Illini Secular Student Alliance

Noah's Penis Causes Slavery, God Gets Kinky, and 200 Foreskins

2012-02-13T07:52:00.001-06:00

When I decided to write about a few of my favorite passages in the Bible, I had plenty of options. From children getting mauled by bears for laughing at a bald guy to Jesus killing a plant for kicks, I didn't need to look far. However, these four deserved special attention.

True Bible Story: Kinky God wants Moses to check out his butt.
Moses and God finally decided to meet face to face, but there was a problem. Anyone who looks at God’s face dies. No problem, though, God had a plan. He strutted by, and as he passed Moses he let him check out his “back parts”.

Hawt

True Bible Story: God trolls architects.
What happens when humans become organized, productive, and breach cultural barriers? God puts his troll face on! The gist of Genesis 11 is that simply that – people want to build a city and a tower as a center for progress. Seems like a great idea, but God was having none of that. “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other LOL! And there was much rejoicing.” Alright, maybe I inferred that last bit. If you don’t have anything breakable in reach, you might want to check out this children’s version. (The King Nimrod bit was added much later by Josephus).

True Bible Story: Noah gets drunk and naked, and his son Ham walks in on him.
It sounds like a PG father-son moment, but in first millennium Mesopotamia looking at another person's genitals was quite the transgression. Knowing this, Good Guy Ham warned his brothers outside the tent, and they covered up their father without looking (let's face it, they probably peeked). Somehow Noah “knew” what happened. So what does he do? Instead of thanking Ham for his decency, he puts a curse on Ham’s son, Canaan. And that’s the story of how slavery thrived in the Bible Belt. Christians make lots of sense.

What has been seen ... cannot be unseen

True Bible Story: Saul wants 100 foreskins, David brings him 200.
In place of a dowry for his daughter’s hand in marriage, Saul wanted 100 Philistine foreskins. So David rounded up the troops, and got Saul 200 foreskins. There’s no further explanation. And thus the overachiever was born.

If these passages had been included in my youth Bible, maybe the whole religion thing would have appealed more to me. What’s your favorite Bible story?

Darwin Day on the Quad -- Pics or it didn't happen!

2012-02-10T18:16:00.000-06:00

Another year, another Darwin Day on the Quad. AND another squirrel friend! Thanks to everyone who came out today in spite of the nasty weather. We had a blast!

Darwin Day on the Quad!

2012-02-10T09:31:00.000-06:00

Darwin's birthday is this weekend, but ISSA is celebrating early this year! Come enjoy one of these tasty cakes between 10 and 3:

Your eyes do not deceive you: That is Darwin riding a Galapagos turtle.

Last year was so much fun that we're not about to let the first real snow in a month keep us inside, so see you soon!

But Think of the Children! A None-Too-Formal Study

2012-02-10T07:44:00.000-06:00

For those of you who missed it, Phil Ferguson gave a wonderful little talk at last week's ISSA meeting, about the cyclical nature of religion and the paramount importance of educating children about science, especially those with less-than-responsible parents who might otherwise expose their fragile young minds to what Phil called the "narcotic" of religion. While I agree that educating the young'uns is one of the best things we can do to promote secularism, I was a tad troubled...even though religion may be fraudulent and unnecessary, are we truly very much better than 'them' if we cajole and entice youngsters to make life harder on themselves by becoming atheist and deny them the chance to come to their own conclusions? So, I set out to perform a little experiment.

Using everything this guy taught me.

A good friend of mine (who's asked to remain unnamed) works at a childcare center part-time and on the weekends, and I called in a favor. I asked her to ask as many of the children in her care as she could a couple simple questions: "what do you wonder about science?" and "what do you wonder about God?" These kids are quite young, four to six years old, and I wondered if by exposing them to science, we might be giving them what they want, rather than expanding their horizons forcefully. Over the course of a week, she surveyed her whole 40-kid class and e-mailed me what she wrote down of the children's responses. They were absolutely amazing.

Each and every one of the kids had something they wanted to know about the world, from why the Earth was round to where the dinosaurs went. The preschoolers wondered about how cars worked, how markers worked, and even how the drinking fountain worked. They were curious as to why their teacher wore glasses--and why she wore a dress, when the janitor couldn't. Many of the kids polled said that they enjoyed talking with their parents about science, and learning from them. One little youngster even said that he wondered why some people were religious and he wasn't (what a lucky little guy). He seemed to be one of the only kids who was willing to speak about religion, though. The large majority of the class came from religious backgrounds, the childcare center being located in your standard Christian-dominated suburban neighborhood. And the kids? They were downright scared to discuss religion.

