Honors were given to the morning's speakers: Philip Paulson received the "Atheist in Foxhole" award for his federal challenge of a religious cross on state land in San Diego. Paulson v. City of San Diego has been ruled in his favor, but the city keeps putting up legal roadblocks. The "Freethought Heroine" award went to Dr. Wafa Sultan, a former Muslim who riveted the Islamic world with her outspoken Al-Jazeera TV debates with a Muslim cleric. She now lives in California, free of religious oppression in her native Syria. Lastly, Denver Post editorial cartoonist Mike Keefe won the "Freethought in the Media: Tell It Like It Is" award. Keefe's cartoons can be viewed here.
After lunch, we heard Salon.com's Michelle Goldberg weigh in on the rise of Christian nationalism. This is the topic of her first book, Kingdom Coming. Attorney and former Air Force JAG Mikey Weinstein delivered a passionate speech about how we must not keep silent about the creeping evangelism in the military. (Amusingly, the outside roar of the "Fleet Week" Blue Angels provided the soundtrack to his speech.) His new book is With God on Our Side: One Man's War Against an Evangelical Coup in America's Military.
A booksigning (with sold-out books and long lines) preceded the banquet dinner and a drawing for "clean" money -- $2 raffle tickets bought a chance to win various denominations of pre- "In God We Trust" US currency.
The most anticipated speaker was Julia Sweeney, of Saturday Night Live (and "It's Pat!") fame. These days, she has found a niche in performing critically acclaimed monologues. Tonight, after being presented the "Emperor Has No Clothes" award, she performed her latest monologue, "Letting Go Of God." For about two hours, she told of her long personal journey from devout Catholic to matured atheist. She is very well-read and well-traveled, and her "spiritual journey" involves, among other things, Santa Claus, nuns, the Galapagos Islands, Buddhist temples, and Deepak Chopra. It begins and ends with Mormon boys. The whole monologue is deep, heartfelt and funny too. It made me think of an extended Garrison-Martineau dialogue. I bought her hot-off-the-press CD recording of LGOG, and am eager to listen to it again soon. (It's a beautifully packaged 2-CD box with a 102-page booklet with the complete show transcript.)By all measures, this was a successful convention. It's nice to know that America is growing more secular, and that more people are talking about Freedom From Religion!
13 comments:
"Nonprayer Breakfast"...
i like that! :+)
I dont like religion either. But Jesus is my saviour. Confused? Well... I believe in God, but not in religion. God isnt religious. He is love.
Religion is about mans attempts to please a higher force. Christianity is about how God reach out to man. The other way around! Its a huge difference.
I am sure that if people just got to know who Jesus really is, most of them would like him a lot! Im sure of it.
Greetings from a norwegian blogger :)
"Moment of Bedlam" - now why can't they institute THAT in our schools.
As for God - I'm proud to say I don't know. I don't know the nature of God or no God - and no one else does either. I get peeved when fundamentalists of any and every type insist that they "know God." So arrogant.
Why is it arrogant if someone actually has experienced Gods power in theire lives? Well, He changed me totally. Made my life so much better, and filled me with his peace and love.
For me this is reality. Should I just ignore the fact that my life was changed to the better the same moment I accepted Jesus as my saviour... just so people shouldnt see me as arrogant?
Anybody who experiences great things in life...whatever it might be... cant shut up about it. So why should those who has felt Gods touch shut up?
Just curious...
Karen ~ We like the Nonprayer Breakfast too. More time to socialize with our dining companions, and more time to EAT!
Rune ~ Sounds like you have a "personal" relationship with "God" and "Jesus" rather than a "congregational" relationship with a "religion." Many people here in the US (perhaps in Norway too?) say they are "spiritual, but not religious." That sounds like where you are at. Whatever "floats your boat!" But how sure are you that a supernatural power totally changed you? Can't you find the power within yourself to make your life better?
Peace and love to you (from FreeThinker, not from a god!)
CoyoteGirl ~ Believe me, it's fun to be allowed to scream and make a big racket in a "Moment of Bedlam!" Sorta like a secular "speaking in tongues" … except we know it's just nonsense.
You say you don't know the nature of God or no God. Do you consider yourself an atheist? Or an "agnostic?" Or something else?
Peace and love to you too!
Hi FT:
It really was a fantastic convention, wasn't it? Sam Harris was brilliant, too. I have to say, I was really blown away by all the speakers this year.
It's fantastic to see that folks are reading your blog in Norway! Hallo, Rune! Hyggelig a treffe deg. Unnskyld meg, Jeg forstar ikke Norsk bra. I wish I spoke Norwegian better, but your English is great - tusen takk!
