Atheists and Other Freethinkers

While arranging to host April Hollon as AOF's speaker for March 2010, an interesting fact emerged: April is an atheist! She describes herself as an "atheist Druid." April and Jennifer Jaffe, who will appear with her, are directors of The Sacramento Grove of the Oak.

AOF will host no general meeting in February. In lieu of it, AOF will support the Sacramento Darwin Day event, a celebration of science hosted by the Sacramento Community of Reason.

Doors open at 2 o’clock, and main program starts at 2:30 p.m. The main speaker is Dr. Andrew J. Marshall of the University of California at Davis. His Topic: How conservation depends on evolutionarybiology. The event will also include entertainment, vendor tables and refreshments.

In 2007, at American River College in Sacramento, some fundamentalist Christian students and community citizens organized and targeted non-Christian students and other minority groups with malicious propaganda. Over the next year these individuals garnered local and national media attention for their continued efforts.

Once again AOF will join hands with the Humanist Association of the Greater Sacramento Area (HAGSA, http://www.hagsa.org/) to celebrate the Winter Solstice and the turning of the year. Festivities will include music, camaradie, and the usual potluck fare. The location will be the Southside Park Cohousing Common House, 434 T Street (southwest corner of 5th and T streets). The Common House is in the courtyard at the center of the housing complex; if you enter from T Street, you will see it straight in front of you.

What better way to celebrate the holiday season? For our Dec 2009 speaker, AOF is delighted to host Prof. Matt McCormick, Associate Professor of Philosophy at CSUS. Dr. McCormick will treat us to a peek at his new book, “The Case Against Christ.” We will learn how belief in a divine Jesus is inconsistent with sense and rationality (never mind that a pretty good pic of him appeared on my pancake this morning). Prepare to be challenged, uplifted and enlightened. An abstract of Dr. McCormick’s book follows.

Guest Speaker: Leigh Johnsen, Ph.D.
SMUD Headquarters Conference Center, 6201 S Street, Sacramento
Q&A following presentation

How often do we hear that America is a Christian nation, that the political system of the United States was founded on Christian principles and that its legal structure today should reflect those origins? This presentation questions that popular assumption. It examines evidence from the colonial and revolutionary years with the goal of understanding better the intentions of the founding generation.

AOF is honored to present our November speaker: Carole Harper, founder of El Porvenir. For 20 years this organization that has made a true difference for remote, impoverished Nicaraguan villages, supporting community-initiated water, sanitation and reforestation projects. Carole recently returned to the United States after a years-long residency in Nicaragua; she now lives in Davis.

Alert! Do not go to the Sierra 2 site on this date. AOF will have no General Meeting on October 11. Instead, in tandem with the Sacramento Community of Reason, AOF will bring you Sacramento's Eighth Annual FREETHOUGHT DAY FESTIVAL, in CESAR CHAVEZ PARK, 10th and J Streets, Sacramento.

At AOF's September meeting we are fortunate to have as our speaker CSUS professor Dr. Bahman Fozouni. His talk is titled “Iran’s Flawed 2009 Presidential Election: Domestic and International Fallouts.” Dr. Fozouni will give an informed perspective on the aftermath of Ahmadinejad’s disputed election, and the ensuing “Green Revolution.”

What's on your mind? Say it at the Summer Sizzler
Room 10, Sierra 2 Community Center
2791 24th Street (2 blocks south of Broadway, Sacramento)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This event gives atheists and other freethinkers an opportunity to speak out on issues that are of importance to them. It is also an opportunity to eat and socialize. We welcome local freethinkers to participate in the food and oratory. FOOD: Simple and “summery” (i.e., refreshing).

Is the issue of same-sex marriage best handled at the state level? What happens when a gay couple married in Massachusetts moves to California? Rob Power, Chairperson of Outright Libertarians, an association of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other selfidentified "queer" (LGBTQ) Libertarian Party activists and supporters, will talk about his personal experience and how it illustrates the problems arising from varied same-sex marriage laws throughout the country.
Rob Power holds an MBA in Manufacturing

AOF is very pleased to be hosting historian and atheist philosopher Richard Carrier at our June 14 meeting. He will be traveling from San Francisco to talk to us about his new book, Not the Impossible Faith: Why Christianity Didn’t Need a Miracle to Succeed. Dr. Carrier describes his talk as “an amusing tour of my latest book, which exposes the lousy scholarship and probable dishonesty of the infamous online Christian apologist J.P. Holding.

This year, AOF will repeat its co-sponsorship of last year's Flying Spaghetti Monster Party. It will be held on April 12th, 2009, known to many as Easter Sunday. Scheduled to begin at 1:30 PM and run to 3:30 PM, there will be spaghetti and other food and beverages, entertainment, two pirate costume contests (1 for adults and 1 for children through age 14) and a door prize. Suggested donation is $5 per person.

Location: The Common House of the Southside Park Cohousing Community, 434 T Street, Sacramento.

What's the big deal if "under God" is in the Pledge of Allegiance? So what if the motto is "In God we trust"? Does it really hurt anyone if "so help me God" is added to the president's oath of office?