The class had a lot of questions about why they had to go to special school once a week and why they couldn't stay with their parents in the chapel. They didn't understand why they had to eat the "gross crackers and grape juice". A lot of them were uncomfortable answering the question at all, even when it was asked by someone they trusted and respected. A few went so far as to ask why they couldn't see or talk to God. Most disturbing of all, many of the kids, including those that were normally fearless and outgoing, got clammed up when asked their opinions on God. More than one mentioned that their parents had told them not to talk to strangers about God, and that the only person they should listen to for advice on the spiritual was their priest. Not one of them, when polled, said they would even consider talking to their parents about religion. Why? Well, because religion is "grown-up stuff."

That, dear reader, is disgusting. That these kids, who hadn't even started school yet, should already be so forcefully indoctrinated into a group that not only told them to not question their beliefs or discuss them with strangers, but didn't want them to even have a discussion with their parents or fucking think for themselves, is monstrous. I'd say it's relatively clear from my informal study that almost every kid has questions about the world. By teaching them science, we're not indoctrinating them into anything, but helping them answer the questions they already have. But the continual parade of lies that their churches and temples give them doesn't help them understand the world better. In their own words, it confuses them and makes them hesitant to think critically. So listen to Phil. Talk to kids about science, ignite their creativity, let them discover things for their own good, especially those that might be exposed to more than their fair share of dogma. They're the ones that truly need it.

President Obama's "War on Religion"

2012-02-08T09:16:00.001-06:00

A recent decision by the Department of Health and Human services has put the White House at odds with Catholics around the nation. Republican presidential candidates have picked it up as a talking point, and given Santorum's surprise victories in Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri last night - it's not going anywhere anytime soon. The media calls it a "War on Religion," but really it comes down to common sense.

Here's the issue: on January 20, the Director of Dept. of Health & Human Services issued a press release stressing that "scientists have abundant evidence that birth control has significant health benefits for women and their families." Therefore, she argues, religious healthcare providers must give "women with health insurance coverage ...access to the full range of the Institute of Medicine’s recommended preventive services, including all FDA-approved forms of contraception."

Catholics say they don't believe in birth control (though almost all actively use it) and shouldn't be made to have it available for people who seek medical care at their facilities. Unfortunately for them, medicine is a matter of fact and does not change despite what one might choose to believe. People who are not Catholic will make use of these facilities, and as medical providers these Catholic institutions have a responsibility to give these people the highest quality care in every respect.

Since this is apparently a difficult concept for some to grasp, I have included an informational diagram.

Click to Enlarge

What I find fascinating about this is the way the mainstream media has branded this controversy as another battle of some ongoing "Culture War." I suspect that if coverage of this decision were less sensationalist (or if people simply read the press release itself), there wouldn't be much of a controversy at all.

More interesting still is the way the right wing media has portrayed this decision as an official declaration of war on religion as a whole by President Obama. There are a number of issues with this, the first being that it implies the president played a direct hand in the decision making process of the Department of Health and Human Services - a large bureaucracy staffed by thousands of medical professionals and career administrators. It would be obvious to anyone who has studied how the executive branch actually functions that the president does not micromanage such decisions.

The second and most important issue with calling this the beginning of Obama's "War on Religion" is that it hasn't even been a week since President Obama spoke publicly about his faith at the National Prayer Breakfast . After this speech, the president was roundly criticized by conservatives for using New Testament quotes about poverty and charity to frame his reelection campaign.

Yes, you read the correctly. The right wing media is simultaneously criticizing the president for declaring war on religion while attacking him for his professed Christian beliefs. It is a crystal clear illustration of the absurd double standard we have in this country where Christians claim to be persecuted when they are denied special privilege. This is why our cause is important. This is why we fight.

Evolution ISSAn't just a theory!

2012-02-07T23:14:00.001-06:00

The weekly email of the Illini Secular Student Alliance!

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Greetings, Darwinian disciples!

We hope you enjoyed Phil Ferguson's presentation on breaking the cycle of religion this past Thursday. Good stuff, right? In other news, DARWIN WEEK is upon us -- an entire week celebrating the life and times of the closest thing we've got to a god, culminating in ol' Charlie's birthday this Sunday, February 12th! We've got some things planned. Read on for details...

Weekly Meeting
This week's meeting will take place Thursday, February 9th at 7:30pm (NOTE THE NEW TIME!) in Noyes 165 -- click here for a map.

On The Agenda
In keeping with the theme of the week, Dan and Rebecca talk evolution! They'll dispel common misconceptions/misinformation and tell us how evolutionary theory factors into our daily lives.

ISSA at Murphy's
After the meeting, we'll adjourn to Murphy's, as is our tradition. We welcome anyone and everyone who can make it, regardless of whether or not you plan to drink. It's a great chance to get to know your officers and godless cohorts better!

Darwin Day on the Quad
Darwin's birthday comes early! Join us this Friday, February 10th from 10am to 3pm for a little celebration on the Quad. It wouldn't be a birthday party without delicious, nerdy cake! You won't want to miss it.

ISSA Party
(Saturday, Feb. 18th)
First party of the new semester, and it's gonna be off the chain! That's an expression, right? More info to come. Stay tuned!

