A Washington, D.C. lobbyist making the "meet and greet" rounds in San Francisco is nothing new, but tonight The City was visited by a unique and important lobbyist -- Lori Lipman Brown.Ms. Brown is a full-time lobbyist for the Secular Coalition for America, a new lobbying outfit devoted to Jeffersonian ideals and amplifying the voice and concerns of the growing nontheistic community in the United States. Yes, this is an uphill fight, and lobbying is not a pleasant activity, but it's the way things get done and someone's got to do it. American government is secular by design, and it's so nice to have an organization that defends the Constitution and supports nontheistic Americans. Check out these news items from Mother Jones and USA Today.
Ms. Brown has earned the confidence of many congresspeople, and she reports she is always warmly received. Her brief San Francisco visit, at the down-home hofbrau Tommy's Joynt, had similar results.
17 comments:
You always have such great pictures and always look like you are having so much fun....
Have a great weekend!
-xoxo
Jasmine
I love your profile pic! :)
I'm a freethinker too, freethinker! Uncropped version, hmmmm, I'll think about it.
xox Ceri
I <3 San Francisco.....
It's funny how we pat ourselves on the back thinking that we've gotten out of the box when in reality we've only put ourselves in a different box.
Amber
Whoa! You and Lovely Lori - you look like a beautiful couple. You could make some atheist babies together... she could drive up to Capitol Hill each morning - leaving you to trim your whiskers and read godless tales to the little ones...
The fact that you find faith in the Lord Jesus an encumbrance says nothing about you being a ‘freethinker.’ All it really says is you are a natural man in his natural state. All men in their natural state find the Lord Jesus disdainful, –me included. Only when he opens our eyes and reveals himself to us do we begin to love him and not find him disdainful or an encumbrance. Obviously, at this point anyway, that hasn’t happened to you. If it ever does, you will not find faith an encumbrance.
Luke 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. 22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.
Romans 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
If you are happy in your present state, I say great, stay there! You think your statements tell all that you want no part of Christ and are proud of it, but what your statements really say is that Christ wants no part of you. --If he did, he would certainly have you.
Good day to you!
It's so cool that there are organizations out there to support all us anti-religion folks. I'd never thought about it before, but it definitely seems like something that is needed!
I'm loving the beard, by the way.
It's interesting how you feel free to push your "beliefs" on others yet you don't give others the right to share their beliefs with you. Maybe if you opened yourself up to listen and honestly listen you may find that what others believe to be true or at least not as bad as you think. It seems to me that you act open to get a fight but if your honestly open you would not try to fight with people you would try to listen...In responce to what the lady said about God not wanting you I don't believe that's true because God loves everyone no matter their life style or beliefs, thats the amazing thing about God's love is it's for everyone...You have the free will to chose to except that love or not, but it's there for you and it will never leave.
I must say, I find Carol's comment a little too much to take.
I am certianly not atheist, but I'm not going to try to cram any of my beliefs down your throat either, because frankly, I'm sure you've heard tons of arguments before, and they've obviously not changed your mind.
I would like to take this moment to apologize for any Christians who have freaked out on you and been a little harsh... we tend to be a little passionate about what we believe, and some people simply take it too far... we all make mistakes though right?
I hope none of them have offended you too much, though, I must admit, asking a Christian if they believe in gods instead of God is quite an insult... please know that we certianly believe there is a difference.
Hello Mr. Freethinker ... I unfortunately don't know your name, so I am going to call you ... Mr.F!
Well, Mr. F, thanks for commenting on my blog! You are officially the first person to comment on it that I don't personally know. So that's kind of exciting. I liked your blog a lot too, there were lots of pictures. I haven't figured out how to put pictures on mine yet ... mostly because I'm completely technologically challenged!!!
We obviously don't have that much in common because you live in SF and I live in ... Canada, lol and you are a lot older than I am (I had trouble following a lot of the things you wrote about, as I don't really know a lot about politics! That's probably not a good things for someone who was just voted President of her college eh?). But I love sushi too, I'm a big Beatles fan and John was also my favourite. I must say that I like the beard you have now a LOT better than the moustache you had in the 70's!!!! haha ..
I regards to your comment ... yes, I do believe in one God. I believe in him and I know him and feel him and love him.
I'm going to keep reading your blog and I really hope you keep reading mine. Do you find it just as amusing as I do that you are now being bombarded by comments from people at my school? haha ...
Ciao Mr. F and have a great day.
Jasmine - Keep swimming by my blog; I like your good vibrations. May Poseidon bestow His blessings upon you!
Ceri - San Francisco loves you, too!
Ash-Am - How deep! Are we ever NOT in some kind of box?
Yorkie - There you go again, forgetting that men and women can just be friends!
