [Bible] revision which is not yet complete... In all these departments forgery and interpolation as well as ignorance had wrought mischief on a grand scale.
cause of death as disseminated herpes simplex virus Type 1, complicating ritual circumcision with oral suction. 17 Saul supposedly visited Lystra and met Timothy. Before leaving he gave Timmys penis a trim.18 Obviously, if he practiced Hebrew tradition, Paul as mohel would bite Timothys penis to rip the foreskin off and then suck it to keep it sterile. Parting is such sweet sorrow. Such oddities notwithstanding, my primary point here is that Paul wrote nothing of Jesus life, of his apostles, a trial, or any of his many miracles. Saul/Paul was a pious and devoted Hebrew, keeping the sacred traditions. And apparently fifteen days were insufficient for Paul to learn anything significant about Jesus, the son of god, from eyewitness Peter. Paul drones on and on without making one significant, logical, or salient point. His stories and arguments are full of tautologies, pious superstition, Hebrew dogma, and circular logic. Paul teaches nothing of the life or philosophies of Jesusa personage or entity whom Paul admits he never met. Pauls epistles were written in the second half of the first century, 55-60 CE, some 30 years after his visions and the supposed crucifixion. One wonders why he waited until the last decade of his life to do so. Something suspicious we find in those letters: Paul boasts of duping gullible minds by being crafty.19 On a similar note we have Pope Leo X in the
history records; and religion poisons everything, as Christopher Hitchens deftly demonstrated time and again. Jesus is allegedly due back any day with his violent apocalypse, total destruction of humanity. That is something that God the First promised he would never do again after creating the deluge.21 Yet Jesus (who is also God), 2,000 years ago, promised The End of Times within a generation. It seems the omniscient Son of God was off by a couple thousand years...and counting.
What Does This Prove?

Of course, all this does not prove that Jesus the person did not exist. But it seems remarkable that there is no reliable evidence whatsoever even suggesting that a son-ofgod described by the New Testament actually lived at all. In fact, the body of proof gives the historical Christ little if any chance of actuality. Even if Jesus, son of Mary lived two millennia ago, there was certainly nothing special (or at any rate, supernatural) about him. Any freethinking individual realizes this. It seems most likely that the Jesus character of the Bible is an amalgam of various selfappointed evangelistic Hebrews, much in the manner depicted in Monty Pythons Life of Brian (Blessed are the cheese-makers!). The Bible is almost 100% fiction. Why do millions of people, in the twenty-first century, still believe in this phantom?
A Revelation
Overwhelming is the lack of any evidence for a Jesus Christ, son of god (or whatever), the alpha and omega, savior and redeemer, wrongly executed (they say) some 2,000 years ago.
Continued on page 38
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Addresses from Reason Rally
Nate Phelps
My heart goes out to the millions who see and hear the cruel message of my family.
Photo by John Welte

I realized that confronted with the god of my father, rebellion is the only moral option. When I left that place on the night of my eighteenth birthday, I left with a mind trained to judge and hate. I left with a certainly that I had displeased god and would be punished for it. I avoided religion for years until I married. With the birth of my children I decided to return to religion and seek the kinder gentler god of the Evangelical Christians. I studied, read, listened constantly to radio programs, prayed incessantly, and asked Jesus into my heart time and time again. During those years I lived a double life: staunch apologist by day and troubled skeptic by night. I took my questions and doubts to my friends in the church, and when they couldnt answer I went to the pastor. Still dissatisfied, I sought out local and even national leaders of the Christian movement, always searching for that elusive nugget of truth that would seal my faith. Then one sunny September morning, the illusion of a personal god that I tried so hard to believe in exploded over the skies of Manhattan. Even as the ashes and ruin of this horrific act of blind faith settled over New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania, I watched people across the country scrambling to that same irrational altar for their answers. In the fierce storm of emotion that rolled across this country, one realization rose to the surface of my mind with blinding clarity: certainly this mechanism of unassailable blind faith is one of the greatest risks mankind faces today. Christopher Hitchens was once asked what one thing he would change about this world if he could. He said he would do away with the insane idea that faith is a virtue. If you invoke faith as justification for your belief, you must accept the same from others. And every person who retreats to faith bears a major responsibility for every act of hate and violence justified by it. In spite of that realization, I despaired of how we might ever become a nation that reveres reason. But today, looking out at this amazing crowd, I can actually see the path. All around us today is the evidence that we are not alone in our convictions that the supernatural need not be invoked
o this is the largest gathering of non-believers in the history of North America, maybe in the history of the world. I call this a target-rich environment for any self-respecting deity, and not a natural disaster in sight. You cant explain that. Perhaps hes distracted, torturing Christopher [Hitchens], pulling his wings off. Seeing my family out there protesting, standing behind barriers with their garish signs, espousing the ideology of their god, the prevailing emotion for me is sadness. I see the result of a lifetime of controlled indoctrination. I see a system that vilifies new ideas, shuns new discoveries, clinging rather to ancient notions about the nature of our worlda system deprived of new ideological genes, leading to a form of intellectual inbreeding that begets distorted, ill-formed beliefs. I see what happens when individual choice is restricted by false consequences. I think of the young people whove paid the price for leaving that place, cut off completely and permanently from all theyve known and loved. I know the years of fear and anguish they will face as they struggle with the messages hardwired in their brains, the messages that constantly threaten their resolve to be freed of the shackles of hatred and judgment, the certainty that overwhelms them at times that they will suffer an eternity of torture for their decisions. I consider the terrible waste of intellect, of talent, and resources resources that could be used to heal, grow, and support used instead to cause pain and express hate. I think of the myriad of others whove suffered in similar dogmatic environments, their adult lives hounded by the shadows of fear, guilt, and self-doubt. And finally my heart goes out to the millions who see and hear the cruel message of my familya message that is met with tacit approval by too many in this society. A message of rejection that seeps into their hearts, leaving them to wonder why a creator made them gay just so he could punish them. Its a terrible, terrible waste. They called me a rebel. For years I bore that label with shame until
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We need to be a minority that has some guts and some power and we need to make it okay to be an Atheist.
Penn Jillette H
ello, Reason Rally! This is Penn Jillette from Las Vegas, Nevada. I would love to be there, I was invited to be there, I want to be there, but I cant be there because I am honoring a contract. I have to be doing the Penn and Teller magic show here in Vegas, and Im honoring that contract because I made a promise and because thats the right thing to do, because I have morality just like all of you. And its about time we grab the moral high ground. Many people who are religious, they are sometimes doing their good deeds, their charitytheir kindness sometimes comes from reward and punishment: going toward reward, in fear of punishment. I can make the argumentand I havethat the only ones with true morality areus. The Atheists. We are doing good because its good and we are doing right because its right, and not for reward or punishment. We have love for each other, we have community, we have charity. And what I am sick of is Atheists saying, Ya know, we can also be moral, we can also do good, we can also do charity, we are good, too. Im done with that! Thats over. I am taking the moral high ground. We are the people who believe in this life. We are the people who believe in morality. If you are doing something for reward or punishment, you do not have morality. Morality must come from inside you, from your mind, and from your heart. You cant say, Dont hit your sister and Ill give you an ice cream sandwich. You must not hit your sister because its wrong to hit your
Penn via video - photo by John Welte Photo by John Welte

Because, there is no god. So lets make it so politicians cannot trash us. Lets make it so theyre as embarrassed to say something bad about Atheists as they are to say something bad about Mormons. Hahahahahahaha! Mormons! Hahahahahaha! Mormon! Hahahahahahaha! Now, as crazy as you people are, as hated as you are by your neighbors, as powerless as you are, you need to have more respect in the United States of America than Mormons. Hahahahaha! Let me show you my Atheist underwear. Nah, I wont show you my Atheist underwear. I dont have special magic underwear, but I do have underwear with the Incredible Hulk on it. I do. I have underwear with the Incredible Hulk on it, and if someone who wears Mormon magic underwear can be respected in the United States of America, then certainly someone like me, someone like you, whos wearing Hulk underwear, can do okay. Its about time we all stood up together and said, You know, were Atheists, were okay, youre gonna have to respect us or theres gonna be trouble because we win the Nobel prizes. We have a lot of the money. We make breakthroughs in medicine and we are the most fun to be around. So lets all band together and remind people theres no god and were okay about it. Peace! Thanks a lot for coming to this, thanks a lot for doing this, nothing matters more. Mormons. Hahahahaha!
sister. As a parent, I dont want my son to not hit his sister because if he hits his sister I wont give him ice cream. I want him to not hit his sister because not hitting his sister is the right thing to do. (Well, with the exception of when his sister was acting like a real dick and then he punched her in the face and guess what? Dad was looking the other way.) But thats not my pointtheyre children! Weve grown up and we now have morality. To some Atheists, being a pinko, commie, lefty socialist is a really good thing. To some Atheists, being a whack-job, nut, Ayn Rand objectivist is a really good idea. Atheists do not gather together around a philosophy, a political philosophy, or a moral philosophy. We do not have one, unified thing that goes with being an Atheist. But we do have morality. So why should we band together? Why should people who are based on a negative there is no godband together? Why should people who might be left, might be right, might be in the middle, have no political or moral or philosophical agreement, band together? Because the simple fact that theres no god does matter. And the simple fact that there are Atheists in the United States of America matters. And we need to be counted, we need to be a minority that has some guts and some power and we need to make it okay to be an Atheist. And the way to do that is to band together, even if our politics, and our morality, and our philosophy are different. We have to band together and simply say, Some of us in this country believe there is no god.
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Indra Zuno
Traveler, there is no path. A path is made when walking.
These are the words of Antonio Machado, a most distinguished Spanish poet. The freethinking Hispanic community still has a long path to travel, and it is particularly difficult to come out of the closet when you belong to a community that is traditionally as religious as ours. It is uncomfortable to recognize that beloved traditions are sometimes a burden, and therefore it is very important to promote critical thinking amongst Hispanics. Our ancestors history is full of achievements and successes we can be proud of. However, we should never forget that Latin Americas history is full of superstitions and abuses perpetrated by religious authorities, which will always be an obstacle for our progress. The Aztecs made human sacrifices in order to feed the sun. The Incas sacrificed children to satisfy their gods. The face of the Maiden Inca Mummy, sacrificed when she was 15 years old, and discovered in the Andes Mountains in 1999, is truly moving. After we have considered the context and the time and the culture, the bottom line is that these children died for nothing. The Spanish conquistadors systematically burned beautiful, colorful hieroglyphic manuscripts. These painted books contained the history of pre-Hispanic cultures, but because friars considered these books works of the devil, these priceless songs and poems were lost to the world forever in Catholic ceremonies known as autos de fe. (One such auto de fe, which took place in Yucatan, Mexico, is represented in Diego Riveras mural Burning of Mayan Literature by the Catholic Church.) In 1492 the expulsion of Jews from Spain was ordered by the Holy Inquisition. Jews were given four months to either convert of leave the country. But if they chose to leave, they had to leave behind their gold, silver, and money. In 1987 Pope John Paul II visited Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, gave him his blessing and communion. The Catholic Church in Argentina was complicit with the military dictatorships that carried out the coup dtat in 1976. Monsignor Miguel Medina, Vicar-General of the Armed Forces, said in 1982, Sometimes physical repression is necessary. It is obligatory, and therefore, licit. Marcial Maciel, the Mexican founder of the Legionnaires of Christ, left behind ruin and devastation with the complicity and silence of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Those Hispanics who still feel a pang of shame when openly recognizing that they dont believe in a god should know that among us, as agnostics and freethinkers, the following can be counted: Simon Bolivar, The Liberator of Venezuela; Benito Juarez, President of Mexico [1858 to 1872] and a member of the Zapotecs, an indigenous people of Mexico; Mexican painter Frida Kahlo; Mexican muralist Diego Rivera; Chilean writer Pablo Neruda, the 1971 Nobel Laureate in literature; Mexican writer Octavio Paz, the 1990 Nobel Laureate in literature; Spanish surrealist filmmaker Luis Buuel; Argentine philosopher and physicist Mario Bunge, who is currently a professor at McGill University in Montreal; Spanish actors Antonio Banderas and Javier Bardem; Colombian neurobiologist Rodolfo Llinas, a member of the National Academy of Sciences who heads the Department of Physiology and Neuroscience at the New York University School of Medicine; and Mexican Hector Avalos, a professor of religious studies at Iowa State University. If you feel alone, know that you are not. There are others who want to build the same community bonds we all need. Some of the groups we can approach to find like-minded people are: the Atheist and Freethinker Association of Madrid, the Atheist and Freethinker Association of Mexico, the Skeptical Association of Chile, the Atheist Association of Peru, the Atheist Organization
Photo by John Welte

of Colombia, the Atheist Association of Argentina, the Chicago Latino Atheists Meetup Group, and Hispanic American Freethinkers. To those Hispanics who do believe in a god: many of you know what its like to feel marginalized, fearful, what its like to live in the shadows. You want this country to regard you as human beings, to have your work recognized, and to not be treated as second-class citizens, as undesirables. You want to share in the freedom upon which this great country was founded. Non-believing Hispanics want and deserve freedom of expression without fear of repercussions, or of having our own families, friends, and neighbors turn their backs on us. We have the same dreams, the same joys, the same sorrows, the same flaws, and the same virtues. We want what you want: to be accepted, not only tolerated. Pablo Neruda said, Someday, anywhere, anyplace, you will inevitably find yourself, and thatonly thatcan be the happiest or the most bitter of your hours. It can be very bitter to discover one no longer believes in a god in which we had placed our hopes, our trust, our fears, and that gave meaning to our lives for years. But there is no happier hour than that in which we learn to accept ourselves. That moment when we stop pretending to be someone we are not. When we recognize that we are strong enough to stand for ourselves, and that we have each other to dispel our fears. Traveler, there is no path, a path is made when walking. We can be proud because today, here, were making a path.
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Michael Shermer
The Moral Arc of Reason
Photo by John Welte