Bleedin' Heathens
Blood Drive
(Saturday, Feb. 25th)
WE WANT YOUR BLOOD! No, really... Every two seconds, someone in the US requires a blood transfusion. And roughly 20% of all blood used in transfusions is taken from college age men and women just like you! Do your part to help save a life! Details to come.

The Reason Rally
Saturday, March 24th
The first event of its kind, and in our nation's capital, no less! Guests will include Richard Dawkins, Adam Savage, Tim Minchin, James Randi, Bad Religion and many, many others. We'll be making the trip (how could we not?) and we'd love for you to come along! Interested? Please sign up here.

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Got something secular(ish) on your mind? BLOG ABOUT IT! Posts from members are always welcome -- simply email lliniSSA@illinois.edu if you're interested.

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It's God's Money, and He Needs it NOW!

2012-02-02T08:22:00.000-06:00

When I was in Chicago's Millennium Park with some friends a couple of weeks ago, a homeless man approached us, selling copies of the Onion newspaper. He assured me that if I gave him money, the “Good Lord” would repay me.

Why are the homeless so devout? I think it has more to do with the mentality of the religious than the poor. I doubt people in such circumstances are as pious as they appear; they’re simply using an emotional appeal to target Christians. Although we need not pass judgement on those in dire straits, religious leaders aren't exactly living on the streets. Christianity has always loved to incorporate guilt into its doctrine, and this case does nothing to contradict the tradition. This is especially evident in congregational offerings. I was an usher at my local Methodist church for over four years, and have seen how hundreds have been manipulated into funding an unworthy cause.

Each church service is planned beforehand, and the offering is placed where it will maximize income. This varies according to the tone and subject of the sermon, but tends to fall near the end of the message. While music is played (with underlying themes of parting with one’s wealth), the collection plate is passed through the pews. It baffles me why schools don’t teach this as an example of peer pressure, because clearly these “Love Offerings” are more effective than any drug dealer or school miscreant could aspire to be.

As if this isn't enough, churches also use scripture to coax cash from the congregation. Commonly cited in sermons, Mark 12: 41-44 suggests that even those in extreme poverty should donate what little they have to the Church. It’s easy to attribute a sense of heroism to the “poor widow”, but when we look at it rationally we realize that her “few cents” were only adding to the wealth of the Church. Even if we look at modern churches, those that claim to help the poor, who would be more deserving of aid than the widow? Clearly the woman should have pocketed her coins and moved on. In other places, however, the Bible’s errancy is clearer. If Christians truly believed in their sacred book, I’d be tempted to take all they own – wearing a shirt with Luke 6:30 printed on the front.

Religious leaders are admittedly more successful at fleecing believers than the homeless, but they both use similar tactics. (Although the case for the latter is much more forgivable). If you truly want to donate, put your money behind an organization that publishes how much doesn’t end up in the hands of the deserving. It’s all nice and dandy if I tell you, “It’s better to give than to receive,” but it’s rather twisted if I then tell you to give to me.

P.S. - Atheism is a non-profit organization. (Wink wink).

Hyena Ladyboners and why Evolution is Weird

2012-02-01T11:30:00.000-06:00

As a biology student I love talking about weird phenomena in nature, as an atheist I love talking about how intelligent design is infeasible, and as an immature man-child I love talking about genitals. Occasionally these loves come together in harmonious union. In this case I am talking about the female spotted hyena, and how you wouldn't know it was female for the 7 inch shaft hanging between its legs.

Max didn't want to post pictures of penis-like objects in Friday's sex toy post. Lucky for you, I have no such qualms

The mechanism by which this occurs is a fascinating example of how evolutionary fitness can come at a cost. As anyone who has seen hyenas can attest, they can be pretty vicious, and life in the African Savannah can be pretty unforgiving. In such a dog eat dog world (Puns!) being of an aggressive nature is an incredible advantage. So pregnant hyenas give their pups bursts of androgens in utero; androgens being a class of steroidal hormones closely associated with aggression in animals.

However, this advantage comes with a catch. The androgen family of steroids includes testosterone, which I'm sure you're familiar with as the hormone that makes men especially manly. When the fetal hyenas happen to be female however, it makes them somewhat manly as well; causing the elongation of the clitoris into this 7 inch pseudopenis, along with two flaps of skin that were once labia fusing to resemble a scrotum.

It's a trap?

Now at this point you might be wondering "Hey, this is cool and all, but what does it have to do with the intelligent design you mentioned before?" Well, it has everything to do with the biological costs of those androgens being released. When I say that the androgen exposure causes some problems, I don't mean something minor like it now has to worry about tripping over itself. With the shift in the reproductive morphology, it makes the mating process incredibly complex, and the childbirth (described as "tortuous") involving the stretching and eventual tearing of the clitoris in order to permit birth.