At the March general meeting, noted atheist activist Mike Newdow will discuss these matters and how his three current lawsuits (challenging each of those practices) revolve around that question.

Light refreshments will be served. Traditionally, a post-meeting get-together is held as well for those wishing further social interaction. Hope to see you there!

Two hundred years ago, Charles Darwin was born (on the same day as Abraham Lincoln). Sacramento will be celebrating on Sunday afternoon, February 8, at the same location as last year (La Sierra Community Center in Carmichael). This will also be Sacramento’s 12th annual birthday celebration, an event that commemorates not only Darwin's contributions to science and humanity, but celebrates the broader concepts themselves.
 

Join us this January 11 for a retrospective on the most proactive religion-in-government administration in recent memory. Local freethought leader and author Bill Potts will speak on “Whither Bush? Where are Bush and his fellow travelers now, and where will they be after January 2009?”

Mr. Potts has the background to speak authoritatively on the Bush administration. After spending three years researching and writing, he published the book Bushopedia in June of 2006.

Compassionate community members in the city of Davis have developed a secular solution to the problem of hunger. And they need our help.

Four times a year, AOF assists the Davis Community Meals Program with their weekly Tuesday meal event. AOF has partnered with Davis Community Meals since 2000.

Where: Southside Park Cohousing’s Community Room, southwest corner of T Street and 5th Avenue, Sacramento. The Common House is within the complex.
When: Sunday, December 21, 12:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Why: Because we like you!
How: Admission is free. Bring a dish to share or come empty-handed and share your time.
What (shamelessly grabbed from Wikipedia, “The Free Encyclopedia”):
HumanLight is a Humanist winter holiday celebrated in late December of each year. HumanLight was established by the New Jersey Humanist Network in 2001 to provide a specifically Humanist seasonal celebration.

Do not miss December 14th annual fundraiser meeting. Plan on relaxing, getting to know some other members, enjoying the auction items and food. Please, plan on bringing and buying. Your jobs?

This month, AOF's Dinner Social will be held at:

Thai Basil
2431 J Street, Sacramento
5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

Map: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=2431+J+Street,+Sacramen...

Please RSVP to or 916-419-2105

Sunday, November 9, 1:30—4:00 PM
AOF Board Elections for 2009;
Rosalie McClung Presents
“Raise Your Hand”

Location:
SIERRA 2 CENTER
Room 10
2791 24th Street
Sacramento, CA 95818

Raise your hand if your mother was a nun. Anyone…anyone? Is Rosalie the only one? Okay, now raise your hand if you're sure the human race believes weird things.

At the Sunday, October 12 spot on your calendar, put "FTD, Sacramento" so that when that date arrives, you'll be heading to Sacramento for our 7th Annual Freethought Day Fair.
Freethought Day is a celebration of reason, freethought and church-state separation featuring speakers, live music, education expo, and children’s activities.
Free admission. 12-5 pm, Waterfront Park, Front & L Streets, Old Sacramento.

Compassionate community members in the city of Davis have developed a secular solution to the problem of hunger. And they need our help.

Four times a year, AOF assists the Davis Community Meals Program with their weekly Tuesday meal event. AOF has partnered with Davis Community Meals since 2000.

Description:

Paul Martin, AOF’s September featured guest, forwarded us this bio:

"BABY KILLER: Fired For Immorality" is the outrageous, true story of Marie Bain, told through song, dance, and multiple characters, of her involvement with the Catholic church, Planned Parenthood, and the 1st Amendment.

In this documentary, Bain plays 34 people and characters as she relates, with emails, blogs, and newspaper articles, (punctuated with musical interludes), the events that led to and through her hiring, firing, and lawsuit against the school, the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento, and the bishop.

***

Compassionate community members in the city of Davis have developed a secular solution to the problem of hunger. And they need our help.

Four times a year, AOF assists the Davis Community Meals Program with their weekly Tuesday meal event. AOF has partnered with Davis Community Meals since 2000.

NOTE: Postponed. Don writes: "Due to Don’s injury the July Highway cleanup is being postponed until the weekend of the Autumnal Equinox, Saturday, September
20 @8a.m. SO, you have another chance to get out there and have a different kind of experience. Circle the date, and join the Hiway Gang."

Description:

July features the comedy team of Keith Lowell Jensen and John Ross of the CoExist Comedy Tour. Keith will also show a few excerpts of his recent feature film, "Why Lie I Need A Drink," an exploration of homelessness and panhandling from a first-person perspective. Keith’s bio, from the CoExist Comedy Tour web site:

“When not on stage performing comedy, Keith likes to panhandle dressed as a banana (or a mime, mummy, what have you) resulting in the recently released documentary film, "Why Lie, I Need A Drink."

Sacramento will be lucky to have a visit by internationally known Humanist and Indian Social Reformer, Dr G. Vijayam, of The Atheist Centre (A.C.) in Vijayawada, India.

He will be in the US for the annual World Humanist Congress in Wash., D.C., and is being sponsored by AOF to come to Sacramento, JUNE 19-22. SEE CALENDAR at the left.

You will have three planned events to interact with him. First, on Friday, June 20, a 5PM supper meeting--call 974-7922 for details. Come meet him; he wants to meet local Free-Thought community.