expanded our biological knowledge to include all humans as members of the species. Instead of treating women as inferiors because a certain book says it is mans right to do so, we discovered natural rights that dictate all people should be treated equally. Instead of labeling homosexuality an abomination, or Atheists and nonbelievers as immoral non-citizens, we are today engaged in a great legal struggle to make this final legal hurdle in the long rights revolution. Instead of the supernatural belief in the divine right of kings, people employed a natural belief in the legal right of democracy, and this idea too is now spreading around the globe. Democratic elections, in this sense, are like scientific experiments: every couple of years you carefully alter the variables with an election and observe the results. Liberal democracy works better than any other form of government tested because democracy, like science, is a method, not an ideology. As the intellectual giant whose monument stands nearby as a tribute to all that is good and right about reasonThomas Jeffersonwrote in 1804, No experiment can be more interesting than that we are now trying, and which we trust will end in establishing the fact, that man may be governed by reason and truth. But as Jefferson also warned, Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. And so as we rally here today to celebrate reason, let us also remember that we must never let down our guard, for there are those still who would prefer to live in a Medieval world of superstition and dogma. There is no guarantee that reason will triumph over ignorance. Still, let us celebrate what we have accomplished over the centuries and note the progress so well captured in the memorable observation by that other great freedom fighter, Martin Luther King, Jr., who proclaimed, Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice. The force behind this moral arc is reason and science. To that end let us Thank Reason for our blessings of liberty. Thank Reason for our democracy. Thank Reason for our rights. Thank Reason for our prosperity. And Thank Reason for our freedom.
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hree centuries ago, in a land 3,000 miles away, a revolution in reason began, known as the Age of Enlightenment. Apropos our gathering here today, it is also called the Age of Reason, or in the descriptor of great German philosopher Immanuel KantSapere Aude!dare to know! Have the courage to use your own understanding! As Kant wrote, Enlightenment is mans emergence from his self-imposed immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use ones understanding without guidance from another. The Age of Reason, then, was the age when humanity was born again, not from original sin, but from original ignorance and dependence on authority. Never again shall we allow ourselves to be the intellectual slaves of those who would bind our minds with the chains of dogma and authority. In its stead we use reason and science as the arbiters of truth and knowledge. This great Age of Reason came about because of a prior movement called the Scientific Revolution, when people began to look and think for themselves. Before science, truth about the world was the product of superstition and magical thinking, intuition and emotion, subjective feelings confirmed by selective perception. With science there is a method to get at the truth, an experimental method of checking with the world to see if your beliefs are true or not. Here are just a few of the benefits that reason has given us. Instead of divining nature through the authority of an ancient book, through travel and exploration people examined the book of nature for themselves. Instead of looking at illustrations in illuminated botanical books ,scholars went out into nature to see what was actually growing out of the ground. Instead of relying on the woodcuts of dissected bodies in old medical texts, physicians opened bodies to see with their own eyes what was there. Instead of burning witches after considering the spectral evidence as outlined in the Malleus Maleficarumthe authoritative book of witch huntingjurists began to consider other forms of more reliable evidence. Instead of human sacrifices to assuage the angry weather gods, naturalists made measurements of temperature, barometric pressure, and winds to create a science of climate. Instead of enslaving people because they were a lesser species, we
Adam Savage
I play a scientist on TV. I am in awe of those that do it for real.
Photo by John Welte

Many tens of thousands of people combine their collective genius to make an impossibly fast and efficient thin, inflated bubble of aluminum, so stable and secure that youd have to fly for several thousand years before the odds gave you a chance of being in an accident. Everything we have that makes our lives possible exists because human beings have tested the things they found in their surroundings, made predictions based on those tests, and then improved upon them. This is reason, the human capacity to make sense of the world. Here are some other things that, like the components of the airplane, have been tested and proven. I am going to call them facts. E=mcfucking squared ! Force equals mass times acceleration. The earth is not the center of the universe. Man landed on the moon in 1969 and a few times thereafter. Burning airplane fuel caused a tragic catastrophic collapse of the Twin Towers in 2001. The earth is spherical and not precisely round round. It is officially slightly pear-shaped. Human industry is causing a significant rise in the earths overall temperature. The earth is over four billion years old. Evolution is literally a fact of life. As Neil DeGrasse Tyson says, Facts are true whether or not you believe them. Here are some of my beliefs that are true to me. You cannot teach kids about sex by telling them not to have it. I believe that making drugs illegal is stupid and damaging to us as a people. I believe that if we take care of our surroundings, they will take care of us. I believe that inside every tool is a hammer. I believe that people have an inalienable right to choose what to do with their own bodies. I believe that in a community it is our duty that we should take care of each other in times of need. I believe that if you tell people the truth and let them make decisions based on that, much of the time theyll make pretty good decisionsbut not always. I believe that that which is detestable to you, you should not do to another. I believe that while not all people are essentially good, most are trying. I believe that rules do not make us moral, loving each other makes us moral. And finally, I have concluded through careful empirical analysis and much thought that somebody is looking out for me, keeping track of what I think about things, forgiving me when I do less than I ought, giving me strength to shoot for more than I think Im capable of. I believe they know everything that I do and think and they still love me. Ive concluded after careful consideration that this person keeping score is me.
have been racking my brain for the past few weeks, trying to think of ways to talk about reason and being reasonable. It turns out its not a simple subject. I am a very nonconfrontational person. I am, most of the time, the very definition of a reasonable man. I dont like telling people things they dont want to hear. I want people to get along. I want people to like me. I want to find good things in people. I want to understand viewpoints that differ from mine. I want my tombstone to say, He was nice to work with. I have children. I want to raise them in a world they can add value to, that has value to them. I want for them to feel entitled only to working hard at doing what they love in order to be excellent at it and to share their lives and the rewards with those that they love. Of course I think this is all anyone wants for their children, or themselves. I try to inculcate them with a sense of logic about the world, which means most of the time Im pointing out things to them that are absurd and ridiculous as a counterpoint. And right now there is plenty to point to. I console myself, however, with the thought that for anyone truly paying attention, for at least the last 300 years, the world has always been chock-full of absurd contradictions and has always seemed to be going downhilland fast. I get this when I read Thomas Jefferson, when I read Camus, when I read Vonnegut. I console myself with the remarkable advances in the sciences. I play a scientist on TV. I am in awe of those that do it for real. Testable, provable phenomena and the predictions they allow, big and small, brought me here in front of you today and they will take me back to my family when I am done. They allowed me to drive to DC on a bus, type my speech on a screen, ride to this rally in a car, walk on shoes that support my feet, wear clothes and a hat that protect my pale skin from the sun, and to fly on a plane home. That plane I will get on exists and stays in the air because of a million million large and tiny, tested predictions about lift, drag, material performance, physics, electricity, radio waves, wear, tear, sheer, checklists, human error, machine error, and redundancy. It is a miracle of engineering. It is the result of an ancient and very human drive. A drive that makes us what we are in all of our unique specialization: a drive to solve problems.
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POLS SAY THE DAMNDEST THINGS

by Ed and Michael Buckner
The 2012 Presidential Election as Evidence of How Damned Much Work We Must Do to Defend Secularism
merican electionsall of them, at every levelare full of foolish blather, disgusting vitriol, and other less-than-uplifting talk, and religion is responsible for more than its fair share. American Atheists cannot, by law, endorse candidates or parties (we are a 501(c)(3) educational organization). Our members disagree, sometimes quite vigorously, on political matters unrelated to religion or Atheism, so we would not be so arrogant as to endorse any candidate, even if we could. With this article, we seek to reinforce your awareness that American secularism deserves and needs your active support in protecting it from leaders who do not recognize church/state separation.
Many presidential elections, at least all the way back to Thomas Jeffersons in 1800 and 1804, featured virulent attacks on candidates for being either insufficiently religious or too unorthodox. The 2012 campaign certainly is full of itreligion, that is. Barack Obama was steadily pummeled for even suggesting tolerance for religious diversity, and a significant portion of the electorate apparently accepts that he is of no faith or of one different from his firm declarations. Many Americans want political candidates to be deeply and predictably religious but simultaneously keep this faith private and not wear it on their sleeves. In recent national election campaigns, including the current one, the Republicans appear to be working hard to be worthy of the nickname Gods Own Party, though, according to Amy Sullivan, author of The Party Faithful, Democrats are now struggling to compete. Republicans in the last half of the nineteenth century were consistently the strongest proponents of secularism, often making declarations in favor of a quite strict separation of church and state,
including urging Congress to tax church propertybut thats the subject for another article. As the 2012 election got underway, Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen summed up perhaps the core attack on secularism that the candidates have launched: The term American exceptionalism has been invoked by Mitt Romney, Mike Pence, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, and, of course, Sarah Palin . . . [after Cohen explained that the phrase has had different historical meanings]. Now, though, it is infused with religious meaning, which makes it impervious to analysis. Once you say God likes something, who can quibble? . . . The huge role of religion in American politics is nothing new but always a matter for concern, nevertheless. In the years preceding the Civil War, both sides of the slavery issue claimed the endorsement of God. . . . Therein lies the danger of American exceptionalism. It discourages compromise, for what God has made exceptional, man must not alter. And yet clearly, America must change fundamentally or continue to decline. It could begin by junking a phrase that reeks of arrogance
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and discourages compromise. American exceptionalism ought to be called American narcissism. We look perfect only to ourselves.1 Two years ago Rick Santorum, famous for his very conservative social views, told a meeting of the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, The founding documents upon which our founding documents were based, and thats the Judeo-Christian ethics, that is the base [this word order is not a transcription error] . . . We are a people of western civilization founded upon the Bible. We believe in the dignity of every human person. Why? Because we are created in the image of God. We believe in the ability, the collective ability of free and virtuous people to do more for our society than a benevolent authoritarian government in bestowing rights upon us.2 Santorums claim that we are a civilization founded upon the Bible could be construed as an indirect or distant connection to Christianity (mostly incorrect, even if that was all he meant), but he has consistently defended
Republicans in the last half of the nineteenth century were consistently the strongest proponents of secularism.
his political positions as being correct because they are biblical. In that same talk he accused Barack Obama of trying to turn America into Europe, which Santorum identified as a completely secular country. (Country, continent, regionwho cares?its one of those foreign places, damn it.) Santorums campaign was nominated this year by Frank Bruni for having perhaps the most ridiculous hyperbole in a political season thick with it. Santorums hyperbole was aimed at not only Barack Obama, but also through him at secularism itself; it was a by-product of a lack of understanding and respect for this great American ideal. Bruni noted, [Santorum] said that the path of President Obama and his overt hostility to faith would lead the country to the guillotine, an apparent assertion that for Obama, hope and change are the smokescreen,
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deficits and decapitation are the real agenda.3 Santorum was part of the bizarre attacks on Obama over the administrations rulings requiring Catholic (and other) institutions to make health insurance that includes contraception available to employees. Santorum drew an inference that the guillotine (apparently a metaphor for the excesses of the godless French Revolution) was a little further along the road Obama was leading us down. Santorums remarks drew a variety of comments on their a historical and even un-American nature.4 Not long after, Santorum explicitly attacked Obama for not being theologically correct, for failing to lead an administration based correctly on proper Christian and Biblical principles.5 And Santorum, in an apparent attempt to make every new declaration more bizarre than the previous one, attacked his fellow Catholic, John F. Kennedy, for Kennedys famous 1960 defense of separation of church and state. Santorum said that such a commitment to separation makes me throw up.6 It seems clear that Santorum cannot grasp the possibility that secularism could be anything other than governmental promotion of Atheismor at the very least he is convinced that conservative voters in Republican presidential primaries would be that ignorant. Even Santorums wife, Karen, jumped into the fray regarding god, her husband, and the need for political leadership on behalf of religiosity. In February, she publicly attributed her husbands successes to Gods will and declared that a key purpose of the campaign is to make the culture a better culture, more pleasing to God.7 According to Andrew Sullivan, the attacks on Obama over contraception being part of required health insurance coverage seems to be entirely politicallynot religiouslymotivated. Whats more, they dont even seem to be politically successful: So with this new compromise, Obama has actually
increased religious freedom, not restricted it. All of which makes one wonder exactly how genuine the current outrage iswhether it is part and parcel of a political campaign against Obama rather than a defense of religious freedom.8 A biblically based government would be thoroughly unconstitutional, inimical to religious liberty, and profoundly un-American. New York Times columnist Joe Nocera credits John M. Barry, author of Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul, with the idea that Santorums ideas on the right way to govern have roots in the 17thcentury disputes between John Winthrop and Roger Williams and that the Santorum/Winthrop side lost that battle over 350 years ago.9 Nonsense that is commonplace this year is similar to what Newt Gingrich wrote in a 2006 screed: There is no attack on American culture more destructive and more historically dishonest than the secular lefts
blamed or credited any gods.) Comments like these certainly suggest that a government led by a President Michele Bachmann would have been a serious threat to religious liberty. While normally associated more with the Libertarian wing of the Republican Party, Congressman Ron Paul has had at least one embarrassing brush with Christian theocratic extremism in this campaign. His staff quickly pulled a Web page touting the endorsement of Nebraska pastor Phillip Kayser after it turned out Kaysers views include a belief in the modern enforcement of Old Testament laws, including not just the execution of murderers but in some cases the death penalty for unrepentant adulterers, apostates, blasphemers, homosexuals, and idolaters.15 One might suppose the Libertarian attitude of laissez-faire would be at odds with the state-enforced piety of the religious right. However,
Secularism is a key American contribution to the worlda real basis for pride in American exceptionalism.
relentless effort to drive God out of Americas public square.10 Gingrich neglected to tell anyone who the alleged secular left really is or what he meant by driving God out beyond an intelligent application of separation of church and state. But absurd as they are, declarations of that type are not politically ineffective. With at least a substantial swath of the American electorate, they ring true even with no reasonable metaphorical bell to create the sound. When Herman Cain was still in the running, he insisted that we dont need to rewrite the Constitution of the United States. We need to reread the Constitution and enforce the Constitution. Cain then went on to attribute a number of phrases and ideas that are found only in the Declaration of Independence to the Constitution.11 At least he proved the wisdom thereby of his prescription. Michele Bachmann is a clear advocate of politics that include extreme examples of claiming god is on her side. She has even asserted that in effect god has acted as her adviser on political questions. In April 2011, when asked in an Iowa forum about her longstanding activism opposing gay marriage, Bachmann referred to her actions in the Minnesota Senate in 2003: I heard the news [about a Massachusetts court decision supporting gay marriage] on my local Christian radio station in Minneapolis-St. Paul, and I was devastated. And I took a walk and I just went to prayer and I said, Lord, what would you have me do in the Minnesota State Senate? And just through prayer I knew that I was to introduce the Marriage Amendment in Minnesota.12 During the 2006 congressional campaign she said, Theyre teaching children that there is separation of church and state, and Im here to tell you its a myththats not true . . . The only reason weve been a great nationguess why? Because at our founding we established everything we did on the lordship of Christ.13 In Bachmanns defense, she proved consistent even in defeat, describing her withdrawal from the 2012 presidential race (after she finished last among active candidates in the Iowa caucuses) as also part of Gods plan.14 (When Cain departed the race he seems not to have the extreme views of some Libertarians against the federal government opens up the possibility of theocrats making common cause with their natural enemies. These unlikely allies seem to be willing to champion states rights by effectively gutting the Fourteenth Amendment, which explicitly protects citizens from abuses by state and local authorities. Americans would then be abandoned to the tender mercies of local majorities (or activist minorities), as this strategy to build a theocracy is, in the beginning at least, imposed on the most susceptible parts of the country. Romney, now clearly the 2012 GOP nominee, has been criticized and attacked by anti-Mormon Christians who are apparently acceptable to Republican values voters. One of these, Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association, who spoke after Romney at an event last October, has gone so far as to declare the First Amendment written by the founders to protect the free exercise of Christianity (this is as good a place as any to admit that some people are quite likely to be wholly immune to the arguments and facts presented by secularists) and that Islam is not protected by the First Amendment. Fischer went on to generously concede that non-Christian religious traditions ought to be given religious freedom as a courtesy. Unless weer, that is, the real Christiansdecide that some nonChristian religion such as Mormonism or Islam is dangerous. The fact that this would endow the US government with the power, the right, and the duty to define Christianity as well as dangerous religion seems not to have occurred to Fischer.16 Romney has suffered, according to Frank Rich, from the strategy to hide his core out of fears that many voterssomewhere between a fifth and a fourth of the electoratefind Mormonism unacceptable: In the current campaign, Romney makes frequent reference to faith, God, and his fierce loyalty to the same church. But whether in debates, or in the acres of material on his campaign website, or in a flyer pitched at religious voters in South Carolina, he never names what that faith or church is. In Romneyland, Mormonism is the religion that dare not
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speak its name.17 And, according to Rich, this means that we are prevented from getting to know the real Romney, the Romney who has devoted so much of his wealth and life to his church. Rich cited with approval Christopher Hitchens statement that we are fully entitled to ask Romney about the role of his religion in influencing his political formation. Rich insists that that faith is the key to the Romney mystery. A follow-up to this issue was published by Frank Bruni. In a column titled Mitts Muffled Soul, Bruni suggests that Romney is editing out the core of his identity. Hes muffling his soul. Bruni also describes some of the reasons Romney might be avoiding discussing Mormonism, since his own great-grandfather, Miles Park Romney, was a practicing polygamist who moved to Mexico to avoid the changes in the law and Mormon church rules regarding multiple wives.18 In a television interview, Romney even tried to use god-talk during the campaign to deflect his political problems, real or imagined: You know, I think its about envy. I think its about class warfare. When you have a president encouraging the idea of dividing America based on 99 percent versus one percent, and those people who have been most successful will be in the one percent, you have opened up a wave of approach in this country which is entirely inconsistent with the concept of one nation under God. The American people, I believe in the final analysis, will reject it.19 The syntax and logic are hard (impossible?) to follow in this, but it is clear that Romney expects Americans to avoid envying wealth (his or anyone elses) because America is one nation under God. Among the weirdest of bizarre Gingrich campaign statements on secularism has to be this one: I have two grandchildrenMaggie is 11, Robert is nine. I am convinced that if we do not decisively win the struggle over the nature of America, by the time theyre my age they will be in a secular Atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists and with no understanding of what it once meant to be an American.20 According to a spokesperson, Gingrich had intended, when he said this, to include the word or.21 But even if he had done so, to perceive the two radically polar outcomes as alternatively likely results of our national slipping demonstrates no understanding at all of secularism. Whether one is considering Christianity or Islam, of whatever variety, a government in the name of either is fundamentally opposed to a secular one, and working to protect secularism is directly opposed to working to establish any religion. He made another comment about seven months later that we name the most outrageously inaccurate historical comment of the campaign: A country that has been now since 1963 relentlessly in the courts driving God out of public life shouldnt be surprised at all at the problems we have. Because weve in fact attempted to create a secular country, which I think is frankly a nightmare.22 Incorrect and thoroughly misleading comments like that are among the reasons we must not let down our guard in defending secularism. It is clear that a basic Gingrich campaign strategy is to dare any opponent
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A confident leader would not even attend the National Prayer Breakfast in any official capacity.
from either party to defend secularism. That dare has, unfortunately, not been accepted by any presidential candidate. Before withdrawing from the race in January, Texas Governor Rick Perry turned out to be more than a Christian politician eager to show off his religious bona fides to the right wing of his party. An example of Perrys determination to win fundamentalist Christians to his campaign, even if it required displaying either ignorance or dishonest pandering, occurred in New Hampshire not long after he announced his candidacy. Perry declared that we teach both creationism and evolution in Texas public schools. New York Times reporter Kurt Anderson noted that Perrys claim was an assertion thats a fiction itself; last month the Texas Board of Education unanimously rejected creationist biology textbooks.23 In the Washington Post Michael Gerson summed up neatly that: [The] use of religion in politics is a source of cynicism. It should raise alarms when the views of the Almighty conveniently match our most urgent political needs. A faith that conforms exactly to the contours of a political ideology has lost its independence. Churches become clubs of the politically like-minded. Political dialogue suffers, since opponents are viewed as heretics.24 An example of the prevailing fearfulness of political leaders on all sides occurred during the lead-up to the primaries when Republicans led a successful effort to reaffirm the In God We Trust motto in November. J. Randy Forbes (RVA), the measures sponsor, claimed, Some public officials have stated incorrectly that there are different national mottoes. We heard the president make that mistake.25 Obama made the mistake in 2010 on a trip to Indonesia. He did say, In the United States, our motto is E Pluribus UnumOut of Many, One. But he was explicitly tying our motto to that of Indonesias own national motto, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, which is Old Javanese for Unity in Diversity.26 Obama also said, America is not, and never will be, at war with Islam. Instead, all of us must work together to defeat al Qaeda and its affiliates, who have no claim to be leaders of any religion certainly not a great, world religion like Islam. So this was not, alas, evidence of any desire on Obamas part to get rid of the insulting McCarthyite In God We Trust as our national motto. It was just good public diplomacyplaying up a way in which the United States and a foreign country are alike. And E Pluribus Unum remains, as it has been since the earliest days of the republic, a de facto motto of the United States. It is on our coins and is a part of the Great Seal of the United States, which is featured on the back of the one-dollar bill. Their nonbinding resolution passed the House 396-9 and did lead Obama to declare the whole process, correctly, as political posturing. But no leader of either party exhibited the political courage to suggest changing the anti-American motto.27 President Obama undertook his own effort to wrap political and policy decisions in religious armor when he addressed the 2012 National Prayer Breakfast and declared that his calls for higher taxes on the rich comported well with his Christianity. He even quoted the
Coming Home to a Carlin Companion:

Connecting With the Spirit of George
Photos courtesy of Kelly Carlin and Becky Garrison
by Becky Garrison
George and Kelly, 2003
hen I caught Kelly Carlins A Carlin Home Companion at the 2012 South by Southwest Interactive Festival (SXSW) in Austin, I became privy to an intimate glimpse into the soul of a man who saved me. My Episcopal priest/ sociology professor father had introduced me to Laugh In, The Smothers Brothers, Tom Lehrer, and other inappropriate fare for elementary school children. How many kids can recite The Lords Prayer and The Vatican Rag? So, naturally, I connected with George Carlin and savored his move from hippiedippie weatherman to counter-culture icon. Along the way, his critiques of Americana cultureand religion in particularhelped keep me sane when my familys idealism morphed into alcoholism and I became orphaned as a teen in the late seventies. I feel confident that without Georges critique coupled with the absurdity of Monty Python, I would, by now, be pushing daisies (though with my immediate familys history, Id probably end up as fertilizer for kudzu). Through Kellys eyes, I could see the fingerprints of her father. She
has Georges sweet yet smartass smile and his ability to cut through the bullshit and get at the core of what it means to try and live an authentic life. (Emphasis here on the word try, as Kelly laid bare the entire familys struggles when it came to battling their addictions.) Her selection of video clips and personal stories revealed a depth of thinking and personal connection Carlin rarely showed the world. Initially, I found myself a tad surprised that despite Carlins anti-religious rants, god was not present in the Carlin household, in either a positive or negative connotation. I learned that Kelly does not have an inner need to rebel against god, because she didnt have the Catholic upbringing that drove her dad. Instead, she was free to choose her own path and become her own person, though she confesses that trying to find out who Kelly was sans the Carlin name proved to be tricky as she navigated her way through a life she describes as surreal on steroids. When she walked us through her parents deaths, I could almost feel her touching what the Celts term thin spacethat line that separates this world from the next. (Not to turn into Mufasa mush here. Anything Disney-fied tends to turn my stomach.) But by the end of her piece, I saw more than Georges smile in Kelly. I could feel his genetic code embedded in her DNA, which she reinterpreted through her own unique life lens. As Kellys story progressed, I could understand why George deemed her the shaman of the family. I found a narrative that proves how none does not mean nothing, as though without god there remains this void that needs to be filled. Instead, she gave me a glimpse into the spiritual life of the Nones, the fastest growing group in the spectrum of belief systems, often quoted by those religious leaders who lean somewhat left of center like Jim Wallis, Brian McLaren, Gabe Lyons, Pete Rollins, Shane Claiborne, and others who ply their wares on the progressive Christian author/speaker circuit. Despite their seeming overtures to those outside the Christian (read: Evangelical) bubble, their funding streams indicate theyre committed, at least financially, to promoting a kinder, gentler form of progressive Evangelical/Emerging Christianity.1 Some, like current Sojourners Web editor Cathleen Falsani, have a decidedly Evangelistic take, as evidenced in her review of the documentary Believe, where she offers to believe on behalf of comedian, actor, marathon runner, and aspiring politician Eddie Izzard until she feels Izzard can believe in her interpretation of god.2
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Of course, they also hope you will buy not only their shtick but their books, CDs, and other spiritual swag as well. As a broke-ass religious satirist, I have been tempted more than once to join them in peddling my wares to the masses. After all, such moves made millionaires out of the likes of Rob Bell, Rick Warren, and Joel Osteen. Setting aside my inability to actually pen such faith fluff without losing my lunch, I am haunted by the astute words of the late comedian Bill Hicks. He aptly noted, You do a commercial, youre off the artistic roll call forever. End of story, OK? Youre another corporate shill, youre another whore at the capitalist gang bang.3 In his rant, Hicks acknowledges hell look the other way if a struggling artist takes the occasional gig. Even my idol George cut a commercial during a time of genuine financial hardship. But Hicks zeros in on the proclivity for those in the spotlight to cash in on their talents, a move that over time snuffs out the creative sparks that made their original work sing. Carlin remains one of the few artists who could go commercial for a bit and then emerge with his integrity intact. I confess that I also bought somewhat into the aforementioned peers promotional strategies, as evidenced by a talk I gave at the Greenbelt Festival in 2007. The New Atheist Crusaders and Their Unholy Grail was based on my book by the same name, released in 2008.4 I penned said book in large part because I thought that if people could only recognize the existence of a non-Gingrich god who doesnt proclaim Santorum-like spirituality, they would surely come over and see the light. But if I could have known that this book project would end up poorly edited, replete with a Christian-branded PR campaign, I would have said no to that venture from the get-go.
Infant Becky with Dad
Lewis Blacks rants reminded me that there is no inside- or outside-thebox thinking. Theres just thinking. Boxless is beautiful.
Instead, I have now come to realize that trying to Christianize a Carlin (or anyone else for that matter) proves to be not only an exercise in futility but also an act of outright cruelty. As George taught his own daughter, we all must be free to exercise our liberty of conscience. In Brenda, George, and Kelly Carlin, 1966 the words of my ancestor Roger Williams, Mens consciences ought in no sort to be violated, urged, or constrained. Instead of this Evangelical/ Emergent proclivity to convert the other, why cant we just embrace the Kelly and George, 1971 mystery that is life? Whether one is a freethinking agnostic, as George was, or an apophatic/agnostic Anglican like I am, we need to be free to follow our souls as we understand them, unfettered from the sanctions of any governmental entity. For how can we have free will if it is force-fed to us by a fundamentalist state? Yes, I have Roger embedded into my genetic code just as Kelly possesses Georges spirit, thus raising the question of which familial spirits inhabits each of us. What do we take from our pasts, and how do we incorporate this familial DNA so that we can learn to pass the best parts forward and leave the rest behind? During my travels to promote my book Jesus Died for This?, I realized I now live so far out of the box that I no longer can fit within even the most liberal of traditions. While sitting in on another session at SXSW, Bridging the Digital and the Divine, I realized all this talk of building spiritual SEO content ended up building a bridge to nowhere. Also the fact that fewer than 25 people attended the panel confirmed my suspicions that outside the structured confines of organized religious entities, there is scant interest in commercialized faith. Time for me to just throw all my Christian cardboard into the trash can. Then, during a screening of Let Fury Have the Hour at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival, comedian Lewis Blacks rants reminded me that there is no inside- or outside-the2ND & 3RD QUARTER
An Interview with E. O. Wilson