So when you put the hyena's girly girth alongside ID's view that every adaptation is divinely inspired, that celestial designer starts to look pretty inept. The hyena's pseudopenis only makes sense when you consider it as an evolutionary balancing act between the advantages it gives (aggressive young with high chance of reproductive success) and the disadvantages its byproducts cause. As long as an adaptation gives a higher net chance of passing on its genes, then it will propagate, even if it causes faux phalluses in the process. As their divine designer must be infallible by his nature, intelligent design simply cannot account for phenomenon such as these, and thus cannot be considered a valid explanation for the variety of life found on this earth.

It wouldn't be advISSAble to miss this week's meeting!

2012-01-31T23:08:00.001-06:00

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Greetings, rambunctious rationalists!

We had a blast at the Flying Spaghetti Monster Spaghetti Dinner last Friday, and we hope you did too! Don't fret -- there's more food comin' your way with this month's Food for Freethought! Read on for details...

Weekly Meeting
This week's meeting will take place Thursday, February 2nd at 7:30pm (NOTE THE NEW TIME!) in Noyes 165 -- click here for a map.

On The Agenda
ISSA's beloved advisor (and leader of the local group Champaign-Urbana Freethinkers) Phil Ferguson tackles how to break the cycle of religion. Phil's presentations never disappoint. You won't want to miss it!

ISSA at Murphy's
After the meeting, we'll adjourn to Murphy's, as is our tradition. We welcome anyone and everyone who can make it, regardless of whether or not you plan to drink. It's a great chance to get to know your officers and godless cohorts better!

Food for Freethought
Don't worry, you can still sleep in! But be sure to join us this Sunday, February 5th for some good times and a whole lot of pizza at Jupiter's! Need a ride? We'll be leaving from the Illini Union at 1:00pm -- just meet us out front! RSVP via the Facebook event page.

Darwin Day on the Quad
(Friday, Feb. 10th)
Darwin's birthday comes early this year! We'll be on the quad celebrating the life and times of the closest thing to a god we've got! And there's more... CAKE! Delicious, nerdy cake! You won't want to miss it.

ISSA Party
(Saturday, Feb. 18th)

First party of the new semester, and it's gonna be off the chain! That's an expression, right? More info to come. Stay tuned!

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Reserve a book now!

Got something secular(ish) on your mind? BLOG ABOUT IT! Posts from members are always welcome -- simply email lliniSSA@illinois.edu if you're interested.

Heathens gotta represent! Get your ISSAwear here.

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The Man Behind the Atheist Temples

2012-01-30T07:48:00.000-06:00

It has recently been announced that Alain de Botton has plans to build a series of temples specifically for atheists in the UK. It is, if nothing else, an interesting idea, so I thought it might be worth learning a bit more about Alain to get some background on why he's doing it. It seems like this guy is kind of everywhere- In addition to being a writer (and apparently an architect), he and his colleagues set up something called the "School of Life." Instead of describing it to you I'll just copy a blurb from his own description:

The School has a passionate belief in making learning relevant – and so runs courses in the important questions of everyday life. Whereas most colleges and universities chop up learning into abstract categories (‘agrarian history’ ‘the 18th century English novel’), The School of Life titles its courses according to things we all tend to care about: careers, relationships, politics, travels, families. An evening or weekend on one of its courses is likely to be spent reflecting on such matters as your moral responsibilities to an ex partner or how to resolve a career crisis.
The School offers communal meals, holidays and a beautiful shop with fascinating gift vouchers and other items. It also has a division offering psychotherapy for individuals, couples or families – and it does so in a completely stigma-free way. For the normally reserved British, it must be a first to have an institution that offers therapy from an ordinary high street location and moreover, treats the idea of having therapy as no more or less strange than having a haircut or pedicure, and perhaps a good deal more useful.
The School attempts to put learning and ideas back to where they should always have been – right in the middle of our lives.

So, the idea is that the "School" offers different workshops that could be useful for people, not in a spiritual sense, but a more rational one. Examples of courses include "How to Find a Job You Love," an Urban Wilderness Retreat, and "Photographing London." Each of these are led by people who have some sort of expertise in the area they are discussing. It seems to touch upon the less obvious aspects of things we should value and go towards the more abstract.

The School of Life also offers "sermons" where experts talk about a wide variety of topics, such as one sermon where Tony Buzan, who claims to be the inventor of Mind Mapping (and at the very least has written a book on the subject), discusses the value of daydreaming, and how to hone your daydreaming skills (or something along those lines).

