From Arlene Marie: Disturbing report on the Wyandotte Street Fair

Fellow Atheists,

Arlene-Marie sent the following message to her mailing list. Many of you are on that same list, but I wanted to post it here to reach a wider audience. Rest assured, I will be in Wyandotte next year, and I encourage as many people as possible to make a point of attending. I am only sorry I wasn't able to stand with the people who were there this year.

Hello,

Michigan Atheists confront the good, the bad, the ugly
and the very ugly.

After several failed attempts over the past two
years Michigan Atheists finally made their first appearance at the Wyandotte
Street Fair, July 8 – 11, 2009, 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM daily.

It's
interesting to note that Wyandotte is part of a group of about 22 communities
known as Downriver -- as in down the river from Detroit and often referred
to as ‘the cultural wastelands.’

We knew that this, our first
appearance in Downriver would raise eyebrows for many while bringing surprise
and delight to others. Indeed, dozens upon dozens of fairgoers were
pleasantly stunned to see our booth. Over and over we were told they never
imagined that Atheists would be openly on the streets in Downriver. They
were delighted to talk with us and eager to receive our literature and
books. A few even shed a tear of joy while others revisited our booth
several times just to be in our company.

However, little did we
know that those with raised eyebrows – you know who they are; those who
disapprove of our Atheism with familiar nasty looks, rude comments and
condemning us to hell would be the least of our problems. It would be the
ugly and the very ugly who would remind us of the horrors of public Atheist
activism in the 70’s.

For all four days we were actually
stalked by those who seemed to be on a mission to vandalize our presentation
table. Stalkers visited us frequently or stood close at hand watching and
waiting for an opportunity to catch us off guard. One woman seized the moment
and rushed to our table, gathered up every book on our table (new books donated
by two authors) and tossed them into a filthy trash can. A few hours later she
returned and kept reaching over our table attempting to provoke us into physical
(hand) contact. Several other taunting visitors, when asked to leave, got
seriously in our faces saying, “make me,” while still others would pick up a
book or literature, look us straight in the eye and tear it up while laughing
and jeering. Always present were those who told us to leave and go
back where we came from. I assume they meant the closet.

No closet for us. Michigan Atheists will return to the
Downriver cultural wastelands next year if the powers that be, the fair
committee, permit.

Applause, applause to Dee, Linda,
Joe, Lisa, Robbins, Howard, Gary, Steve, Spike, George, Ernie, Lee and Andre for
staffing our booth with courage, passion, conviction and a cool head.



*
*
*

And, as a footnote, Michigan Atheists are
currently staffing our booth at the Ann Arbor Street Fair. The fair runs
through Saturday and if you are in the area stop by and say hello.


Arlene


ARLENE-MARIE,
Michigan Atheists State Director*Director, Michigan Atheists Affiliate
*Chairman, American Atheists Convention 2009*American Atheists, Inc., Board of
Directorsamarie@atheists.org Phone: 313-938-5960 http://www.michiganatheists.org/PO
Box 0025, Allen Park, MI 48101American Atheists is a nationwide movement which
defends the civil rights of nonbelievers, works for the separation of church and
state, and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.

Religion-based discrimination against homosexuality supported by House Resolution 115

On June 25, Representative Tom McMillian introduced House Resolution 115 into the Michigan Legislature. This bill supports the practice of religious discrimination against homosexuality by alleging that Eastern Michigan University unfairly discriminated against a graduate student in their counseling program, Julea Ward, who refused to see a client based on her objection to his homsexual behavior.

It is EMU policy not to discriminate based on sexual orientation. EMU's faculty told Julea Ward in classes prior to her counseling Practicum that she could under no circumstances counsel a student to change their homosexual behavior.

Ms. Ward did refer the case to another counselor before the first meeting, so no harm was done to the student, but should someone's faith-based choices to be intolerant of others be tolerated in a professional setting? Should our legislature be condoning this practice?

Michigan Atheists will remember Tom McMillin in his role as the Mayor of Auburn Hills, where he was often the go-to person for a counterpoint in the press regarding issues of separation of state and church. His common line was that we were trying to rewrite history by supporting separation of state and church--that the United States is a Christian nation founded on Christian principles.

Read more about the resolution and the court case here:

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-9106-Detroit-Church--State-Examiner~y2009m7d5-Tolerating-intolerance-Michigan-House-Resolution-115

Find and contact your representatives here:

http://house.michigan.gov/

Salvation Army Harbor Light program in Michigan appropriations bill

On April 22, the Michigan House of Representatives passed an appropriations bill that included funding for The Salvation Army's Harbor Light program, as it has annually for several years.