Two of the Aims and Principles of American Atheists, Inc., are 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. In support of these principles, American Atheist introduces its Science Interview Series, where some of top scientists and thinkers in the world discuss their work with contributor Ce Atkins. In the previous issue, Atkins talked with evolutionary psychologist Robert Kurzban, PhD, author of Why Everyone (Else) Is a Hypocrite. The book addresses the modular structure of the human mind in which different iMind apps evolved to perform specific tasks: find a mate, present ourselves socially, use morality strategically, and more. For this issue, Atkins sat down with E.O. Wilson to discuss his latest book, The Social Conquest of Earth.
by Ce Atkins
Edward O. Wilson, photo by Jerry Bauer

those who sacrifice themselves, or commit parts of their lives to the survival and/or improvement of the group, even at some obvious cost to their own welfare. But the thing that is really new here, new in the science of it, is that humanity seems permanently suspended in the middle. If we went all the way to selfish behavior then the society would dissolve. If we went all the way towards altruism, where everyone is sacrificing and all we did was to think about the group, then wed become more like ants, and we dont want to be that way. So it seems that our fate is to hang in balance, in compromise and work out morality and a sense of honor as being something in between the well-being of the individual and well-being of the group. Philosophers and moral theorists have never understood this conflict, and thats why theyve never been able to come up with a sound theory of ethics, and have only come up with one-sided and incomplete explanations. Can you go a bit on our species progression to advanced social behavior, to eusociality? We now know what really happened in the origin of advanced social behavior because for years weve been reconstructing the pre-adaptations that happenedthe steps, if you willleading up to the eusocial condition, in which societies are highly altruistic, multigenerational, and there is a division of labor affecting reproduction. Thats eusociality. This is a big question that was never answered in biology before, but I think weve reached the stage now that we can understand why a form of behavior, in this case, eusociality, can be so enormously successful. Here, the use of the word conquest is not an exaggeration. How common is eusociality as a form of social organization? Its very rare. It took literally hundreds of millions of years of evolution to produce eusociality in a small number of insects, then another hundred or two million years for it to emerge in something like humans. Its rare because of the pre-adaptive chain of preliminary steps that have to be made in solitary evolution in order to arrive at eusociality. And each adaptive step is rarer than the one that preceded it. Evolution does not anticipate anything, it does not anticipate that its actually going to break through and create this all-powering eusociality. It happens as an accident.
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ruly, it was an honor to speak with the eminent, kind, and magisterial E.O. Wilson. In addition to his prodigious work on ants that spans decades and multiple firsts, including discovering 450 species, Dr. Wilson is the founder of sociobiology, the science that examines the evolutionary foundations of human behavior and the social behavior of species in general. A professor emeritus at Harvard University, he has been called the most celebrated heir to Darwin. The Social Conquest of Earth addresses his new theory of multilevel selection. Very simply stated, the theory demonstrates how selection occurs simultaneously at various levels of biological organization.1 (It should be noted that a number of scientists do not think Dr. Wilsons new theory refutes or replaces the theory of inclusive fitness, or kin selection, as it is often called.) If true, and Dr. Wilson states that the mathematics are firmly on his side, multilevel selection is a huge discovery with myriad ramifications, especially with regard to understanding human nature and our vacillations between selfishness and altruism. Youve said that the human concept of sin occurs primarily in individual selection, whereas virtue is more prevalent with group selection. Yes, its an over simplification, but its basically true. If you have nothing but classical Darwinian individual-level selection occurring, then youre favoring an individual and its offspring. And if you have a lot of group selection then youre beginning to favor behavior found in the social interactions of the group. Youre favoring those interactions that favor the group even at the disadvantage, to some extent, of individuals. So the two types of selection are in conflict with regard to the traits they select. We humans are strange chimera. We retain our ancient tendency to take care of ourselves and our families, often in ways that are perceived by society as selfish or illegal. At the same time, group selection has given us a completely different sense of ourselves and our group. This sense is powerful enough in us to allow us to be virtuous, to have a sense of morality, and even of honor. For that reason we tend to lavishly honor
With regard to human nature, you wrote that the rules of epigenetics (the study of heritable gene expression driven by components other than changes in DNA) are hardwired, but the behaviors themselves are not hardwired the way we understand reflexes, for example, to be hardwired. Epigenetics is fairly well defined now in a molecular sense, but it also deserves to be used in a sense of higher biological organization, namely cognitive and mental development. We have now defined a number of behaviors that have what I call a hardwired predisposition, which means were biased to behave in one manner instead of another. And thats what I listed and considered in an earlier book, On Human Nature. At that time there was a constant fight in the social sciences over whether there was such a thing as human nature. In the 1970s it was dogma among scholars that we have no innate nature. Human nature was seen as a dangerous concept because they thought it might lead to ideas about racism and bigotry being hardwired and that sort of thing. They were right to be cautious, but we have it pretty firmly established across all the disciplines that there is such a thing as human nature. But what is it exactly? We have an intuitive idea of it, but we havent really put much effort into defining exactly what it is. Well, it is genetic, but its a genetic predisposition to adopt one behavioral response as opposed to another. This means that we have to understand the flexibility of phenotypes and genotypes. For example, the trait of five fingers on a hand has just about zero flexibility. When it goes wrong it is clearly an aberrant mutation and very, very rare. So thats one without a lot of flexibility. But the haute couture in Paris where starving ladies parade down a runway in the most absurd getups that the fashion designers can think of, there, the predispositionthe tendency to signal by means of clothingis a human trait that is almost infinite in its flexibility. So what we have to do is define the trait that were talking about and find out what kind of genetic control or prescription there is that leads through the many pathways of development to that trait. What about morality? On the one hand, we humans often do what we want, then use morality post hoc to rationalize it. The Argumentative Theory of Reasoning (Sperber and Mercier) says the ability to reason evolved in part to help us argue our positions to better navigate the social matrix. Robert Kurzbans work cites morality being used, in part, as an unconscious attempt to control the breeding opportunities of others. Then we have blatant hypocrisy. Morality almost appears to be just another DNA tool, social camouflage in a sense, used for deceptive manipulation to achieve selfish ends. On the other hand, in the long view, humans do seem to have made genuine moral progress. We seem to be getting tamer. Theres gracilization, the near eradication of slavery, the ongoing emancipation of women, less overt racism, theres Steven Pinkers citing of less violence, etc. Is this yet again the tension between individual and group selection? Thats a very accurate description. I think what most of us call authentic morality is the person who risks his or her life or incurs personal costs to help somebody that theyve never met before. They pull someone out of a burning car, or they find a wallet stuffed with hundred-dollar
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bills and make sure it gets to its rightful owner even if they have to go to some trouble, all sorts of acts that Lincoln called the better angels of our nature. We understand why we do things for our immediate family in purely Darwinian terms. But if we behave in a moral way and act for the good of the group and maintain a network of interactions into which we fit and expect to be rewarded for compliance, we dont typically see that as Darwinian, but it is. And we dont calculate the benefits of the action. We dont have a screwy version of kin selection in place and calculate how much we should do for the guy across the street who is in bad trouble and needs help. We dont say to ourselves, Well, helping him doesnt really benefit my inclusive fitness enough. We go immediately over there and help. This is a universal trait. And we feel damned good doing it. Why do we feel so good? We feel good because we have behaved in an altruistic way within the society, or even between societies. And what is feeling good? Good is a sense of satisfaction for the completion of an act towards which our predispositions, our instincts that weve translated into moral guides, have brought us. Now that sounds almost like a sermon. But that is the essence of morality. I have a quote in the book that says theres a form of morality that is above normal morality, and thats a sense of honoran activist insistence that society do the right thing even though its painful. Many will say that you cant have an instinct about the society overall that is Darwinian. Sure you can! Thats what group selection does. So on an individual level people will use morality to manipulate, but on a group level, theres more altruism? Thats exactly right. The idea of morality has always been perverted by those who try to control other people, who try to get power. And of course organized religion is just notorious that way. Incidentally, the argument that we just walked through in this interview demolishes the charge that without god you cant have morality. I think that at times that its almost the other way around. When an Atheist understands that she or he is acting according to the best instincts of humanity, of decent regard for others and help for your society, it often means going against the dictates of organized religion. You call free will the product of the subconscious decisionmaking center of the brain that gives the cerebral cortex the illusion of independent action . . . we are free as independent beings, but our decisions are not free of all the organic processes that created our personal brains and minds. Do you think the concept of free will will be thrown out, so to speak? Yes. I think the primary reason we have confusion over free will is that we havent yet understood well enough how the human brain works. When weve got the amygdala all straightened out, the parietal controlling areas understood, when we understand the machinery, which is so complicated as to almost seem divine at times, then well be able to talk about free will in new terms. Neuroscientist David Eagleman reports that 98.1% of death-row inmates have a particular constellation of genes.2 That seems like pretty strong evidence for directed behavior. Yes, thats another thing. We have to start paying attention to
From
Freedom
to
by Sarah Morehead Deputy Executive Director of Recovering From Religion
n Dr. Darrel Rays book released in 2009, The God Virus: How Religion Affects Our Lives and Culture, he addresses the methodology behind religion infiltrating communities, the tremendous influence of guilt in the mind and habits of the doubting believer, and the cycles that perpetuate religious belief and adherence from generation to generation. In his next book, Sex and God: How Religion Distorts Sexuality, released just a few months ago, he explores the overwhelmingly negative impact religion has on the sexual development of individuals and society as a whole. Countless people have read these books and are now realizing how inculcated the concept of supernaturalism is in our supposedly modern society, and they are also realizing how deeply they have been affected by it as well. Realizing the depth of your religious indoctrination can be the first step towards freeing yourself from the confines of faith. But where can people turn once they are on the path to reason? Alternatively, for those who left
religion long ago, the opportunity to explore and understand how deeply ingrained their beliefs truly were can help liberate them from the lingering effects of arbitrary beliefs and restrictions. Until now, there hasnt been a resource for people needing support as they
Unlike sexual orientation, non-belief is a deliberate choice.

struggle with these issues, but Recovering From Religion, founded by Dr. Ray shortly after The God Virus was released, is an organization that offers people just that. When people begin to see their former beliefs for what they really are, they find that their support network is entirely made up of a community that reinforces the unbelievable. So what can they do about it? When someone
opens their eyes to the wonders of reality, whom can they share it with? When their entire support networkfrom their spouses to their co-workers and even the grocery clerk are all stagnating in their pseudo-comfort of supernatural belief, where can they turn? The risks involved in the rejection of the societal norms of a community are tremendous. The price being paid is astronomical in proportion to the perceived crime of simply saying no thanks to religion. People are forced out of their towns, theyre shunned and alienated, and parents are losing their children in heated divorce battles where the fact that they no longer attend church is somehow deemed relevant to their right to parent their own children. Jobs are lost, friendships severed, marriages devastated beyond repair, finances ruined, and in many areas of the world, lives are at stake. For a moment, if you would, consider this: the same people who taught you that the sky is blue and that the stove is hot also taught you about religion, and they did this for the exact same reasons: they believed it
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to be valid, true, and essential to your safety and well-being. The sincerity through which these beliefs are perpetuated cannot be underestimated. Its not that they love their children so little that they threaten them with eternal hellfire and damnation; its that they love them so much that they cant allow for the possibility that their child would be lost to the bowels of eternal suffering. Clearly the logic is skewed and the reasoning faulty, but the sinceritythe genuine heartfelt earnestness of this mindsetTHAT is their motivation. Realizing that their worldview is distorted through these lenses can help us all understand the fervency of such a belief, even when many people have never experienced it. It is because of the sincerity of their belief that they react the way they do towards those who reject the role of religion in our society, even when the person in question is their friend, child, parent, or spouse. Not only is the rejection of this deeplyheld belief something personally challenging to the individual in the midst of such a transition, but the very nature of it means the rejection of lessons taught by the very people who protected you from strangers, held your hand as you crossed the street, and taught you to wear a seat belt. This is not just a rejection of an isolated belief; it is a rejection of a societal concept accepted by entire communities of people. Many people have told me they wished they were coming out as gay instead of coming out as non-religious, Atheist, agnostic, etc., because then they could at least know they were born that way. Coming out as a non-believer is an active choice. We could all choose tomorrow to believe in any one of the thousands of supernatural claims made throughout history, but choosing to reject the belief of your community is tantamount to identity suicide, a phrase coined by RRs Executive Director Jerry DeWitt, based on his own experiences of leaving fundamentalism for freethinking. Generally, leaving ones religion is not an overnight event. Even when the final realization is that religion is no longer a necessary force in your life, there are many stages of disbelief to pass through. Many times, people transition through a genuine grief process as they let go of these deeply held viewpoints. At RR, we liken it to the effects of a dimmer switch versus an on/ off switch of a light fixture. From our experiences talking and working with people in the process of recovering from religion, the deeper and more fervent your original belief
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system and indoctrination, the longer the aftereffects are felt and the more there is to recover from. One of our RR group members explained to me that their journey felt like their eyes were opening for the first time, and there was so much to see and learn that it was akin to overstimulation of the senses. Between swaths of scientific knowledge theyd never learned, to utilizing logical (instead of circular) approaches to problemsolving, and tackling the emotional impact of being rejected by family and friends, this process can be excruciating and traumatic but ultimately empowering. When your entire life has been built around arbitrary rules for what food to eat or refuse, whom to love and whom to hate, how sexual activity can and cant be enjoyed, and how much of your hard-earned money is necessary to fund the glass etching on the
Skepticism is my nature. Freethought is my methodology. Agnosticism is my conclusion. Atheism is my opinion and Humanism is my motivation.
Jerry DeWitt Executive Director Recovering From Religion
doors of your local church, constructing a new life, under an entirely new set of rules, can be an extraordinarily challenging and yet liberating experience. When the question becomes what non-supernatural reason is there for following this rule instead of why does god/the church/my holy book demand this the answer, most likely found in the silent but welcoming repose of logic and reasoning, is based more on the impact your actions have on the world around you rather than on the
guilt imposed by a supposedly omnipotent yet ultimately fantastical being. Imposition of guilt is a hallmark of codependency, something religion is more than adept at inculcating into its followers. The burden of guilt is a powerful force, and helping people walk through the relinquishment of guilt can be a long process with many knee-jerk reactions of past indoctrination to overcome. Finding a supportive community of people who truly understand the magnitude of these challenges is the key to helping people transition away from the influence of religion in their lives. At the risk of oversimplification, one of the struggles of growing up deeply religious is the habit of viewing the entire population of the world outside of your belief system as wrong, and in opposition to your correct beliefs. This creates fear and uncertainty when considering leaving the relationship with a particular religion or belief, along with the tangible and obvious risks of disconnecting from an entire community. When people spend their formative years being taught that gays will molest their children, that Atheists are evil and cant be trusted, that scientists like Richard Dawkins are foolish, we cant expect those church-pew non-believers to run to the secular movement with open arms. The distrust of other religious denominations is so strong that marriages are ended because of it. So theres no question that their perception of those entirely outside of religion is that of cautious uncertainty at best and, at worst, outright fear and hatred. Fundamentalism especially uses strong language. Rebellion, the darkness of disbelief, evils of the secular world, and falling away from god are just a few of the many ways to describe being out of the church as a terrifying, lonely, and isolating experience. Along with this are the clear implications of being damned to hell for all of eternity after death. This otherizing of the world outside of their viewpoint makes it difficult to even know where to begin in finding connections and building relationships independent of religious commonality, because up until this point they havent considered that such a community even exists. Recovering From Religion seeks to change all of this through the implementation of many different programs focusing on providing a variety of support network options to people transitioning away from religion and faith. One of our most exciting is The Therapist Project (www.TherapistProject.org), a
REASON RALLY
Washington, DC March 24, 2012
Richard Dawkins addresses his fellow Atheists Photo by David Silverman All other photos by John Welte
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David Silverman A real science teacher Paul Provenza
Atheists in Foxholes
Hemant Mehta Col. (Ret.) Kirk Lamb
Jesse Galef
Michael Shermer
Taslima Nasrin The Bishop of Reason Adam Savage Big screens gave front-row views Good in the rain
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Happy attendees Roy Speckhardt & Jessica Ahlquist
Jamila Bey
Greta Christina Sean Faircloth Nate Phelps
Tim Minchin
Richard Dawkins
Cristina Rad
Fred Edwords 2ND & 3RD QUARTER www.atheists.org | AMERICAN ATHEIST | 27
Lifetime thinkers Victor Harris
Dan Barker
Hispanic American Freethinkers
Roy Speckhardt Annie Laurie Gaylor Amanda Metskas of Camp Quest
Eddie Izzard
James Randi
Ron Lindsay
Elisabeth Cornwell Todd Stiefel
Herb Silverman
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Dissenting opinion
Reason Rally Poem