It's not just sermons that Alain thinks that the nonreligious should start copying, however. He has recently written a book, "Religion For Atheists," where he argues that instead of repeatedly debating fundementals, we atheists should steal ideas from the religious. On his site (unfortunately I'm not prepared to buy the book yet) he gives a couple of examples, including:

Build a sense of community
Make our relationships last
Overcome feelings of envy and inadequacy
Escape the twenty-four hour media
Go travelling
Get more out of art, architecture and music
Create new businesses designed to address our emotional needs

I can understand some of these points- building a sense of community is something that the religious do very well, and something that the nonreligious haven't quite perfected, although they are definitely working on it. But I think he gives religion too much credit- for example, where does religion encourage travelling? Does religion really help making relationships last? As far as I understood it divorce rates among the conservative religious were higher than atheists. It seems atheists are already doing a better job than their religious counterparts, so if anything the religious should be taking some pointers from us. Most of the points on here, as a matter of fact, don't really seem to be things religion tends to focus on, regardless of whether they are good ideas or not. I feel like he's kind of missing the point- religions sometimes cover these topics, but if they do, they're do it completely wrong, or for the wrong reasons (for God). We, as atheists, need to start from scratch, and determine what values are worth pursuing independently of religion telling us what they are or why we should be doing it. And we do do that.

As far as the temple specifically, Alain's justification is that "you definitely don’t need a god or gods to justify a temple. ‘You can build a temple to anything that’s positive and good. That could mean: a temple to love, friendship, calm or perspective.'"

Yes, you can build a temple to whatever you want. But does that mean you should? The entire point of a temple is that it is a place of worship, and it will be tough to convince any atheist to worship anything, even friendship or love (why would you worship an idea?). Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of making buildings that are truly awesome to look at- things that are beautiful have value to them, and it doesn't make sense that only the religious should build them. But people do this already, and have been doing it for millions of years. And in most of these religion has played no part.

I think the monument on the right is the temple.

The first "temple" Alain is planning on building is a giant tower. It is 46 meters tall, which is supposed to represent the age of the earth, with each centimeter representing one million years. At the base is a 1mm band of gold, representing man's time here on earth. The idea is to make us feel humbled and give us perspective (ala Pale Blue Dot). When I read this idea I truly liked it. That kind of physical comparison for timelines that are so hard for humans to grasp is very valuable, and doing it in such a grand scale makes the message that much more strong and more impressive. And awesome to look at.

But Alain ruins it all by calling it a "temple for atheists." Don't call it that. It's not. Call it, "A Monument for Humanity." This is a temple for everyone. It's not just the atheists that are that 1mm gold band. All of us, all of humanity, is represented there, and by saying it's for atheists, you're going to be having the message lost to those who need it the most.

Religious People Have Sex, Too? Whoa, Man. Whoa.

2012-01-27T08:15:00.000-06:00

For the last few centuries, apparently, religious folks have had absolutely no problem making families through totally ordinary, non-kinky, Sunday-school appropriate copulation. I'm talking about every married couple in history, ever. But... Recently they've gotten into some more 'modern' stuff. Since apparently consummating your deity of choice's everlasting love in the back of Dad's pickup followed by a hastily arranged shotgun wedding is becoming passé, over the past few years there's been a sharp rise of websites offering advice and products for the sexually entrepreneurial religious couple, be they Jewish, Christian, or Muslim. And these are not basement-quality shady back alley vendors, folks, these are successful online storefronts in a growing industry. So, why is it suddenly acceptable for pious folks to have a desire for anything beyond the sexual vanilla?

Any attempt at a relevant image would be very, very naughty, so use your imagination.

One possible reason could be the growing trend of churches that offer and encourage couples counseling services, and even the amount of Christian schools that have a bare minimum of sex education. Hardly due to pressure from the inside, mind you, but because of extensive pressure from parents, who are perhaps not too eager for their children to have the same sexual misadventures and bad experiences as they did. Their sex ed programs are still usually based on the idea of abstinence as the only method of birth control, of course, instead of discussing birth control. As for counseling, there's a whole list of sites that eagerly put religious couples in touch with mediators, and these services, too, are expanding. Just as in their treatment of sex (and of little boys, perhaps), it seems that some of our larger religious institutions may have finally come to the conclusion that ignoring problems doesn't solve them.

Still, though, the modern Church is not exactly a haven of sexual honesty and/or freeodm. Religious couples are many times more likely to participate in unsafe sex because of a lack of birth control, the Pope's stance on what African people should be doing to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS remains clueless, and devout women are much more likely to have unsafe abortions. And I really, truly, can't see a time in the near future when a couple will be able to speak openly with their priest, rabbi, imam or what have you about their sex life, even if it is in trouble. I hate to call buying a dildo 'progress', but, for now, it's a step in the right direction.

The Magic of Reality--What We Should be Reading Next

2012-01-26T08:18:00.000-06:00

As many of you may know, ISSA has created its own freethought library to help educate members with the wisdom of some of skepticism's brightest minds. The latest book I hope to soon add to our collection is The Magic of Reality: How We Know What’s Really True by Richard Dawkins, which was published only a few months ago.

You know a book is good when it has a sexy cover like this one!