The program has been in existence in the Detroit area since 1939, and has expanded across the country. It provides rehabilitation services for substance abuse and programs for the homeless.

While the program itself does not appear to involve proselytizing, the continued state funding for the activities of The Salvation Army and those of other religious charities, such as those run by the Catholics, provides stability, assets, and PR for religious organizations.

The question raised in my mind about this program is this: what does this program offer that a secular alternative cannot? If money is to be appropriated for substance abuse, as with this appropriation, then why not choose a secular non-profit or have a state-managed operation? Does the state take bids on this sort of service?

I will be exploring this issue in depth, since I have seen funding for this program on appropriations bills since 2001, when I began following legislation in Michigan. In the meantime, read more about it here.

Writing for The Examiner

I have become the Detroit Church & State Examiner for Examiner.com. I have several article ideas, but there are two ways I want to involve Michigan Atheists. First, I want to give Michigan Atheists as much positive publicity as I possibly can, since the primary reason Michigan Atheists exists is to educate the public about separation of state and church issues. The second is that I want to document individual events and help promote them.

I will be writing four to five articles per week for Examiner.com. While I won't be focusing one hundred percent of them on Michigan Atheists, I would like to raise awareness of issues by presenting the facts on Examiner.com, then coming here and calling for action when it is necessary.

I would love your thoughts.

My first article may be found here.

Michigan Atheists State Director to be on Lou Perry Radio Show

WHO: Arlene-Marie, Michigan State Director
WHAT: Guest on the Lou Perry Radio Show
Topic: church and state issues
WHERE: WLBY Radio – 1290 AMAnn Arbor, Michigan(covering a number of communities in Michigan, but not a national program)


WHEN: Sunday, January 25, 2009 12:30 p.m.
CALL-IN: 734-827-1290


ARLENE-MARIE, Michigan Atheists State Director*Director, Michigan Atheists Affiliate *Chairman, American Atheists Convention 2009*American Atheists, Inc., Board of Directors
amarie@atheists.org
Phone: 313-938-5960
http://www.michiganatheists.org/
PO Box 0025, Allen Park, MI 48101

Correction

My appearance on the bob Dutko show will be on January 28th. I corrected it in the article, but corrections within posts already created do not get sent to the group.

Another Bob Dutko Show Invitation

Some time ago, I made a deal with one of my colleagues at work that if he'd read a book on evolution, I would debate Bob Dutko on 103.5 FM on the subject. Bob Dutko is a Christian radio talk show host who believes in a literal interpretation of the Bible.

I emailed Bob, telling him I was a biology major in college (before I switched), that I am a board member for Michigan Atheists, and that I would like to debate with him regarding evolution. He responded promptly, and that's how it began.

Since then, we've had conversations (they are not formal debates in any sense) about separation of state and church, the plausibility of dinosaurs and humans coexisting, and the existence of gods. We're having another round regarding the last subject.

There have been mixed reviews. Some people will say I did well; others will say I missed this or that point; others will say that I failed to "go for the jugular". All I will say is this: I am not going on Bob Dutko's show to win or lose. I will answer his points as well as I can and as time allows, as always, but my real goal is to demonstrate that an Atheist can stand his ground and be civil about it. My goal is to show Bob's audience that Atheists aren't bitter, angry, hateful people; we're rational, sane, and reasonably intelligent.

So far, it's worked fairly well. Bob's audience members have called and written him to say that the Atheist he had on seemed like a nice guy. They like that I don't try to shout him down--which means that ultimately, they'll be likely to listen to the whole conversation. I know that several of my colleagues at work do, and their feedback has been positive. I've given them things to think about. They may not give up religion, but at least they know someone who is an Atheist, so their prejudices toward and caricatures of Atheists have to come into conflict with what they know about me.

In any case, the show will be airing live at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, January 28, for anyone who wants to listen.

Southfield Churches Involved in Michigan Politics

In the pictures above, we have three churches (two pictures are from one church) in Southfield, Michigan, which have become involved in state politics by advising voters to vote "no" on Proposal 2, an initiative which deals with public funding for stem cell research.