March 24, 2012 Washington, DC
We are here to make history. To say we do not like to be punished If we do not believe in your god of love. We do not want to be denied the right To sit on juries, or to take an oath to tell the truth; We do not want to be barred from public office. Because we do not believe as you believe. Because we reject a supernatural world that you embrace. Know now, our fellow citizens who do not trust us, We are the most despised group in America, We are not believed In the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. Today, we stand to say Enough! Here we are. Look at us! We are those evil atheists and other fellow travelers. Among you whom you fear without reason. Against whom you discriminate without cause. We are those whom you injure by hatred. There is nothing special about atheists. We have families, and jobs, and children, and grandchildren. We are here, and we are part of We the People. A big part. More than you know. More than you would believe. Atheists are on their feet and off their knees To come out to tell you they do not believe. That it is okay to be an atheist. That it is okay not to believe in a god. Because our nation was set up that way. We only ask that you do not continue To try to make your catechism our creed. We ask that you do not continue To defile the graves of our martyrs.
Edwin Kagin Bad Religion Bad Religion
PZ Myers
Emily Mullen of Cincinnatis Free Inquiry Group (FIG)
Lawrence Krauss Rational Warrior
Bad Religion
Dave Silverman the meme
Gregg Graffin Jay Bentley 2ND & 3RD QUARTER
Greg Hetson
Convention
Washington, DC
2012
T
his years theme for the annual convention was Come Out Come Out, Wherever You Are. And they did. A billboard campaign to publicize the convention went up in Paterson, NJ, and in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, an area heavily populated with devout Hasidic Jews. Both billboards said the same thing: You Know Its a Myth. And You Have a Choice. The Arabic translation accompanied the message on the Paterson billboard, and the Hebrew translation was added in Williamsburg. We were calling out the Atheists in those communities, said President David Silverman. Some people say that by simply calling attention to the fact that there are Atheists in religious communities is provocative in and of itself. But thats too bad. The Atheists are there and we have every right to advertise to them. Meanwhile, another campaign had already been attracting, welcoming, and inspiring closeted Atheists from another devoutly religious group: the clergy. The online Clergy Project (ClergyProject.org) began in March 2011 as a private, invitation-only website to
American Atheists
Photos by John Welte
Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are

provide a safe haven for active and former clergy who no longer hold supernatural beliefs. It began with 52 members, and has over 300 today. Jerry DeWitt, a former Pentecostal preacher and the first graduate of The Clergy Project who is now the Executive Director of Recovering From Religion, spoke at the convention about identity suicide, a term he created to describe the feeling he experienced when he left his faith community. This kind of suicide merely ends one way of life. Another life can take shape after the transition, and this was the theme of the conventions clergy panel, a group of former ministers who have since publicly come out as Atheists. The panel was moderated by Linda LaScola, who co-authored with Daniel Dennett the seminal article Preachers Who Are Not Believers, published in the journal Evolutionary Psychology in 2010. On that panel was Mike Aus, the pastor of a non-denominational church in Houston. The day before the panel, Mike officially came out on television to an audience of thousands on the MSNBC program Up With Chris Hayes.1 Any kind of appearance on television at this level is impressive, but whats most compelling about Mikes decision is that his original plan was to speak at the convention as Pastor M and stand behind a screen to conceal his identity while giving his talk Living a Lie: My Life My Life as a Closeted Atheist Preacher. It takes more than a leap of faith to go from privacy screen to television screen. He left both leap and faith behind for a bungee jump of courage. Although it wasnt on national television, Teresa MacBains bungee jump was equally courageous. She wasnt even planning on speaking at the convention. She already had an anonymous presence on the Clergy Project website as Lynn and was still the pastor of a Methodist church in Florida. She had never admitted her disbelief to anyone publicly. and had never hinted to anyone in her church about her disbelief. Then on Monday, March 26, 2012, she stepped up to the podium and said, My name is Teresa MacBain. And I am an Atheist. The very first reaction Teresa experienced was a standing ovation from her audience. She
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wasnt expecting it. She also wasnt expecting her church to lock her out of her own office before she got back to Florida. Meanwhile CNN, NPR, and other national media opened their doors to her. She now sits on the Board of Directors of the Clergy Project. She is not invited to next years convention. She is required to be there. Its in her new job description as Public Relations Director for American Atheists.
Jessica Ahlquist, 2012 Atheist of the Year

A banner with a prayer to Our Heavenly Father in Cranston High School West, a public school in Rhode Island, is no longer there, thanks to Jessica Ahlquist, the high school student who agreed to be a plaintiff for the ACLU in the successful lawsuit filed to remove the banner on grounds of church/ state separation. Her famous nickname, Evil Little Thing, was born the day after the ruling when Rhode Island State Representative Peter Palumbo called her just that in a radio interview. Jessicas activism stands out because when she signed on to the lawsuit, the harassment and death threats had already been going on for months. The lawsuit wasnt filed until after the school board voted to not remove the banner after formally being asked to do so. Of course Jessica attended those meetings despite needing a police escort to allow her to arrive at them safely. The final line of the prayer asks the Heavenly Father to help us always to conduct ourselves so as to bring credit to Cranston High School West. Jessica has brought credit to American Atheists as well as all other organizations in the movement. Without having to pray for it. Jessica tells it best in her own words. This is what she said when she spoke to the crowd at the Reason Rally. I have a confession to make. I am Evil Little Thing. That seems to be my identity these days. So, why am I here? I dont necessarily feel like I belong here. I dont think Im as experienced as the other speakers here. Im the youngest speaker here. Im undoubtedly the smallest speaker here. When I think of this movement, the first thing comes to mind are the students in it. I think what the students in this movement are doing is amazing and I think its what brings people together in the biggest way. I witnessed, first-hand, people all over the
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David Silverman
Jessica Ahlquist
AronRa
Jamila Bey
Greta Christina
Blair Scott
Richard Dawkins
Lawrence Krauss
Edwin Kagin
PZ Myers Darrel Ray
Randy Henderson
Cristina Rad
Thunderf00t
AronRa Griffith www.atheists.org | AMERICANJustin ATHEIST | 31
Elisabeth Cornwell Victor Harris Sean Faircloth
Ernest Perce
Richard Haynes
AJ Johnson
Jerry DeWitt
Don Lacey
Ken Loukinen Brian Barnard Mike Aus
world come together to support me and what I was doing. And thats something that I cant begin to express in words: how good it feels. I began all of this when I was a freshman in high school, and it inevitably ended up becoming a lawsuit with the ACLU against my city. I won that lawsuit in January, which was, of course, a positive thing, but some people dont necessarily like to see it that way. Since then, theres been everything. You cant imagine the things that Ive heard in school. Ill walk down a hallway and people will say, Eew, its the Atheist! There have been people on the Internet, obviously. There was a state representative, Peter Palumbo, who did call me an evil little thing. But, you know, I should give him some credit, in a way. Because he gave me a good title. Im here not because Im an accomplished biologist or a famous writer or anything along those lines. Im here because Im a student. And Im here to tell you that what I did can be done by anybody. Ive made so many friends, and this whole community has changed my life in more ways than Ill ever even realize. I could just talk all day about how thankful I am, and it wouldnt be enough. This communityfor a person who felt completely alone, completely rejected by people in her school, in her community, even old friendsthis community changed everything. Im looking and I cant even see an end to the number of people standing here. I know that forever and ever well always remember the very first Reason Rally, the biggest secular event in world history, and Im so glad to be here, and I thank all of you. I love you. And you are all evil little things to me.
Freedom of Speech Award

The 2012 American Atheists Freedom of Speech Award was presented to Zombie Mohammad, a.k.a. Pennsylvania State Director Ernest Perce. Perce created Zombie Mohammad in response to remarks Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer made in an interview on Good Morning America on September 10, 2010. Justice Breyer addressed the recent controversy over a Florida pastors plan to hold a Quran-burning rally the next day to observe the September 11 attacks, Perce explained. He said he wasnt convinced the First Amendment would protect such an action if the case were brought to the court in the future.
Marty Klein Clergy Panel
David Tamayo
Teresa MacBain
Ayanna Watson
Ernest Perce
Richard Haynes
Linda LaScola
Jerry DeWitt
Rich Lyons
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Perce continued, It is often said among the religious folk that there are not too many Atheists that will openly pick on Islam. Christianity is the easy fight since there is no expected retaliation. This may be correct to some extent. After all, what is the worst a Christian will do? Pray for you, fast for you, maybe even secretly place a prayer cloth under your chair at work? But you won't be harmed or killed for blaspheming Christianity. I was enraged that the First Amendment was being challenged at the offenses of an Islamic culture born 6,000 miles away. It was time to strike in defense of free speech. Perce organized members of American Atheists to protest outside the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, DC, on October 3, 2010, during the annual Red Mass, a Catholic service in honor of law professionals. Vice President Joe Biden and six Supreme Court justices were in attendance. This was where Perces Mohammed first appeared in bodily form. Last October, Perce marched as Zombie Mohammed in Mechanicsburg Pennsylvanias annual Halloween parade, where he was attacked by an offended follower of Islam. Charges pressed by Perce were dismissed by Magisterial District Judge Mark Martin, who said, They [Muslims] find it very, very, very offensive. I am a Muslim, I find it offensive. Perce said, This incident is proof that some judges fear Sharia in America. The story made international news, stunned legal experts, and generated 531 death threats to Perce. A fatwa from the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt was sent directly to the Chief of Police of Mechanicsburg. It read, Mr. Ernie Perce has offended Islam, we will avenge our prophet according to the Sharia. Police traced the email address and found the threat to be legitimate. It was fitting that President David Silverman gave Perce the award at the costume party during the annual convention, where it was received by Zombie Mohammed. Perce says, Sometimes freedom of speech comes with a cost, and that cost may be your own freedom. Next time you hear someone say Atheists are afraid to mock Islam, remind them of Zombie Mohammed, the recipient of the 2012 American Atheists Freedom of Speech Award. 1 To view the program, go to http:// v ideo.msnbc.msn.com/up-w ith-chrishayes/46848396#46848396.
Darrel Ray, Julie Price, and friends Atlas shrugging Family values
Debaptism ceremony Julie Price and AronRa
Margaret Downey
Edwin Kagin
Shelley Segal Bridgette Barber
Todd Stiefel
Felicia Smith
Ayanna Watson Mandisa Thomas Naima Washington
Sam Singleton
John Welte
Over 1,300 convention attendees 2ND & 3RD QUARTER
JT Eberhardt
David Silverman
Damndest Things from p. 14