While this book is written for older children, adults will find it just as engaging. As a lifelong atheist, I was impressed at the amount I learned from it. Possibly its greatest strength is the clarity with which it explains concepts like evolution: Why there are no “in between” species, as creationists are so fond of pointing to as “checkmate, atheists!” Dawkins asks us to imagine a stack of pictures—one of us, one of our father, one of his father, so on and so forth until we hit our 185 millionth great grandfather - a fish.

The resemblance is striking...I think I have his eyes.

Dawkins then directs us to the first hundred or so pictures…they are all clearly human, but each is a little different. He then explains that this is the idea behind evolution—gradual change, each child being the same species as its parents, but a little bit different, and eventually the 50,000th or so great grandchild would be unable to create viable offspring with the original. That is when we consider it a different species.

Not quite.

When creationist friends of mine brought up the “in-between” argument, I was always awful at explaining why exactly they were wrong. The argument was there in my head, but expressing it in clear, concise terms was always difficult for me, But in Dawkins' book, I have found foundational scientific concepts explained in a straightforward manner, helping me articulate the evidence for unduly controversial science. Not only atheists looking for a great way to express concepts, but religious people wondering what science has to offer, will find this book fascinating.

Have you been touched by hISSA noodly appendage?

2012-01-24T22:46:00.001-06:00

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Greetings, propitious pastafarians!

This week is all about those among us that follow the gospel of Flying Spaghetti Monster (praise him), so break out that ritual headwear and get ready for an awesome week! Read on for further details...

Weekly Meeting
This week's meeting will take place Thursday, January 26th at 7:30pm (NOTE THE NEW TIME!) in Noyes 165 -- click here for a map.

On The Agenda
Fresh off Activity Day, this meeting will be devoted to getting to know our new members! We'll play super fun games and review ISSA's accomplishments from the last year. You won't want to miss it!

ISSA at Murphy's
After the meeting, we'll adjourn to Murphy's, as is our tradition. We welcome anyone and everyone who can make it, regardless of whether or not you plan to drink. It's a great chance to get to know your officers and godless cohorts better!

Flying Spaghetti Monster Spaghetti Dinner
Join us this Friday, January 27th at 7:00pm for a eucharist unlike any other. Pasta sure beats communion wafers... Praise FSM! He boiled for your sins, so you better eat up. RSVP via the Facebook event page.

ISSA Party
(Saturday, Feb. 18th)

First party of the new semester, and it's gonna be off the chain! That's an expression, right? More info to come. Stay tuned!

	Like us on Facebook!
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Reserve a book now!

Got something secular(ish) on your mind? BLOG ABOUT IT! Posts from members are always welcome -- simply email lliniSSA@illinois.edu if you're interested.

Heathens gotta represent! Get your ISSAwear here.

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The spring semester ISSA here, and we've got a new meeting time!

2012-01-17T21:22:00.001-06:00

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Greetings, affable atheists!

We're baaaaa-aaack. Welcome to the spring semester! ISSA has loads in store for you this term, and it all begins this Thursday with our first weekly meeting of 2012! Read on for further details...

Weekly Meeting
This week's meeting will take place Thursday, January 19th at 7:30pm (NOTE THE NEW TIME!) in Noyes 165 -- click here for a map.

On The Agenda
An awful lot happened while we were away! We'll take some time to remember the late Christopher Hitchens, then it's onto discussion of secular wunderkind Jessica Ahlquist's recent legal victory and its repercussions.

ISSA at Murphy's
After the meeting, we'll adjourn to Murphy's, as is our tradition. We welcome anyone and everyone who can make it, regardless of whether or not you plan to drink. It's a great chance to get to know your officers and godless cohorts better!

Flying Spaghetti Monster
Spaghetti Dinner
(Friday, Jan. 27th)

Pasta sure beats communion wafers... Praise FSM! He boiled for your sins, so you better eat up! Details to come.

ISSA Ladies' Night
(Saturday, Feb. 18th)

Us godless girls gotta stick together! Last semester's Ladies' Night was so much fun, we thought it was high time we had another. Bon bons, bonding and non-theism -- stay tuned!

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Evil Little Things

2012-01-15T18:24:00.004-06:00

If you've recently been hiding under a rock (or not reading r/atheism), you might have missed the amazing story of 16-year-old Jessica Ahlquist and her recent lawsuit to remove a prayer banner in her public high school. Just last week, a federal judge ruled in her favor and it looks like the school district will take down the banner rather than continuing to futilely challenge the Constitution with taxpayer money.

Ahlquist

Despite winning the battle, Jessica has found herself stuck in the middle of a war between rabid religious ideologues and those who support a secular society, free from state sponsorship of any faith. Police in her Rhode Island town are investigating a number of threats against Jessica found online - surely only a fraction of the abuse hurled at her from the anonymous confines of the internet by grownups who consider themselves representatives of Christianity. This, from a faith that markets itself as being emblematic of compassion... It's a phenomenon as disturbing as it is unsurprising.