Carol - On the contrary. Once again, let me provide the definition of "Freethinker:" "One who forms opinions on the basis of reason independent of authority; especially one who doubts or denies religious dogma." Yes, I am a man in a "natural state," not a man in a "supernatural state." I have looked into supernaturalism and I have rejected it. Thanks for the Bible verses, but they have no more impact on me than verses from the Bhagavad-Gita or the Koran would have on you (or me). First, you have to demonstrate there is a supernatural realm, then you would have to sell me on why yours is the One True Faith.
Although we have differing perceptions of reality, we must take comfort that we live in a pluralistic society where we can be open about what we believe (or don't believe)!
Whitney - There are quite a few freethought organizations out there, and they are growing ... but there's a long way to go to match the finances and power of religious organizations (and their influence on the highest levels of government)!
Starla - How am I "pushing" my, um, "beliefs?" And how am I not "giving others the right to share their beliefs with me?" That's what these Comments are for! And I'm not "fighting" any more than you are "fighting" with Carol about what "God" really wants.
Vicki - In defense of Carol, she obviously cares, and she's expressing that in her own way. No need to apologize on behalf of all Christians. I enjoy the dialogue, and I admire the passion.
Let me clarify "(do/don't) believe in God" versus "(do/don't) believe in gods." "God" is one of many gods: Mithra, Satan, Vishnu, Allah, Ganesh, Zeus, and, the god named, conveniently, "God." One might believe in "Vishnu" but not "God." From your blog, I gather that you don't believe in Ganesh, Poseidon, etc., but you do believe in "God." So "(do/don't) believe in God" leads to ambiguity about other god-beliefs, while "(do/don't) believe in gods" is comprehensive and clear.
Moreover, if you think about it, there's not much difference between me and you -- I just believe in one less god than you do!
Stefani - Welcome to the unlimited interactiveness of the blogosphere! You will figure out how to put up pictures soon, I'm sure.
I'm guessing the "one God" you believe in is the "God" Vicki refers to. At this point in world history, most people in North America believe in this god, so you're with the majority (although this belief is far less in Canada than in the US and Mexico).
Thanks for your thorough reading of my blog. If there was a pop quiz on FreeThought by a FreeThinker, I think you would score high!
Congratulations on your election as college President, and feel free to encourage your whole school to read my blog and "bombard" me with comments!
"Mr. F."
If I misunderstood your intentions I apologise but it seems as though you have your mind made up so why comment to others about their beliefs as if there were potentional for them to think you are honestly interested in learning about God? If you are that is great but it seems to me from both Christians and non-christians that once our mind is made up we look for those we can argue our points with. You raise valid points and you seem likea great person, we all have to respect each others views even if we disagree...
Do you have a blog entry stating why you believe what you do? I would just be interested to know. :)
Amber
Starla - Of course we must respect each other's views. And we can affirm, or even change, our views by analyzing our views and other's views. So I am interested in the whys and hows of believers, from those that make the hajj to Mecca to those who feel that trees are spirits to you and your well-written blog with almost every post about "God."
My interest in your personal faith does not mean I am "seeking" your faith - I am just endlessly fascinated with the ways my fellow humans believe (or don't believe)!
Ash-Am - Thanks for your interest and for the excellent idea. Unfortunately, I don't have a post on this subject, but I do want to write one soon. (It may be book-length!) Meanwhile, check out this other atheist's essay, What it's Like to be an Atheist, and its sequel, Why I'm an Atheist. Amber, I would be just as interested to read about how you came to your particular faith. Do you have any writings about this?
I found this line of thought from First Things interesting.
http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/?p=172
I am all for freedom "from" religion of you simply desire the right to not believe. Fine. But do you wish to push all references of religion out of your sight because you find it offensive? Why?
Like the comments on being in a box. I really do not think there is such thing as free though. Our thoughts are always a slave to some desire or passion. I do not think humanity is very logical.
Skepticality, the UnChristmas episode, has an interview with a guy who wrote a book about how difficult it can be to not celebrate Christmas. Not just for athiests, but for non-Christians too. He brings up a number of interesting contradictions, such as how fundamentalist christians have come out defending the capitalistic over-spending that has come to be associated with Christmas in America. However, the guy does not come off pushing his views like a Bible thumper. It is easy to get carried away and become a nasty evangelist. I've done it attempting to debunk Intelligent Design'ers.
Aaron ~ I'm glad you are all for freedom "from" religion. But why do you think that I "wish to push all references of religion out of [my] sight because [I] find it offensive?" This seems to be a prejudice of Christians towards Atheists. Opposing unconstitutional displays and endorsement of religion by the state is hardly "pushing all references out of sight."
Stephen ~ Thanks for the podcast link. Actually, there are some Christian apologists out there who are able to defend their faith without sounding like backwoods Bible-thumpers. They are few and far between, but I enjoy the stimulating dialogue with them.
One more note about how difficult it can be to not celebrate Christmas: a dear friend - a Jew - went to see Barry Manilow's show at the Las Vegas Hilton last December. She told me Manilow - a Jew - incorporated Christmas songs into half his set!
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