Bible, allegedly on the subject, noting that For me as a Christian, it also coincides with Jesus teaching that for unto whom much is given, much shall be required. Obama also said that what he champions makes the economy stronger for everyone and abides by gods command to love thy neighbor as thyself. At least one Republican, Georgia Congressman Phil Gingrey, walked out in protest, declaring that he was angry that the president had used a prayer service for political purposes.28 And conservative political columnist and blogger Erick Erickson immediately and sharply criticized Obama for his religious/political entanglement and for allegedly choosing to pervert the words of the Living God.29 Conservative columnist Cal Thomas excoriated Obama over the event, even going so far as to claim that Obama conveyed an attitude that suggested he wanted government to replace God.30 There is, of course, considerable hypocrisy in using religion to defend right-wing politics while becoming righteously upset by someone else using religion to defend left-wing politics. Obama was probably doing nothing more than trying to inoculate himself against the palpably unfair attacks by Republicans who claim Obama had declared war on the Catholic church or had committed anti-religious acts, as Gingrich declared a few days earlier.31 As secular purists, we believe this type of rhetoric violates the spirit, if not the letter, of the First Amendment and that it only encourages dishonest anti-secularists. A confident leader would not even attend the National Prayer Breakfast in any official capacity, much less use it as a vehicle for pandering to adherents of any religion. Obamas declaration in May that he personally favored gay marriage may have been completely sincere, completely a coldly calculated political move, or any combination of these and perhaps other factors. But it is quite clear that nearly all of the opposition to his comments has been either religiously based or, more likely, based on using religion for political gain. No matter who wins in 2012, secularism will, we predict, still not get the defense it deserves and may yet suffer more than mere insults. Secularism is a key American contribution to the worlda real basis for pride in American exceptionalism. It deserves Atheists support at the polls via support for American Atheists and other fine national and local groups, and however else you can back it. Ed Buckner, an American Atheists board member, was President of American Atheists from 2008 to 2010. His son, Michael, is Vice President of the Atlanta Freethought Society and a published writer. Some portions of this article are adapted from
In Freedom We Trust: An Atheist Guide to Religious Liberty, to be published this fall by Prometheus Books.
Endnotes
1. Richard Cohen, The Myth of American Exceptionalism, Washington Post, May 9, 2011. 2. Heather, Rick Santorum Explains Right Wing Anger: Obama Wants to Change US From Being a Judeo-Christian Nation, Heathers Blog, Crooks & Liars, Video Caf, April 11, 2010, CrooksAndLiars.com/ heather/rick-santorum-explains-right-winganger-ob (accessed March 12, 2011). 3. Frank Bruni, The Do-Over Derby, New York Times, February 14, 2012. 4. Amy Davidson, Santorum Sees a Guillotine, Close Read, New Yorker, February 9, 2012, NewYorker.com/online/blogs/ closeread/2012/02/santorum-sees-a-guillotine. html (accessed February 14, 2012); and Eugene Robinson, Drumming Up a Phony War on Religion, PostOpinions, Washington Post, February 14, 2012, WashingtonPost.com/ opinions/drumming-up-a-phony-war-onreligion/2012/02/14/gIQAdvpUER_story. html (accessed February 15, 2012). 5. Richard A. Oppel, Jr., Santorum Questions Education and Obama, New York Times, February 19, 2012. 6. Michael Barbaro, Santorum Makes Case for Religion in Public Sphere, New York Times, February 27, 2012. 7. Maureen Dowd, GOP Appears to Stand for Ghastly Outdated Party, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 26, 2012. 8. Andrew Sullivan, How State Beat Church: Conservatives Gleefully Revived the Culture WarsBut Theyre Not Winning, Newsweek, February 20, 2012, p. 45. 9. Joe Nocera, A Revolutionary Idea, New York Times, February 25, 2012. 10. Newt Gingrich, Rediscovering God in America: Reflections on the Role of Faith in Our History (Nashville: Integrity House, 2006), p 6. 11. Willoughby Mariano, Cain mistakes Declaration of Independence language for Constitution, Georgia Truth-O-Meter/PolitiFact, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 25, 2011. 12. Andrew Kruger, Michele Bachmann on Gay Marriage: God Inspires Inequality, Chicago/ Religion & Spirituality, Examiner.com, April 18, 2011, Examiner.com/freethought-in-chicago/ michele-bachmann-on-gay-marriage-godinspired-inequality (accessed July 17, 2011). 13. Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Where God and Justice were Once Intertwined: Bachmanns Years at Law School, New York Times, October 14, 2011. 14. Associated Press, Last-place Finisher Drops Bid, Atlanta JournalConstitution, January 5, 2012. 15. Warren Throckmorton, Ron Paul touts endorsement of pastor who defends
death penalty for gays, delinquent children & adultery, December 28, 2011, WThrockmorton. com/2011/12/28/kayserendorsemen (accessed January 2, 2012); also Pema Levy & Benjy Sarlin, Death Penalty For Gays: Ron Paul Courts The Religious Fringe In Iowa, Talking Points Memo, December 28, 2011, 2012. TalkingPointsMemo. com/2011/12/ron-paul-hired-anti-gayactivist-to-run-iowa-campaign.php (accessed January 2, 2012). See Philip G. Kayser, Is the Death Penalty Just?, Biblical Blueprints, 2009/2007 http://www.BiblicalBlueprints. org/wpcontent/uploads/2011/01/ DeathPenalty.pdf (accessed January 2, 2012) for the actual text of Kaysers writings. 16. Michael D. Shear, Erik Eckholm, and Ashley Parker, Once Again, Social Issues Test Romney, New York Times, October 9, 2011; Bryan Fischer, Islam and the First Amendment: Privileges But Not Rights, Renew America, March 24, 2011, RenewAmerica.com/columns/ fischer/110324 (accessed October 9, 2011); and Kyle Mantyla, Fischer: First Amendment Does Not Apply to Mormons, Right Wing Watch, People for the American Way, September 29, 2001, http://www.RightWingWatch.org/ content/fischer-first-amendment-does-notapply-mormons (accessed October 9, 2011). 17. Frank Rich, Who in Gods Name is Mitt Romney? His Greatest Passion is Something Hes Determined to Keep Secret, New York magazine, January 29, 2012, NYMag.com/news/frank-rich/ mitt-romney-2012-2/ (accessed February 1, 2012). 18. Frank Bruni, Mitts Muffled Soul, New York Times, February 5, 2012. 19. Glynnis MacNicol, Romney: Anger Over Wealth Distribution Is All About Envy, Business Insider, January 12, 2012, Articles.BusinessInsider.com/2012-01-12/ politics/30618859_1_mitt-romney-envy-mattlauer#ixzz1oSf IWf ET (accessed March 7, 2012). 20. Kendra Marr, Newt Gingrich talks faithNot Affairsat Cornerstone Church in Texas, March 27, 2011, Politico.com/news/ stories/0311/52023.html (accessed May 5, 2011). 21. Brian Montopoli, Newt Gingrich Warns US at Risk of Atheism and Radical Islam, Political Hotsheet, CBS News, March 29, 2011, CBSNews.com/8301-503544_162-20048494503544.html (accessed May 5, 2011). 22. Newt Gingrich, Video: Newt Participates in The Thanksgiving Family Forum, Newt 2012, November 19, 2011, Newt.org/news/livestreamnewt-participates-thanksgiving-family-forum (accessed November 25, 2011); and Jay Bookman, Gingrichs Priority: Politics, Not Religion, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 23, 2011. 23. Kurt Andersen, Our Politics Are Sick, New York Times, August 20, 2011. 24. Michael Gerson, Two Parties Pray to the Same God, but Different Economists, Washington Post, August 4, 2011.
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Nate Phelps from p. 9

25. Jennifer Steinhauer, In God We Trust, With the Houses Help, New York Times, November 2, 2011. 26. White House press release, Remarks by the President at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta, Indonesia, November 10, 2010, WhiteHouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/11/10/ remarks-president-university-indonesia-jakartaindonesia (accessed February 10, 2012). 27. Steinhauer, In God We Trust . . ., New York Times, November 2, 2011; and Andrew Taylor, In God We Trust: Why Congress Reaffirmed the US Mott0, Christian Science Monitor, Latest News Wires, CSMonitor. com/USE/Latest-News_Wires/2011/1103/ In-God-We-Trust-Why-Congress-reaffirmedthe-US-motto (accessed November 3, 2011). 28. Julie Pace, Faith and Values Help Guide President, Atlanta JournalConstitution, February 3, 2012. 29. Erick Erickson, The Perversion of the Words of Our Lord Jesus Christ by the Sinner Barack H. Obama, Diary RedState, February 5, 2012, RedState.com/ erick/2012/02/05/the-perversion-of-thewords-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-by-the-sinnerbarack-h-obama (accessed February 6, 2012). 30. Cal Thomas, Spinning the Bible: Obama Misusing Scripture to Push for Higher Taxes, Marietta [GA] Daily Journal, February 7, 2012. 31. Martin Schram, A Case of Classic Gingrichian Deceit by Distortion, Marietta [GA] Daily Journal, February 2, 2012.
for humans to have morality and purpose, in our insistence that knowledge be distilled by a rigorous process of inquiry and evidence, and in our willingness to admit that sometimes we simply do not know. I have a friend back in Calgary. He is a staunch humanist of eighty-plus years. We meet for coffee regularly and I take those opportunities to mine the wisdom of his years. He is the kind of man I would have as a father were it my choice. Ross talks about humanism as a city on the hill, a beacon for the world to see, and understand that we can be goodno, betterwithout god. Its a worthy goal that I would strive for. Ive had the pleasure of working with several organizations over the past years to promote these ideals. The Center for Inquiry needs no introduction as a leading international advocate for reason and science. CFI in Canada started nearly five years ago and weve seen tremendous growth across that country, with branches in all major cities now. Ive also had the opportunity recently to start working with Recovering From Religion. This organization fills a critical niche providing education, counseling connections, and community for the swelling number of people who struggle with the many issues associated with walking away from their religion. With over 100 branches across the US and Canada, the leadership of Recovering From Religion is working overtime to meet this
growing demand. When I began my activism work a couple years ago I saw it as my duty, even an obligation. But the people Ive met, and the opportunities Ive had to learn and discover things I never would have, have made this journey well worth it. And I would challenge each of you, if youre not already involved in this movement, when you return to your communities to get involved. Id like to leave you with this final thought that I try to remind myself of every day. Its something the British philosopher Bertrand Russell said in an interview he gave late in his life. He was asked what he would most like to say about his life and the lessons he that hed learned. This was part of his response: There are two things I would like to say: one intellectual and one moral. The intellectual thing I should want to say is this: When youre studying any matter or considering any philosophy, ask yourself only what are the facts and what is the truth that the facts bear out. Never let yourself be diverted either by what you wish to believe or what you think would have beneficient social effect if it were believed, but look only and solely at what are the facts. That is the intellectual thing I should wish to say. The moral thing I should wish to say, I should say love is wise and hatred is foolish. Thank you all very much.
Progress in Florida
or the last three years Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti has hosted a National Day of Prayer event at the Broward County Public Safety Building. And for the last three years it has been protested by American Atheists Director of State Operations Ken Loukinen and the Florida Atheists and Secular Humanists (FLASH), an American Atheists Local Partner. The event was a violation of the Establishment Clause, as the Sheriff s Dept. paid for, advertised, and even provided transportation to the event using tax dollars. Last year Ken, FLASH, and the local Center For Inquiry group asked for records relating to the financing and other involement by the sheriff. No response. This year the event was held at a local church, not the county building. While the Sheriff s Department did not give a reason for this change, we believe it is in no small part due to our protests and activism. We are now looking for another municipality to focus on to get similar results. Ken would like to thank FLASH and all the others for joining him in this and other events.
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Ken Loukinen
Faith to Freedom from p. 23

comprehensive database which helps people locate secular therapists in their area. Many times, when people are exploring healing the emotional impact and codependency of religion, they look for professional counseling to better tackle their issues. Unfortunately, many find therapists who recommend prayer and finding a different church as the solution, instead of evidence-based counseling that is proven to help people make progress towards their mental health goals. By compiling this database, people will be able to search their area for a reliable therapist without being concerned that praying away their problems will even be discussed. If you are a secular therapist, or know of one, please visit The Therapist Project website today to get added to the database, and help us spread the word about this valuable resource! Also tremendously exciting is the development and launch of The Clergy Professionals Relief (CPR) Fund, a groundbreaking program that will provide concrete support through micro-loans, job training, resume-building, and much more to ex-clergy members as they leave their church pulpits and rebuild their lives in the secular world. The CPR Fund program is inspired by The Clergy Project (TCP), a tremendous program supported by The Dawkins Foundation, which was founded by Dan Barker, Co-President of The Freedom From Religion Foundation. TCP provides a confidential support forum specifically for clergy members who no longer believe but are still trapped in preaching at their church. There is no doubt TCP is filling a very unique and specific need in the secular community. As many of you know, our Executive Director, Jerry DeWitt, preached his last message as a Pentecostal minister in just April of 2011, and he is the first graduate of The Clergy Project, so TCP is always near and dear to the hearts of all of us at Recovering From Religion. As such, Jerry knows first-hand what it means to lose everything by leaving his church and coming out as an Atheist, and his ongoing struggle has inspired us to take action and help the many others seeking a way out of religious employment. Jerry has lost lifelong friends and family members and was fired from his secular job six months ago, becoming unemployable in his Louisiana community for the controversy surrounding his non-belief. For those of you who attended the American Atheists Convention in Washington, DC, this past March you undoubtedly also heard the Preachers Panel, made up of Jerry and several other former ministers, as well as the compelling and heart wrenching story of
Teresa MacBain, a Clergy Project member and (at the time) pulpit preaching minister who bravely stood up before everyone and announced, for the first time, that she is an Atheist. In doing so, her church locked her out of the building and she has joined Jerry in being shunned by her community and friends. If we truly expect to people to see leaving their religious community as a viable option, we have to provide them the resources to do exactly that. Not surprisingly, a divinity degree doesnt go far on your resume in the rest of the world, and explaining to a very religiously
The Closet Project

A research study conducted by Daniel Swann of the University of Maryland is focusing on the emotional impact of being closeted about your beliefs. Qualified participants are adults who hide their nonbelief from one major aspect of their lives. To participate, email
theclosetproject@ recoveringfromreligion. org with your story, and

youll be contacted for a short follow-up interview.
conservative community why youve left your ministerial job of 30 years to sell insurance doesnt bode well for your ability to keep paying your own bills. As a result, there are over 200 Clergy Project members, many of whom who are still preaching while working on an exit plan for leaving their preaching behind. They need resources to be able to actually put their plan in place. Recovering From Religions CPR Fund will be there to help them along with many other clergy members who need a way out of their positions in the pulpit.
Continuing the brilliant imagery of Dr. Rays book The God Virus, we see a pressing and tremendous need to provide CPR to those clergy members on the brink of committing identity suicide, via concrete and tangible assistance, and we commit to using 25% of all donations made to Recovering From Religion for the purpose of doing exactly that. As exciting as all of these programs are, our primary focus is always the development of our local support groups, as well as an online forum specifically to provide immediate and tangible help for people exploring the possibilities of life outside of faith. The online forum is always available, and our support groups meet at least monthly at a library or local coffee shop to discuss different topics related to transitioning away from supernaturalism and the challenges this creates. From the anger and hurt of being rejected to the relief and joy of finally being able to be themselves amongst people who accept them, these support groups offer a vital landing space for people in this transitional process. Whether they are a believer who is beginning to question the necessity of religion in their life, or a 20-year veteran of the secular community who realizes they still hear the echoes of their former beliefs in their day-today life, we provide a safe space for those who want to find their way free from the confines of faith. Growing from about 30 groups in the fall of 2011 to approximately 150 groups worldwide less than a year later, these meetings provide an oasis of encouragement throughout the transitional process of leaving the religious world theyve always known while helping them find their place in the secular world. Many people have likened us to Alcoholics Anonymous, but other than offering local support and encouragement, we couldnt be farther from their methodology. We dont see people as permanently in need of recovering from religion, nor do we claim any right or wrong way to such recovery. We know that everything, from the grief process to each persons progress along the spectrum of disbelief, is unique to them and we welcome everyone to share what works in their life so we can all benefit from the experiences of one another. We firmly believe that with the right tools and support network, people can and do let go of the negative influence of religion in their lives and move towards finding their own comfortable place in the warm and welcoming arms of the secular movement. For more information, as well as to find out how you can help us make such a tremendous difference in the lives of those leaving the lies of religion behind, visit our website at www. RecoveringFromReligion.org.
2ND & 3RD QUARTER
Carlin from p. 19
box thinking. Theres just thinking. Boxless is beautiful. The more I connect with spiritual Atheists and agnostics, as well as the occasional religious community or individual, I realize that while we all think for ourselves, we often speak a similar language that connects us in our shared humanity. I would give up on Jesus altogether, but I have seen enough clergy who act more Tutu than terrible to know something is there beyond me. Also, I still participate at times in the rituals of the Anglican church because the Eucharist remains how this former altar girl still communicates with her daddy, who baptized her at six weeks old and prepped her for confirmation when she was eleven. Like Roger before me, Ive become a seeker who is no longer saved but still searches. While I was processing my reactions to how Kellys and Georges journeys intersect with my own bow-legged walking, my agent called. He suggested we put together an e-book in time for the 2012 election cycle. Immediately, the echoes of my ancestor came to mind. We agreed that I should do a book on the seven classical virtues, Roger Williams-style, that explore common ways we can live together in the public square that honor us all. Why have we given up the discussion of virtues to Christian conservatives like William J. Bennett, who beat the virtues to death? In Roger, I think I may have stumbled upon a soul who can speak to liberal people of faith, as well as those who claim no faith tradition. Now Im not advocating for creating a common ground where we all come together to sing Kumbayah and ponder our navels in search of some esoteric god-goo. My hunch is that a gathering of this nature would send Roger running for the hills and set George off on one of his infamous hysterical rants against what he termed self-righteous environmentalists; these white, bourgeois liberals. Obviously, one cannot extrapolate Rogers pre-enlightenment theology onto a 21stcentury global pluralistic world. But his scandalous interactions with the Narragansett Native Americans indicate that he would probably be one of the first clergy out there offering equal rights and rites to LGBT
2ND & 3RD QUARTER
folks and anyone else marginalized by the Christian church.5 Rather than create Puritan enclaves designed to separate the saved from the damned, Roger chose to embrace all, knowing we are not isolated individuals but part of a shared global humanity.
Becky with Dad, 1966