Equally disturbing but less expected is the most prominent of Jessica's naysayers: Her own state representative, Peter Palumbo. On January 12th, State Rep. Palumbo was a guest on the John DePetro Show and shared his thoughts on Jessica. His words?

"...What an evil little thing..."

Has there ever been a less appropriate reaction by a representative regarding a constituent, let alone a minor? I can't think of one. Truly, something is wrong here and Peter Palumbo needs to know it. I immediately emailed him, saying:

I am not represented by you, but I wanted to take a moment to thank you for speaking your mind on the Jessica Ahlquist issue. Your words were exactly what this country needs to hear right now. Thank you for laying bare how small-minded and hateful a healthy dose of "Christian love" will make a population. A grown man calling a high school girl an "evil little thing" for upholding the Constitution of the United States of America against the superstitions of its largest cult is precisely the image I believe Christianity deserves in this country. I look forward to seeing your likeminded constituents continue to vote for you in large numbers as an example of how base and inhuman a person of true faith can become. You, sir, are representative in more than title alone.

ISSA Vice President Rebecca Tippens exhibited a bit more tact:

You are not my representative. In fact, I hadn't heard of you before today. And yet, in just a few words, you've made a lasting impression. How dare you call Jessica Ahlquist an "evil little thing". As a politician, you of all people should know that personal matters and political ideals are very separate things. It is clear that you disagree with Jessica on the issue of separation of church and state, but that disagreement does not speak to her moral character. I would venture she is a more upstanding and courageous individual than yourself -- certainly she would not abuse a position of power to make ruthless ad hominem attacks on members of the general public with dissimilar values.

In the absence of a public apology, you will continue to represent to myself and others the sort of hatred and bigotry that is found at the intersection of religious belief and public policy.

I hope it is within your capacity to take these words to heart.

Email State Rep. Palumbo yourself, let him know what you think of his attitude towards his constituent and the freedom of (and from) religion that is part of this country's founding principles.

Jessica Ahlquist has been a masterful advocate of a free and secular society, a young leader who has already accomplished a great deal and deserves our gratitude. Say thank you by aiding in this fight. State Representative Palumbo is as much a symptom of this sectarian scourge as was the prayer banner itself.

Don't Pray Away the Game

2012-01-05T13:43:00.010-06:00

Now I'm not exactly the biggest sports fan in the world, but I've always been fascinated by the role religion plays in motivating the athletes. In any given game you've likely got at least a couple people on each team praying for a favorable outcome - but both teams can't win. This dilemma ought to be obvious to anyone who thinks about it for a minute, and yet it doesn't seem to deter players from praying away. So with that in mind, I wonder exactly how effective prayer is in motivating a young athlete. Well, over the course of the last week or so I've managed to catch my fair share of the seemingly endless slew of college football bowl games, and I think I may have found the answer.

Let's first take a look at the endgame of the prestigious Tostito's Fiesta Bowl, in which Stanford - tied with Oklahoma State at the end of the game - had the ball within field goal range. Oklahoma State employed a tactic known as 'icing' the kicker, meaning they used a time out right before the field goal attempt in order to psyche out the opposing kicker. The Stanford kicker, Jordan Williamson, turned to his god in order to take his mind off the mounting pressure of an entire stadium focused exclusively on him. He took a knee and made a pose commonly known as the Tebow - named after mediocre Broncos quarterback and Christian fundamentalist Tim Tebow - in what was obviously an act of prayer on the sideline. While the cameras didn't catch the act itself, they did catch the aftermath: a blown field goal, followed by a second blown field goal in overtime, ultimately resulting in an Oklahoma victory.

You can't help but feel sorry for the kid, really. But his story runs in clear contrast to a similar situation faced by the University of Michigan in the Sugar Bowl days later. They needed a field goal in order to bring the game into overtime against their opponents, Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech used a time out in an attempt to 'ice' the Michigan kicker, Brendan Gibbons, who proceeded to tie and then win the game with two field goals. After it was all over, a reporter asked Gibbons what it was he thought about while he was being 'iced' by Virginia Tech. His response is below:

And so it appears that if young athletes need motivation, they might want to turn to brunettes on the beach before they turn to god.

What a Year!

2012-01-01T08:15:00.000-06:00

2011 is almost over, and what an amazing year we've had! ISSA has been so busy that we really haven't had any time to look back and appreciate all the things we've done. So, now that we get to relax a little during break, we thought it would be nice to give everyone a little summary of the calendar year. There's too much to cover everything, so I figured I'd at least get a lot of the highlights.

Let's start off with all the amazing speakers we brought in to educate our campus. In March we were honored to hear Greta Christina, a prolific blogger who discusses sex and atheism (not necessarily at the same time) and is really moving up in the ranks of the atheism movement with her passionate and moving speeches. Her talk at U of I discussed how the nonreligious can look at sexual ethics and some serious problems with sex and religion.