Whatever view voters take on stem cell research and the public funding of it, the issue here is that churches may be overstepping their bounds when it comes to maintaining their tax exempt status. They are quite welcome to preach within their walls about the "evils" of stem cell research, but when it comes to telling voters how to vote, and not just their congregants, but every voter who drives along Lahser, Berg, and Ten Mile Roads in Southfield (just to name a few--I have seen these signs in front of churches in Clawson and Royal Oak, too), they should refrain from telling voters what to do with their tax dollars--or they should pay their fair share of taxes.

The churches in the pictures are Our Lady of Albanians on Lahser Road, Mother of God Chaldean Catholic Church on Berg Road, and the Church of the Transfiguration on Ten Mile Road.

If you see any churches with signs in front regarding ballot proposals or supporting candidates, please snap a picture, if possible, and send it to gregtreich@comcast.net.

Opening night of Bill Maher's "Religulous"

Hello, fellow Michigan Atheists!

The open night of Bill Maher's "Religulous" is October 3rd. Michigan Atheists are invited to attend this event.

We will be meeting up with the Detroit Atheists Meetup and the Center For Inquiry for this event.

The event will be at the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak at 6:45 this Friday.

Arguably, Religulous is the most arrogant major motion picture to date. Comedian Bill Maher makes blasphemous fun of religion, from the Muslim riots over cartoons to the Ten Commandments in front of courthouses, to a born-again Christian in the White House and Scientology in the birthing room.

Running Time: 1 hr 41 min

MAIN ART THEATRE
118 N. MAIN STREET
ROYAL OAK, MI 48067

Map to the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak:

click here

Faithmongering

We get a constant barrage of assertions almost daily during a campaign season that hold faith as a value.

While Michigan Atheists does not engage in promoting messages like those in the picture on the left, it's not difficult to understand why people make them. The incessant flood of "God bless America" and "one nation under God", the constant inclusion of "faith" and "people of faith" in political speeches, tends to alienate Atheists from the political process; they're not talking about us, after all, and we don't seem to matter to them. If someone calls them on how their faith boils down to some of us, they should not be surprised.

Videos like the one below demonstrate how some religious people--not just Christians--sound when they try to convert us:

As noted above, this sort of response to proselytization is understandable, and even amusing, but when it comes to fighting for separation of state and church, it makes our allies who believe that religion is a matter of private conscience, that religious displays in the public square trivialize their religion by making it generic, think that all we want to do is rid the world of religion altogether, rather than live and let live.

What we have here are two major problems: the religious people in politics (or the politicians pandering to the religious voters, as the case may be) push faith as a value, while alienating those of us who do not hold faith to be a value at all, and we have nonreligious people lashing out at religion in retaliation.

What we do not have enough of are politicians who happen to be religious (never mind the fact that nonreligious politicians barely exist at all!) making a point to reach out to their nonreligious contituents, and nonreligous people promoting the ideas that have made us choose to be free from religion in our personal lives.

To the faithmongers, I say: faith itself is not a value. People with faith have been on every side of every issue throughout recorded history, and most likely from the time faith became a part of the human condition. People of faith were abolitionists and slaveowners. They have been on both sides of every war--and before Dinesh D'Souza or one of his surrogates jumps in with a Stalin, Mao, or Pol Pot reference (or, amazingly, Hitler), I want to clarify that I am not limiting my definition of faith to deicentric (if that's not a word, it ought to be) religions, but to ideologies based on untested assertions of any sort.

Both Democrats and Republicans seize on faith as a value--and yet their values, at the grassroots, are vastly different.

No, faith is not a value in and of itself, because faith is a generic term that simply means belief without (or, sometimes, in spite of) evidence.

So, religious politicians (or panderers), please stop referring to faith as a value. Refer instead to your values themselves, as they relate to the issues. Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and all other religions have their own sects that are subsets of the major labels--and there are thousands of each, all with varying value systems. They do not think on a unified front, and have often been at odds with each other, sometimes for centuries.

The Constitution prohibits religious tests for any office under the United States in Article VI, so appealing to faith during a political campaign, while not technically a violation of that article, is tantamount to thumbing your nose at it. You are supposed to be running for offices that uphold the Constitution, not pandering to religioius people in spite of it. Inclusion of nonreligious people is not exclusion of religious people. Besides, only about thirty-seven percent of the United States is religious; religion is only somewhat important or completely unimportant to the remainder of the population.

As for the other issue I mentioned--too many negative responses to religion and not enough positive ones--I call on my fellow Atheists to come up with positive messages that define who we are. We're a diverse group; we have only one thing in common, and that is our rejection of gods (and superstition in general) as myth. Michigan Atheists organize to fight for separation of state and church and for the civil rights of Atheists, so if you're here, you probably have that much more in common, as well.