Also, I strongly suspect Roger would pull one of his Bloody Tenet moves and go all John Cotton on those Christian leaders who push the electorate to vote in their version of Americana Christianity. (With well over 35,000 denominationsgive or take a few thousanddetermining the definitive descriptor of the Christian faith proves to be an exercise in futility.) But Kelly reminded me that we need to bring back the spirit of George as we head toward the 2012 election. Yes, I know George ranted against voting, but what I am describing goes well beyond deciding who sits in the Oval Office. In these past four years, Ive witnessed a rise of a Christianized form of bigotry and hatred that I hoped had gone away with the McCarthy era. When I started writing for the religious satire magazine The Wittenberg Door in 1994, the same year the religious right took over Congress, I thought we chronicled their final demise. If you had told me in 2008 that our political climate could get dumber than Dubya, I would have told you thats a political impossibility. I would have been certain that, despite living in fearful times, Americans would never be so nave as to be driven by a fear-based theology with no grounding whatsoever in Jesus of Nazareths teachings.
Wrong. Rick Perry, Sarah Palin, Rick Santorum, or Michelle Bachmann could easily be characters lifted from a Jonathan Swift story. Who in their right mind could have predicted that a Dan Savage-inspired Internet meme would ever be taken seriously as a presidential candidate? Why in the name of the Abrahamic god would any sane Christian demonize women for choosing to practice responsible family planning? How can any intelligent person assume that Barack Obamas affiliation with the United Church of Christ means he also holds a membership in the Muslim Brotherhood? No wonder the Statue of Liberty had to undergo renovations last year. Her heart cried until it burst. We need the voice of Carlin more than ever. While he may be gone from this earth, Kelly reminded me that hes still present with us. Now is the time for us all to channel our inner ancestor. What would they say if they were standing next to us? While they can no longer speak directly to us, we can take our cue from Kelly and use our voices to continue their legacies. While George didnt engage in topical political humor, I feel confident he wouldnt stand silent during this latest round of Americana-branded unbiblical bullshit. And neither should we.
Endnotes
1. See Deconstructing Dominionism in American Atheist, 4th Quarter 2011, for my report on some of these funding sources. 2. HuffingtonPost.com/cathleen-falsani/ eddie-izzard-and-the-natu_b_530194.html 3. Bill Hicks, Artistic Roll Call, Rant in E-Minor, (Rykodisc, 1997). 4. The talk is archived at Greenbelt.org. uk/media/talks/14193-becky-garrison. 5. For my analysis of evangelical responses to LGBT folks, go to BelieveOutLoud.com/ boltoday/20120504/glad-be-gray-20. Becky Garrison is a writer/storyteller working on her seventh book titled Roger Williams Little Book of Virtues. She is a panelist for Washington Posts On Faith column and has written for a diverse range of outlets including The Guardian (Belief ), Killing the Buddha, Believe Out Loud, Perceptive Traveler, and The Revealer.
The Gospel Truth from p. 8

Sigmund Freud answered this in part: as long as humans fear death, many will rationalize and fictionalize a comforting afterlife concept. 22 Personally, I hopeand truly believe that my corpus shall simply expire one day, my encephalon and neural activity cease, with all chemo-electrical synapse activities and sentience dissolving into the void. That is to say, dead. Deceased. Gone. An ex-human being. I agree with Richard Dawkins, who proposed that heaven would surely become extremely tedious after the first thousand years or so. Life is lovely, and continues to be both wonderful, and a challenge; next, peace awaits. No heaven, no hell. Meanwhile, let us enjoy, let us do good, let us create, procreate, explore, and embrace life. And we should actively deny the outlandish supernatural, the ultimately dangerous religious laws and accompanying myths. They are poison. Cheyne and J. Sutherland Black, 1899. Eusebius, Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, c. 310 CE. Gasquet, Amde, Essai sur le Culte et les Mystres de Mithra. Boston: Adamant Media, 2006. Gibbon, Edward, History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. London: Strahan & Cadell, 1776-1789. Holzner, Joseph, Paul of Tarsus. Hounslow: Scepter Publishers, 2002. Newman, Andy, City Questions Circumcision Ritual After Baby Dies, New York Times, August 26, 2005. Philostratus, Lucius Flavius, Vita Apollonii, c. 220 CE. Roscoe, William, The Life and Pontificate of Leo the Tenth. University Press of the Pacific, 2000. Rutenberg, Jim and Andy Newman, Mayor Balances Hasidic Ritual Against Fears for Babies Health, New York Times, January 6, 2006. Wasson, R., Persephones Quest: Entheogens and the Origins of Religion. Yale University Press, 1992. Watson, Richard, An Apology for the Bible. Cambridge: Hillard and Brown, 1828. 3. Volume 6, 658 and 656. 4. For example, Watson, 24-25. 5. Eusebius, Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, VI, 25.4-5. 6. Acts 9:3-4, 12:7-10, 16:29, 22:1-22, 26:13-16, Gal 1:11-17, 2 Cor 12:1-3. 7. Wasson, 33. 8. Vita Apollonii, 1:7. 9. Galatians 1:18 (DRC). 10. Romans 3:22. 11. Romans 1:5. 12. Romans 1:16. 13. Holzner, 9-10; Gasquet, 32-33. 14. Plutarch wrote (in 75 CE) that pirates introduced Mithras to the Roman world from Persia, first in Cilicia early in the first century BCE, flourishing in Tarsus. (Plutarch, Parallel Lives, Life of Pompey, 24-25.) We know today that Mithras worship in the Roman Empire dates before 200 BCE. 15. Genesis 17:10-14. 16. New York Times, August 26, 2005; and January 6, 2006. 17. Thomas Zambito, Infants Death at Maimonides Hospital Linked to Circumcision, New York Daily News, Saturday, March 3, 2012. 18. Acts 16:3. 19. 2 Corinthians 12:16. 20. Roscoe, 388; de Camp, 399. 21. Genesis 9:12-14. 22. Freud, Die Zukunft einer Illusion.
References
de Camp, L. Sprague, The Ancient Engineers. New York: Ballentine Books, 1960. Catholic Encyclopedia, first edition. The Encyclopedia Press, 1907-1913. Encyclopedia Biblica: A Critical Dictionary of the Literary, Political and Religion History, the Archeology, Geography and Natural History of the Bible, edited by Thomas Kelly
Endnotes
1. Mt 23:36, 24:34, 16:27-28, Mk 9:1, Lk 21:32, 1 Thess 4:17. 2. Volume I, 259.
On the Shelf at Barnes & Noble
merican Atheist Magazine is now on the shelves of 200 Barnes and Noble stores nationwide. Please find one near you and buy it. Also, if your store does not carry it, you need to go to the customer service desk and ask them to carry it. This marks the first time the word ATHEIST is on the shelves of the magazine racks, facing out, for all to see. It will add value to the magazine for the local affiliates, the local partners, and American Atheists. We can sell more ad space, help out the Clergy Project, and add legitimacy to the movement on the whole. This takes us one big step closer to normalization. Progress is fun! Rick Wingrove at Barnes & Noble in Reston, Virginia
The Author
CHASING DAVIS
An Atheists Guide to Morality Using Logic and Science
HASING DAVIS examines how we form beliefs, why we often believe things that are not true, and how to use this knowledge to understand what morality isand is not. You will learn why religion, law, and government are totally useless as guides for ethical behavior. When you have finished this book you will understand that morality is not culturally relativistic, but rather has a universal foundation. With this knowledge you can live a moral and ethical life based on scientific reason. You will know how to create a set of tools for your ethical toolbox with which you can build a moral world around you. You will also understand why our species seems to have gone insanebecause it has. We humans have gone crazy trying to reconcile our evolutionary drives that are in direct conflict with our ability to think about, understand, and modify our behaviors. Chasing Davis offers a way to reconcile these opposing forces, leading to a more harmonious and productive way of life. You may contact the author at LucelySpeaking.com.
By James Luce
Available in standard EBook formats from Amazon.com and other on-line vendors. Also available in hard cover/ paperback directly from the publisher, iUniverse.com, and Amazon.com
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the phenomenon of psychopathic behavior. As is often said, a small percentage of the population causes a huge amount of the problems. We still havent accepted the idea that human behavior is heritable, that there are genetic influences. Until we do, we will have a less efficient penal system. What is the genesis of this book? I was attempting a culmination of a lot of my lifes work in writing it, and I found it necessary to take another look at the foundation of genetic theory on the origin of social behavior. Over a period of four years I examined the existing theory of inclusive fitness as it was accepted and being practiced. I helped promote that theory, and even added to it in the 1970s when I wrote the book Sociobiology, essentially the foundation piece for the discipline. When I reviewed everything to prepare for writing The Social Conquest of Earth I realized the theory of inclusive fitness wasnt working very well. I saw a lot of faults. I published a series of articles (one of them with David Sloan Wilson, no relation) critiquing a succession of steps that yield a better way to go, but the ideas were picked up by very few because inclusive fitness was the prevailing theory and had been for decades. I had pretty much abandoned that effort and was going to leave it to others. I went back to where Im focused primarily now, which is the environment and conservation. But then two highly creative mathematicians at Harvard, Martin Nowak and Corina Tarnita, approached me. They told me that they had also found serious flaws in the prevailing theory, so we decided to work together. I examined the biological literature that had come out on the theory of inclusive fitness, particularly with reference to altruism and the origins of advanced societies. This was not difficult for me to do because social insects show the most advanced social behavior among animals other than humans, and social insects have been my lifetime preoccupation. So I assembled that and kind of noodled out what would be an ideal theory. It would have to be multileveled. That is, it would take into account group selection and individual selection at the same time. On the mathematical side, Nowak and Tarnita took the assumptions of the theory of inclusive fitness that had been assumed to be correct for decades, and analyzed those assumptions down to the foundations, thinking of all conceivable possibilities of ways in which it would work. This had never been done before. They took two measures. First, the Hamilton inequality, which is a statement of how much sacrifice an altruist must make in order for an altruism gene to be fixed in a population. The other measure is the measure of inclusive fitness which says, in effect, when enough individuals are obeying the Hamilton inequality in a society or a group, then theres a mass of altruism developing that will allow social behavior and general altruism to develop in that group. When they examined the actual equations and the quantities subsumed under those two mathematical conceptions down to their foundations, they found both to be mathematically unsound. The Hamilton inequality works only under extreme artificial conditions that almost certainly could not occur on Earth. And inclusive fitness is in fact a phantom measure that really has no substance that can be identified or tracked. This took away the mathematical foundations from which biologists had been working. At the same time, their mathematics represented alternative explanations for altruism and advanced social behavior when multilevel selection was taken into account. That is to say, when both group selection and individual selection were considered to be working on populations simultaneously, this produced explanations for the notations of real altruism and advanced societies better than the theory of inclusive fitness. Why wasnt this all done before? Because everyone from both the biological and mathematical sides believed what they had was fine for the
time being and they would work out the problems later. The other reason was that the mathematical problem turned out to be one of exceptional difficulty. Thats why it took really good mathematicians to break it all down and make the proofs that were subsequently published in the science journal Nature. So thats where the controversy is, if you want to call it that. Maybe there are counter arguments being prepared, but none have appeared in over a year, even though the temperature is quite high with concern over this by some very good scientists. Im not concerned that our approach, which works, will be overthrown. The big thing for me was that as soon as it became clear in my mind that multilevel selection was happening, things really began to make sense and I was able to wrap up the book. Dr. Wilson, thank you for the interview. Im glad to speak to your readers. I think the time has come for Atheists to be identified as one of the few truly righteous groups in the whole arena of thought.
Endnotes
1. Martin A. Nowak, Corina E. Tarnita, and Edward O. Wilson, The Evolution of Eusociality, Nature, no. 466, August 26, 2010 (1057-62). 2. David Eagleman, The Brain on Trial, The Atlantic, July/August 2011. Ce Atkins is the creator and editor of PostGenetic.com, which proposes the development of crowd, computer, and individual-sourced post-genetic codes integrated with technology to help us navigate the exponential increases in cultural complexity and in reality in general.
A PEACEFUL WORLD BEYOND RELIGION AWAITS YOU

Christianity comes from the myth of Mithra, a Persian savior god born to a virgin on December 25. The story of Moses comes from the Legends of Sargon I, King of Akkad. The extensive hieroglyph records of ancient Egypt have no mention of Moses leading over 600,000 people away from Pharaohs army. Joseph Smith was convicted of fraud shortly after capturing the golden tablets. Learn about all this and more. Beyond All Religion, a new book by Sam Butler, is available at Amazon.com or by sending $9.95 to: Sam Butler, SB 197, POB 25292, Miami, FL, 33102.
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NEW LIFE MEMBERS

In the past few months, a record 37 American Atheists members increased their commitment by becoming Life Members or by upgrading their life memberships! Thanks to our Life Members for their significant commitment to our organization and for their continued support. Since our last issue of the magazine, the following members have decided to increase their commitment to American Atheists and further promote our shared goals and values:
LIFE
Michael Adams Wayne Beckman Allison Byrd Kenneth G Crosby Scott Denmark Andrew Epstein Jane Everhart Robert Finch Jim Helton Edwin and Mikel Hensley
SILVER
Raoul LeBlanc Ben Lynam Julio Mandojana Vanita, Sanjay, Sameeksha, and Sanjeev Mishra Ted Nunn Linus Ogbuji Damond Pleasant Scott Romanowski Noah Sandler John E. Shuey Jr. John Snider Elton Twork Michael Ware Donald Williams
Richard Briedenbach Mark Nebo Greg Stikeleather
PLATINUM
Laurie Jean Linder
Vincent Kapral Alec Karis Terry Kassnel John Kieppel III BJ Kramer
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STATE DIRECTORS SPOTLIGHT

