Discussions > Hi from Denver Atheists & Freethinkers (D.A.F.T.)
Hi, I'm Jeanette from D.A.F.T. We just got in this alliance, and started our own (Colorado Infidels Alliance, or CIA). This looks like it has great potential. If people use it.
So the last activity on here was months ago? Kind of Twilight-Zonish. Is anybody out there? Hellloooooo...
I think a number of local Meetups just joined today. Hi from Tacoma, WA! http://tacomaatheists.com
Yes there is someone here :)
Gidday from Perth
----- Original Message -----From: JeanetteTo: [address removed]Sent: Friday, October 03, 2008 5:13 PMSubject: [atheist] Hi from Denver Atheists & Freethinkers (D.A.F.T.)
Hi, I'm Jeanette from D.A.F.T. We just got in this alliance, and started our own (Colorado Infidels Alliance, or CIA). This looks like it has great potential. If people use it.
So the last activity on here was months ago? Kind of Twilight-Zonish. Is anybody out there? Hellloooooo...
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Hello from Vermont! Well, it looks like this alliance has joined with Meetup.com and now a number of us are able to communicate in these formus, which I like. Perhaps we could already have done this, but I've only just now been made aware of it. A few months ago, I started the Burlington Atheists and Humanists Group here in Burlington.
Our next meetup topic will be Public Relations, and I felt it was worth sharing, if for no other reason than to get some comments and ideas. You see, I am not a good person to be the public face of atheism. Certainly I am a kind, moral person -- no problem there -- it's just that I am sort of like Richard Dawkins: kind, generous, and absolutely honest. Unfortunately, being blunt is not always the best way to convince people who already (for some strange reason) seem not to trust us at all.
For this reason, I believe we need some good public relations. We need people who do have the kind of patient indulgence I lack in dealing with religion. We need people to show the world that atheists are the good guys. People like me should go behind the scenes and work for the public good, while our public relations people should work more in the spotlight to help people figure out who we really are and what we stand for. Mr. Dawkins and I will handle the grunt work; you handle the PR.
Charles Sullivan
Hi, Charles. Yeah, I'm an overly blunt and open person myself. The major religions have cultivated slick BS artists, and that's something we lack. Maybe that's because we don't have some ridiculous dogma that requires a lot of prevarication to justify. Or maybe, like critical thinking ability, there may be some genetic predispositin among many of us. I dunno, and I guess it really doesn't matter. We do need PR, that's the truth.
A lot of the problem is that so few of us are visible. We face a similar problem that has been (and still is in many places) faced by the gay community. People don't know that they know us, so they make up myths about what kind of people we are. People who live in major American cities are less inclined toward bigotry toward the gay community, because they have to try a lot harder if they want to buy into dishonest and distorted stereotypes.
I think the solution is the same for us. The more of us who come out in the open, the more people will have to see that we're just people and that we care about all of the same things that people care about. Namely, things like truth, beauty, justice, equality, and paying the damned credit card bills.
~Jeanette M. Norman
Ooh, I should add...
I never joined our group on Atheist Alliance International's regular site because we're not a democratically organized group. I should point out to the organizer that if that's a requirement of this site, we're not qualified, and I'll completely understand if we get bumped off of here. (When I started our group at the beginning of the year, I envisioned it being a lot more democratic, but every time I've tried to leave decisions to the members, it's like bombs going off in the group. And it seems more fair that the people willing to do the work and absorb most of the costs should run the thing, anyway.)
----- Original Message -----From: JeanetteTo: [address removed]Sent: Saturday, October 04, 2008 7:41 AMSubject: RE: Re: [atheist] Hi from Denver Atheists & Freethinkers (D.A.F.T.)
Ooh, I should add...
I never joined our group on Atheist Alliance International's regular site because we're not a democratically organized group. I should point out to the organizer that if that's a requirement of this site, we're not qualified, and I'll completely understand if we get bumped off of here. (When I started our group at the beginning of the year, I envisioned it being a lot more democratic, but every time I've tried to leave decisions to the members, it's like bombs going off in the group. And it seems more fair that the people willing to do the work and absorb most of the costs should run the thing, anyway.)
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I wasn't responding to a post, PeskyAtheist. Atheist Alliance International's description, from "Who We Are":
"Atheist Alliance International is a network of democratically-organized atheist groups across the world that stand for creating a strong community of atheists to build a saner, reason-based world free of irrational religious belief."
Their original website states the same requirement for membership, "democratically organized," which is why we haven't joined on that site. But from looking over the members here, either the criteria is looser for the Meetup Alliance or many of the groups here weren't aware of the criteria
If the criteria are the same, then all of us on here are presumed to have been elected to our positions as leaders. I was not elected to lead my group, so I don't know if our group is supposed to be on this site. I was just saying that if the organizer of this site were to enforce AAI's usual group standard by kicking us out, I would understand that.
Hi Jeanette,
The rules for the Atheist Meetup Alliance are different than the rules for becoming a voting member of the Atheist Alliance International.
There are two types of group memberships with Atheist Alliance International: Full and Associate. Full members get a vote within AAI but must meet certain requirements, like having bylaws that commit them to being a democratically-run organization. Associate members do not have any requirements beyond having and promoting an atheist worldview, but they do not get a vote on the AAI Board of Directors.
