The 32nd annual convention of American Atheists begins today in San Antonio. My good friend Dave Fitzgerald has been tapped as one of the many speakers, and I could not miss his big presentation (scheduled for Saturday afternoon, warming up Michael Shermer, an author whose "trilogy of belief" books I devour).New Jersey State Director Dave Silverman (whose No God Blog is among the links on this blog's sidebar) introduced American Atheists President Ellen Johnson, who presented "It All Started With That Damn Atheist Woman," a video retrospective of AA founder Madalyn Murray O'Hair. Clips of O'Hair on the Phil Donahue Show and the Johnny Carson Show were precious. O'Hair was murdered here in San Antonio, which was the topic of Ed Martin's speech. Mr. Martin was the lead investigator and instrumental in solving the years-long mystery of the disappearance and murders of O'Hair and her two adult children. This story has nothing to do with atheism, but it is nonetheless fascinating.
After a "get to know you" lunch break with a dozen other attendees (no, we did not say grace!), Peter Nuhn and Rick Wingrove, of the Godless Americans Political Action Committee, talked about gearing up for the November elections.
Next up: biblical scholar/biology professor/ancient linguist Frank Zindler, who spoke on "The Theopolitics of Intelligent Design Creationism." The ID movement is dying fast, and Mr. Zindler explained why this was inevitable.
Beverly Hills attorney Eddie Tabash warned us of the rightward tilt of the Supreme Court and a looming constitutional amendment to "prevent desecration of the flag" which would weaken the First Amendment and "deify" a secular object -- outrageous (and totally un-American) concepts for this nation.
Wrapping up the day's speakers was "Devil's Game: How the United States Helped Unleash Fundamentalist Islam" author Robert Dreyfuss. He's an expert on the complex history of Islam and how our current President (and past Presidents) have, through ignorant meddling with and subsidizing of Muslim religious ideology, led to 9/11 and the civil war in Iraq. Check out his blog, The Dreyfuss Report.
The mood was celebratory at the evening banquet dinner, where, after an awards ceremony, atheist comedian Jamila Bey kept us in stitches with her "Joy without Jesus." She's the spawn of a Muslim father and a Southern Baptist-Catholic convert mother. Her husband is Jewish. Talk about a walking punch line!
9 comments:
So, what do you talk about? I mean isn't a convention like that really preaching to the converted if you will?
A friend of mine pointed out that an athiest can never say I told you so :)
Mr. T ~ We talked about ... atheism! Aren't most conventions a collective of like-minded individuals and/or a focused topic?
There was no "preaching to the choir" because no "conversion" was needed.
Actually, there are many topics peripheral to atheism that were discussed. See my overview of the speaker's topics in my post.
As for your friend's comment, I'd counter that a "believer" can never say "I told you so" as well. (Where's the evidence for their extraordinary claims?)
I'm betting that there is no afterlife; so I'm living this life to the fullest. How about you?
I'm picturing a soundtrack to the convention to be played in the hallways and conference rooms. Songs like "Dear God" by XTC or "Imagine" by Lennon. Or would those be too obvious?
Cheer loudly for Dave Fitzgerald for me!
My friend was referring to Pascal's wager - when we die, if there is a heaven, the people who believe there is 'something' have the opportunity to laugh and blow raspberries at us godless cretins, whereas if the athiests were right, when we die, we've got no opportunity to rub their noses in it. I'm not meaning we need any proof, but to have some sense of continued existence after death leaves you with the better odds to be smug about it :)
Radio ~ Great songs, but you are right, it would be too obvious. Much like how an archeologist's convention would not be playing "Dig It" or "King Tut" or "Walk Like an Egyptian."
Moreover,"Dear God" is not really an atheist song, because the singer is talking to God. (Well, then again, the last line is "I don't believe in you.") "Imagine" is beautiful, but it's directed at those who still believe in a Heaven and a Hell and supernatural stuff in the sky.
Abyss ~ I was front-row center for Fitz. I did not see behind me, but I was told that he got a standing ovation at the end!
Mr. T ~ Ah, yes, Pascal's Wager. How about a corollary, "FreeThinker's Wager," if you will:
When we die, if there is no afterlife, atheists will have lived a full life because they were not expecting another life. Theists will have wasted precious time planning and worrying about an afterlife. If there is an afterlife, atheists get a "bonus" and theists get another chance with another life. With no afterlife, the atheist has nothing to loose and the theist has everything to loose. With an afterlife, the atheist has a dividend, and the theist just gets what they expected.
Interesting convention. You may be interested in Neurotheology -- A new field of research in the neurosciences that investigates the brain activity that accompanies and is responsible for various religious beliefs and experiences. A popular book in this area (by Andrew Newberg, Eugene D'Aquili and Vince Rause) is called "Why God Won't Go Away". The reason presented there, and in many other books and research articles, is that religious experiences are rooted in the biology of the brain. Apparently having religious and mythological beliefs and experiences has been adaptive for humans, and so we have evolved with brains that tend to establish and follow such belief systems.
The best reply to an atheist is to give him a good dinner and ask him if he believes there is a cook.
He he he.
Larry ~ Thank you for the book tip. Neurotheology sounds like a valid reason to explain why we "advanced" humans still cling to such primitive beliefs. Sam Harris, I understand, is pursuing this area of study.
Anonymous ~ Ah, yes, the atheist would believe in a cook; and would deliver praise to the cook rather than to a god. That's the way it should be!
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