American Atheists State Director of the Year
Donald Lacey, the Arizona State Director, is this years winner of American Atheists State Director of the Year Award. Dons drive is to build a community as an accepted part of American society where the laws are based on science and reason. Don says, Without a vision, goals are often so much busy work. He went full-force into activism after retiring in 2008. He focuses on creating an environment where Atheists, humanists, and secularists can voice their points of view. As State Director, he is concentrating on growing membership, getting people involved in local politics and activism, and attracting young people to the movement. Don lives in Tucson and has been an Atheist since high school. In addition to being Arizona State Director, he is the Secretary/Treasurer for the Secular Coalition for Arizona and is on the Board of Directors of FreeThought Arizona. Don organizes two meet-up groups: the Tucson Atheists, with over four hundred members, and the Skeptics of Tucson meetup group. He is the editor and administrator of the Freethought Arizona blog, and a panel member of the Desert AIR (Atheist Inquiry into Reality) podcast. He holds the rank of Major (Retired) with the US Air Force, where he served for 27 years and worked as a research engineer. After retiring from the Air Force, he worked as a Program Manager for Raytheon Missile Systems. He is a graduate of the US Air Force Institute of Technology and the University of Colorado at Boulder. He and his wife, Nancy, have been married for 37 years. We are proud to have him on our team. Contact Don at dlacey@atheists.org.
New Florida State Director Hits the Ground Running

Ken Loukinen, American Atheists Director of State Operations, announces the appointment of Bridget Gaudette as Florida State Director. She succeeds Greg McDowell, who, during his several years in this position, was instrumental in the removal of a Christian cross painted on a 100-foot water tower in central Florida. Just one week after her appointment, Bridget was notified of a new addition to the Bradford County Courthouse lawn in the city of Starke: a six-ton granite monument etched with the Ten Commandments, placed on May 3, the National Day of Prayer. This placement followed the recent removal by court order of a similar monument in Dixie County. Bridget immediately garnered support from other local freethought leaders and together they organized a May 19 protest in front of the courthouse, where theists and non-theists alike gathered to demonstrate for church/state separation. The response from Bradford County was that the monument would only be removed by court order. So on May 25, National Legal Director Edwin Kagin and Florida attorney Eric Husby filed a complaint in the Jacksonville Division of the US District Courts Middle District of Florida. Updates on the case will be posted at Atheists.org. Contact Bridget at BGaudette@Atheists.org.
YouTube Activist is New Texas Director

The new State Director for Texas, L. AronRa Nelson, is a prolific YouTube activist with a large following. He is especially known for his series The Foundational Falsehoods of Creationism. AronRa has also been a regular speaker at Darwin Day Broward in Florida, sponsored in part by American Atheists Local Partner Florida Atheists & Secular Humanists (FLASH). He is a regular guest host of Atheist Experience on YouTube and has now teamed up with other YouTubers to create The Magic Sandwich Show. He has also been instrumental in the efforts to keep creationism out of science textbooks in his state. AronRa lives in the Dallas/Ft.Worth area with his wife and sons. Contact him at AronRa@Atheists.org.
Military Director Gets Marine Liaison

American Atheists is proud to introduce Paul Loebe as the Marine Liaison to Military Director Justin Griffith. They will work together to expand a military presence for non-believers, and to fight for what should never be in question: the secular military. Paul was raised in a fundamentalist, evangelical, single-parent home. From a young age he was taken to a number of different denominations including Methodist, Nazarene, Church of Christ, Pentecostal, Holiness, Baptist, Episcopalian, Lutheran, and non-denominational. As I grew up in this environment I was strongly encouraged to attend Jesus Camp. Year in and year out I faithfully attended, trying my best to become a better Christian. Once we started attending some of the more dogmatic denominations and became grossly involved, I began to question the more ridiculous religious claims of the people who were mentoring me, Loebe recalls. I maintained my faith throughout my childhood but held reservations toward the ultimate truths of the Bible. When I enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 21, it was the first time in my life I was not surrounded by such intense indoctrination. But I still saw it ever-pervasive within the culture of the military. During my first deployment to Iraq I got in a philosophical argument with an Atheist. He absolutely trounced me in debate as he stuck to facts and logic while I provided emotion and whim as the reasons for my belief. I began a two-year search for knowledge, and in that time found that everything I believed was based on conjecture and emotional distress. As the Marine Liaison for American Atheists, I feel it is imperative we give a voice to those in uniform who are afraid to speak out for fear of repudiation from members of their command. With an ever-present culture of Christianity imbued in many of the Marines traditions and ceremonies, as well as the overarching Christian-dominated chaplaincy, this fear is very real. I am here to represent those whose voices are overshadowed by the fundamentalist Christian mindset of the military culture and hope that one day there will no longer be a need for my position.
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STATE DIRECTORS
MILITARY DIRECTOR Justin Griffith jgriffith@atheists.org DIRECTOR OF STATE OPERATIONS Ken Loukinen (S. FL Reg. Dir.) 7972 Pines Blvd., #246743 Pembroke Pines, FL 33024 954-907-7893 kloukinen@atheists.org ALABAMA Scott Savage P.O. Box 12486 Huntsville, AL 35815 256-426-6473 ssavage@atheists.org ARIZONA Don Lacey P.O. Box 1161 Vail, AZ 85641 520-370-8420 dlacey@atheists.org CALIFORNIA Larry Hicok P.O. Box 277 Pinole, CA 94564 510-222-7580 lhicok@atheists.org CONNECTICUT Dennis Paul Himes 860-454-8301 dphimes@atheists.org FLORIDA Bridget Gaudette BGaudette@atheists.org GEORGIA Al Stefanelli P.O. Box 3531 Peachtree City, GA 30239 256-496-5777 astefanelli@atheists.org IOWA Randy Henderson P.O. Box 375 Ankeny, IA 50023 rhenderson@atheists.org KENTUCKY Edwin Hensley P.O. Box 6171 Louisville KY 40206 502-713-8354 ehensley@atheists.org MASSACHUSETTS Zach Bos zbos@atheists.org MINNESOTA Randall Tigue rtigue@atheists.org MISSOURI Greg Lammers P.O. Box 1352 Columbia, MO 65205 573-289-7633 glammers@atheists.org NORTH CAROLINA Wayne Aiken P.O. Box 30904 Raleigh, NC 27622 919-954-5956 waiken@atheists.org OHIO John Welte jwelte@atheists.org OKLAHOMA Ron Pittser rpittser@atheists.org PENNSYLVANIA Ernest Perce eperce@atheists.org RHODE ISLAND Brian Stack bstack@atheists.org TEXAS Dick Hogan, Regional Dir., Dallas/Ft. Worth dhogan@athiests.org AronRa Nelson AronRa@atheists.org. VIRGINIA Rick Wingrove Leesburg, VA 20178 703-433-2464 rwingrove@atheists.org WASHINGTON Wendy Britton 12819 SE 38th St., Ste. 485 Bellevue, WA 98006 425-269-9108 wbritton@atheists.org WEST VIRGINIA Charles Pique P.O. Box 7444 Charleston, WV 25356 304-776-5377 cpique@atheists.org
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Aims and Principles

A
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.
Definitions
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.
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.
M
M
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. aterialism holds that our potential for good and more fulfilling cultural development is, for all practical purposes, unlimited.
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American Atheists Affiliates

For detailed information visit Atheists.org/Affiliates or contact Stuart Bechman at SBechman@Atheists.org.
ILLINOIS The Chicago Freethought Project IL/WI Stateline Atheists Society IWU Atheist, Agnostics, and Non-Religious The Secular Segment KANSAS Kansas City Atheist Coalition University of Kansas Society of Open-Minded Atheists and Agnostics KENTUCKY Humanist Forum of Central Kentucky Lexington Atheists Louisville Atheists and Freethinkers LOUISIANA New Orleans Secular Humanist Association MASSACHUSETTS Atheists of Greater Lowell Boston Atheists MARYLAND Freethinkers Union at McDaniel College Skeptics Freethinkers Agnostics and Atheists (aka Maryland Freethinkers) MICHIGAN Atheists @ Oakland University Michigan Atheists Mid-Michigan Atheists & Humanists MINNESOTA Atheists for Human Rights Campus Atheists Skeptics & Humanists Minnesota Atheists* MISSOURI Black Freethinkers of Kansas City Columbia Atheists Joplin Freethinkers Rationalist Society of St. Louis Secular Student Alliance @ UCMO Springfield Freethinkers St. Joseph Skeptics MISSISSIPPI Great Southern Humanist Society Humanist Ethical Atheist Rational Thought Society NORTH CAROLINA A-News NORTH DAKOTA Red River Freethinkers NEBRASKA Lincoln Atheists Omaha Atheists NEW JERSEY New Jersey Humanist Network Secular Student Alliance @ Montclair State Univ NEVADA Reno Freethinkers NEW YORK Hudson Valley Humanists New York City Atheists Westchester Atheists OHIO Free Inquiry Group Freethought Dayton Humanist Community of Central Ohio Mid-Ohio Atheists OKLAHOMA Oklahoma Atheists Atheist Community of Tulsa PENNSYLVANIA NorthEast Pennsylvania Freethought Society PA Non-Believers*SOUTH CAROLINA Piedmont Humanists Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry TENNESSEE Memphis Freethought Alliance Nashville Secular Life Rationalists of East Tennessee TEXAS Atheist Community of Austin Denton Atheists Freethinkers Association of Central Texas Freethought Oasis of Amarillo Golden Triangle Freethinkers Houston Atheists Kingwood Humble Atascocita Atheists Lubbock Atheists UTAH Atheists of Utah Salt Lake Valley Atheists VIRGINIA Beltway Atheists NOVA Atheists WASHINGTON Seattle Atheists Tri-City Freethinkers WISCONSIN Southern Wisconsin FreeThinkers WEST VIRGINIA Morgantown Atheists US NATIONAL Atheist Nexus Black Atheists of America Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers INTERNATIONAL / OVERSEAS CONSOCIATES Southeast Asia Freethought Association, 379th AEW Philippine Atheists and Agnostics Society ALASKA Alaskan Atheists ALABAMA Alabama Atheists & Agnostics (UA) Auburn Atheists & Agnostics Birmingham Atheists Meetup Marshall County Atheists & Agnostics Montgomery Area Freethought Association North Alabama Freethought Association UAH Non-Theists ARKANSAS Arkansas Society of Freethinkers Ark-La-Tex Freethinkers, Atheists, Agnostics & Humanists ARIZONA Tucson Atheists CALIFORNIA (North) Atheist Advocates of San Francisco Atheists and Other Freethinkers Contra Costa Atheists & Freethinkers East Bay Atheists San Francisco Atheists Santa Cruz Atheists CALIFORNIA (South) Atheist Coalition of San Diego Backyard Skeptics Humanist Society of Santa Barbara New Atheists of East County Orange County Atheists COLORADO Boulder Atheists Western Colorado Atheists & Freethinkers CONNECTICUT Atheist Humanist Society of CT and RI DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington Area Secular Humanists FLORIDA Florida Atheists & Secular Humanists (FLASH)* Gator Freethought (UF) Rebirth of Reason Secular Student Association at Univ. of Central Florida St. Petersburg Atheists Freethought Group Tallahassee Atheists Treasure Coast Atheists GEORGIA Atlanta Freethought Society Black Nonbelievers of Atlanta Fayette Freethought Society Kennesaw State U. Student Coalition for Inquiry Macon Atheists & Secular Humanists IOWA Atheists United for a Rational America Iowa Atheists & Freethinkers*
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*Indicates a Local Partner, which actively participates with American Atheists in outreach and activism at the local level.
March 28 31, 2013 Austin, Texas the birthplace of American Atheists Hyatt Regency Austin
Featuring: Matt Dillahunty, Ed Buckner, Katherine Stewart, Richard Carrier, Robert
Price, Linda LaScola, Jerry DeWitt, Teresa MacBain, Margaret Downey, Damon Fowler, Jessica Ahlquist, Greta Christina, Troy Conrad, Hector Avalos, Ryan Cragun, AronRa, Jamila Bey, Edwina Rogers, Eddie Tabash, Indra Zuno, and more to be announced!
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American Atheists

Reason Rally Convention 2012

2ND/3RD QUARTER 2012

2nd & 3rd Quarter 2012

Photo by John Welte

2012 American Atheists Inc.

Letter from the

The Evolution of Theory

Washington DC - March 24, 2012

Would anybody show up?

The Gospel Truth

I think Saul was simply

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Bible scholars agree that the four Gospels were

first book was written by Matthew and the second by Mark.5

Drunk and Disorderly

The Importance of Being Snipped

www.atheists.org | AMERICAN ATHEIST | 7

Fluff and Fancy

Like Elvis, Godot, Elijah, and Milli Vanilli,

Jesus never came back.

What Does This Prove?

Addresses from Reason Rally

Photo by John Welte

Addresses from Reason Rally

Penn via video - photo by John Welte Photo by John Welte

10 | AMERICAN ATHEIST | www.atheists.org

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Addresses from Reason Rally

Photo by John Welte

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www.atheists.org | AMERICAN ATHEIST | 11

Addresses from Reason Rally

Photo by John Welte

Addresses from Reason Rally

Photo by John Welte

POLS SAY THE DAMNDEST THINGS

16 | AMERICAN ATHEIST | www.atheists.org

Coming Home to a Carlin Companion:

George and Kelly, 2003

Infant Becky with Dad

www.atheists.org | AMERICAN ATHEIST | 19

An Interview with E. O. Wilson

Edward O. Wilson, photo by Jerry Bauer

by Sarah Morehead Deputy Executive Director of Recovering From Religion

Unlike sexual orientation, non-belief is a deliberate choice.

22 | AMERICAN ATHEIST | www.atheists.org

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www.atheists.org | AMERICAN ATHEIST | 25

David Silverman A real science teacher Paul Provenza

Hemant Mehta Col. (Ret.) Kirk Lamb

26 | AMERICAN ATHEIST | www.atheists.org

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Happy attendees Roy Speckhardt & Jessica Ahlquist

Greta Christina Sean Faircloth Nate Phelps

Fred Edwords 2ND & 3RD QUARTER www.atheists.org | AMERICAN ATHEIST | 27

Lifetime thinkers Victor Harris

Hispanic American Freethinkers

Roy Speckhardt Annie Laurie Gaylor Amanda Metskas of Camp Quest

Elisabeth Cornwell Todd Stiefel

28 | AMERICAN ATHEIST | www.atheists.org

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Reason Rally Poem