All groups on the Atheist Meetup Alliance are presumed to be Associate members of AAI until/unless they ask to be considered for Full membership. If you don't care about that, then no big deal, you're still welcome to be included here.
-Stuart
Love Is Real—God Is Not
Humans are a species of the animal kingdom.
Love exists as an attribute of many animals—including humans—absent unreal & unnatural god ideas (Any human that thinks love is an attribute only of their own kind has never observed the rest of the animal kingdom closely enough).
Kindness and compassion constitute the foundation of human ethics and morality—absent the “unreal & unnatural god ideas.”
The godless human animal is not immoral for being biologically natural.
Natural biological human needs are not an ethical or moral issue.
Biologically natural humans are inherently good and without guilt.
No unnatural god ideas no guilt-induced dichotomizing suppression of the mutual fulfillment of natural biological human needs.
Unreal & unnatural god myths & ideologies are mentally and physically unhealthy because they prompt humans to try and use unrealistic ideas and unworkable solutions to sustain themselves within reality.
Unnatural god ideas induce dichotomies into the human psyche that result in myriad kinds of mental illness and repeat criminal activity—therefore god believers tend most often to be deluded, perverted, inhumane and even terroristic.
Godlessness eliminates confusion and promotes clear critical thinking which leads to greater intelligence and sound mental and emotional health in humans—thereby resulting in kinder, gentler, more mature and understanding people.
Intelligent godless humans realize their happy survival depends upon individual choice, mutual respect and cooperation; that abusive force and violence are never acts of love.
Godless human animals realize their companionship with and enjoyment of all other fauna & flora species—and the very survival of all—depends upon naturally nurturing and sustaining their coexistence by conserving & preserving the resources & vitality of the shared natural environment.
Godlessness is wholly realistic and makes complete holistic sense—unlike unreasonable, unkind, archaic and antithetical god ideas that create nothing but chaotic, divisive & destructive global conflicts that always lead to inhumanity & war.
No unreal god ideas no self-centered, self-deluding, self-destructive civilization and planet-threatening ideologies.
No god ideas no greedy, warmongering and bloodthirsty terroristic ideologies-or no gods no gangs or terrorists.
True love—in all its forms and degrees—is where the safety, prosperity, good health and happiness of all is essential to one, many or all others.
There never was a kind "god of love"—no "all-powerful creator." All god fantasies are selfish, domineering, hateful, and cruel like the dupes that imagine them—but ever-evolving infinite existence genuinely exists.
Existence—human existence and all else of existence—is absolute; the fact of common denominators proves this to be so. Only individual perceptions of material things—living & nonliving—may be deemed subjective.
'God' is a proverbial power-gluttonous fish story that is diametrically opposed to nature & true love. Natural love is liberating & perennial.
Be godless & human. Be natural & free. Be self-actualized, loving & creative.
Lest all perish—do not be a destroyer-type or a terrorist of any stripe.
Be free of god myths, free religions prisoners and promote universal love.
Love Is Real—God is Not
~ Ellis Dean ‘PeskyAtheist’ Hovey ~
©2005
----- Original Message -----From: CharlesTo: [address removed]Sent: Saturday, October 04, 2008 5:19 AMSubject: RE: Re: [atheist] Hi from Denver Atheists & Freethinkers (D.A.F.T.)
Hello from Vermont! Well, it looks like this alliance has joined with Meetup.com and now a number of us are able to communicate in these formus, which I like. Perhaps we could already have done this, but I've only just now been made aware of it. A few months ago, I started the Burlington Atheists and Humanists Group here in Burlington.
Our next meetup topic will be Public Relations, and I felt it was worth sharing, if for no other reason than to get some comments and ideas. You see, I am not a good person to be the public face of atheism. Certainly I am a kind, moral person -- no problem there -- it's just that I am sort of like Richard Dawkins: kind, generous, and absolutely honest. Unfortunately, being blunt is not always the best way to convince people who already (for some strange reason) seem not to trust us at all.
For this reason, I believe we need some good public relations. We need people who do have the kind of patient indulgence I lack in dealing with religion. We need people to show the world that atheists are the good guys. People like me should go behind the scenes and work for the public good, while our public relations people should work more in the spotlight to help people figure out who we really are and what we stand for. Mr. Dawkins and I will handle the grunt work; you handle the PR.
Charles Sullivan
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Welcome Jeanette! Organizing a group IS a bit like herding cats with a fire hose, but it simply HAS to be done, there's power in numbers, and the more people criticizing religion and promoting positive atheism, the better off we'll ALL be.
Todd
Fox Valley Atheists- Chicago suburbs
"Who are you to question why your god doesn't want me to believe in him?"
I agree with you on that, Todd. I like the quote, too.
And thank you, Stuart, for the explanation of the types of membership. I didn't know any of that before, which is why I never signed our group up on AAI's website. But I'm not concerned about the voting, I just like being in touch with others who run atheist groups. The "herding cats" thing can be kind of frustrating at times, but we're obviously a driven and intense bunch of people to even attempt it. I don't know if it's an experience that most people can relate to.
We're 58 Groups with 6,494 Members