Speaking as both a former Christian and a current Atheist, I wish all Christians were as good natured as you. So often they are arrogant and judgemental, and proud to be ignorant and intolerant about other people's beliefs, science, and the world in general. It sounds like Christianity is working for you, and if it makes you a better person, hey I'm all for it, whether religion is true or not. Unfortunately, for many people, religion is making their lives worse. Personally, my biggest problem with Christianity is that I find most of what it teaches is simply untrue, and the parts that are true work just as well whether you're a Christian or not.
More later - Ha det!
-Dave
Ok, here's my spiel, and my reply visit to your blog (thanks for posting on mine).
Religion disgusts me. It is man-made. Man has been making gross mistakes and fucks things up totally, no matter what he gets his hands on (I mean, look at women, ha, kidding).
But seriously. I believe in God, but I feel that there is no punishment or purgatory if you fuck up on earth. I think we all go to heaven and relax after the hell we've been through on earth.
As I mentioned in my reply comment to you over on my blog, God, when he returns, is going to be pissed off, but I don't see him killing off all the bad guys. We all seriously have fucked up, folks, by playing religion as a trump card in order to instill fear into those that don't believe in what others believe. That is like blackmail.
Interesting site. I will check it out now and then to see what nutcakes you're talking up. Let's face it. The atheists are just as fucked up as the holier-than-thou christians.
"It begins and ends with Mormon boys"...
There is much brilliance in that line you know!
Freethinker~ Of course we can get a better life based on inner resources. But yes - I am sure that what I experienced back in 88 was God. Even if every man can have a good life, I dont believe that the sudden overwhelming peace that filled my hole beeing was something I made myself. It blew way all fear, and it felt like the last puzzle came to place. It just clicked inside me. The best thing yet - its still there. That reminds me of what Jesus once said (in the Bible): "My peace I give unto you, its nothing like the peace the world can give you".
Im aware of americans ofetn hypocratical use of God and religion. You talk about born again christians, right? That is were I will put myself. Because its been a supernatural change in my inner man. My beliefs is in other words not just an idea or good thoughts.
Love and peace right back at ya, freethinker! :)
religion is what people hide behind to gain power and control..
Thanks for posting to my blog! I guess because of the cartoon mocking atonement and the rest being German, you might have guessed that i was an atheist, too, but no.
However, i just saw your blog and the Freedom From Religion Convention and i love the idea of a non-prayer breakfast :-)
Judging from the pics it still looks a lot like church to me. There is a community of people caring for each other, sharing their lifes, learning from each other, just being friends. There are meetings with speakers and rituals. Your preachers are turning their non-faith-faith into money by selling books and CDs. So i might feel quiet at home ;-)
Steve ~ Sounds like you are not really diggin' life, and expect to have a happier existence after death. Why not make this life happy, just in case it's the only one?
Miz B ~ You must hear Julia's monologue for the whole story of how she first learned something from the Mormon boys who came a-knockin' to how, years later, she educated a new set of Mormon boys who came a-knockin' -- nice "bookends" to her story.
Rune ~ If it works for ya, I'm happy for ya. I used to know a guy who had a similar overwhelming peace after he was abducted by space aliens. I'm not comparing God vs. space aliens, but whatever works for someone, works!
I think most Americans (believers and nonbelievers) would agree with you that on the whole, we are hypocritical regarding religion. That's one reason why I like the topic so much. We go through the motions, but we just don't talk about or analyze religion as much as we should.
Gypsy ~ Also known as "the opiate of the masses."
Traui ~ Things like a community of people caring for each other, sharing their lifes, learning from each other, just being friends, meetings with speakers and rituals, selling books and CDs looks a lot like church to you? These things may happen in a church, but they are human universals -- secular things that have nothing to do with religion. Churches, in the US at least, seem to be focusing less and less on religion, with activities like bingo, day care, weight-loss programs, field trips, etc. with little more than lip service to their belief systems. With some exceptions, they are becoming more secular. Why not just drop this pretense of religion and be free?
I'm turned off to religion also and have been for quite a while. Whats interesting to me is that my family of mother and a sister were and are total Christians. It just hits me wrong for some reason. For example I was just listening to something on the web with a southern baptist talking how he sees the development of religion and Jesus as being between men who "sharpen each other like metal swords." There is endless verbiage like this concerning religion. You 'man up" like this and then have a big family where you are seen as a man among Christian men. Otherwise you stay a wimp and are a doormat I guess. See, that bugs me, a worldview like that.
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