What guides your life? Critical thinking? Science? How has it worked out for you? Do you take things as they come, plan ahead? Why is separation of state and church important to you?

Send your articles, videos, one-liners...if something you've read sums up how you feel, pass it along. Carl Sagan talked about his awe of the universe. Robert Ingersoll talked about the benefits science brought humankind, as does Dawkins today. What's it like to live a religion-free life?

Also welcome are your examples of how you have not been treated as an equal citizen. While these submissions will most likely not be positive, they are our reality, and people--especially the faithmongers--need to know about them.

MICHIGAN ATHEISTS STATE CONVENTION
DECEMBER 6, 2008

Best Western Executive Plaza
Ann Arbor, MI 48103

SPEAKERS
Edwin Kagin: National Legal Advisor, American Atheists
Ed Brayton: President of Michigan Citizens for Science
Norm Cohen: Son of a Rabbi now Atheist Activist
Arlene-Marie: Michigan State Director, American Atheists

SPECIAL EVENT ON SATURDAY:

*Separation on State Street in the hotel theater. Producer/Director, Rob St Mary, plaintiff Anonka, plaintiff attorney, Edwin Kagin will be present for comments, questions, DVD and book signings*

SPECIAL EVENTS ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008:*Friday, December 5, 2008, 5:00 – 7:00 PM we will welcome our speakers at a dinner reception in the hotel dining room then move to our private suite for an evening of refreshments and friendship.
VENUE: Best Western Executive Plaza, 2900 Jackson Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103 (734) 665-4444

LODGING: Save travel and gas. Enjoy the reduced convention room rate of only $$74.99 plus tax for double beds and $64.00 plus tax for kings. You must make your reservation directly with the hotel, (734) 665-4444 prior to the cut off date of November 6, 2008

$30 Convention registration. You may registrar at the door. $16.50 Saturday Private Luncheon: Entrées: Broiled Salmon or Chicken Marsala served with Garden Salad, Baked Potato, Vegetable, Rolls, Coffee, and Tea. Vegetarian & Vegan meals available. Note: Luncheon reservations and entrée selection must be made prior to December 1, 2008

BONUS PACKAGE: For early registration (prior to November 21st) take advantage of the bonus package CONVENTION AND LUNCHEON $41.50
INFORMATION? Arlene-Marie @ 313-938-5960 or amarie@atheists.org or www.michiganatheists.org .
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Enclosed is a check in the amount of $_________payable to George Shiffer, Treasurer or Michigan AtheistsName(s)________________________________________________________________________________
Address_______________________________________________________________________________________

Phone: ________________________Email____________________________________________________

Number attending Convention:___Number attending Luncheon:___

Entrée choices: Broiled Salmon___Chicken Marsala____Vegetarian___Vegan____
Number attending Friday “Welcome Speaker Dinner Reception”_____(on your own for dinner tab)

Number attending Friday “Speaker Welcome Reception” for refreshments and friendship ____(no fee)Send to: Michigan Atheists, PO Box 0025, Allen Park, MI 48101

Michigan Atheists Sunday Afternoon Gathering

SUNDAY AFTERNOON GATHERING



Michigan Atheists meet the first Sunday of every month.



DATE: August 3, 2008

TIME: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

WHERE: Denny’s 39550 Ann Arbor Rd. E, Plymouth Twp. 48170. Phone: 734-459-0880. Directions: I-275 to Plymouth exit 28. Denny's is located on the Northeast corner of Ann Arbor Road E just off I-275.

Please join us at our Sunday Gathering in our private room for friendship, food, announcements and reports. Need more information? Call Arlene at 313-938-5960

ARLENE-MARIE, Michigan Atheists Affiliate Director
amarie@atheists.org Cell: (313) 938-5960 michiganatheists.org
POBox 0025, Allen Park, MI 48101



Michigan Atheists is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, social and educational organization defending Atheists civil rights and dedicated to the complete and absolute separation of state and church.

"Action without discussion is dangerous. Discussion without action is futile

Introducing the Michigan Atheists Blog

This page is the official blog of Michigan Atheists.

The purpose of this blog is to discuss the activities of Michigan Atheists, legislation pertaining to separation of state and church, the civil rights of Atheists, and anything else relevant to the organization.

The official website continues to be http://www.michiganatheists.org. You can find upcoming events, contacts, and information on the site.

This site is dedicated to discussion and action.

If you have any questions, please direct them to Greg Reich.