ISSA and Belief in Question members pose with
David Fitzgerald before his talk.

In April we brought in world-renowned skeptic Michael Shermer, author of "Why People Believe Weird Things." We had an awesome turnout, filling up a room of almost 300. In September we brought in David Fitzgerald, who discussed why we should be very skeptical that a historical person named Jesus ever existed at all, looking from a historical perspective drawing from the knowledge many impressive biblical scholars. Lastly, in November, we partnered with nine other organizations to bring in Carlton Pearson, who shared his unique views on the importance of community and the role of religion for bringing people together as well as serious moral issues with the idea of Hell.

One of ISSA's goals has always been to build relationships with other groups on campus, and 2011 was a great year on that front! One of the most exciting things we did was our Interfaith Bake Sale where we raised money for families hurt by the Japan tsunami, and we managed to raise an impressive two hundred dollars. We also hosted multiple Interfaith board-game nights with our friends from the Navigators and the Muslim Student Association.

ISSA members and other groups at the house of the children
we bought gifts for for the Giving Tree event.

Just this past December we hosted our second annual Giving Tree Event, where ISSA, Interfaith in Action, the Newman Catholic Center, the Navigators, and the Jain Student Association all teamed up to by holiday gifts for families in need right in our own community. After we all went shopping together we actually went to the families home to give them the presents, making even our cold atheist hearts get a little warmer.

In July, Hemant posted on his blog about how Catholic orphanages were closing because they refused to put children in the homes of gay couples, and that the Youth Service Bureau of Illinois Valley was picking up the pace and taking those children in. In response to this ISSA decided to run a solo service project, and raised $200 for the orphanage by selling hot dogs to (mostly) drunk college students over the weekend.

Over spring break, our group went on a service trip to Florida in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity. Ten members went for a week-long trip and had a blast helping people in need while enjoying the Florida weather. The secular community was very interested in what exactly we did, and we gave a presentation about our service work at a Secular Student Alliance conference so other groups could learn from our experience.

While I am extremely proud of just about everything we have done, one of the things that stands out most was our leadership in creating "National Ask an Atheist Day." With help spreading the word from the SSA, we managed to get over 50 student groups across the country to participate and provided resources for them to make sure their events were a success. It was the first of its kind, and we are working hard to do similar cooperation efforts in the future.

Building a community has always been the most important part of ISSA, and this year has been no exception. In addition to our weekly Murphy's outings, semesterly bar crawls, and parties we started the year off with a barbecue at the Illini Grove, complete with burgers and volleyball. We also had our first ever "Ladies Night," which happened in conjunction with our meeting talking about feminism within the secular movement.

We have been lucky enough to be recognized for all our hard work we've done- at the Secular Student Alliance conference we won "College Affiliate of the Year" award, meaning that we were the top student atheist group in the country. And at the CFI Student Leadership conference we won the "Good Without God" award, thanks to our bus ad campaign we did in 2010 and our significant transfaith work.

ISSA officers accepting the SSA Affiliate of the year award.
AWWWWWWWW YEAHHHHHHHHHHH

All of this is just a fraction of the events we did this year- There's not enough space to include everything else like our Darwin Day celebration, our awesome Blasphemy Day (complete with a comedy improv night!), other conferences we attended, apple picking at Curtis Orchards, and much more. Such an awesome year makes me all the more excited for 2012 - be sure to join us!

Your Freethought Library Update: Our Progress on a Snazzy Timeline!

2011-12-27T09:32:00.004-06:00

It’s winter break and you know what that means – there’sfinally time for a Freethought Library update! 2011 has been a fantastic yearfor ISSA (a review of that year to come) but the library is perhaps our mosttangible accomplishment.

The idea was just one of many that came out of the Center for Inquiry's Student Leadership Conference back in June. At said conference, we learned that several othercampus secular groups had created similar resources, but most (if not all)of these consisted of book trades between members. The concept appealed to me from thevery beginning, but I found the possibility of having to begin anew every year daunting.Instead, I wanted the library to be a permanent fixture.

...Success! In just a few months my vision for the project cameto fruition. With the help of our friends, loyal membership, the fine people of r/atheism and, in particular, theCenter for Inquiry, we went from a handful of books to a legitimate collection– complete with an identifying stamp – in a matter of months! Here’s a little visual of our progress.

Click here for a larger version.

Pretty cool, huh? But we’re not done yet! We’ll continue toadd to the library until we can’t accommodate anything more. Just yesterday a gently-usedhardcover copy of Sagan's Broca’s Brain called to me from across a crowded Goodwill – atrue Christmas miracle!

This year has been a rewarding one in many regards, but perhapsnone more so than watching our membership excitedly browse this collection. In the true spirit of the season, we hope you’llconsider giving to the Freethought Library fund or, better yet, the Secular Student Alliance or Center for Inquiry on Campus. Their unwavering support makes projects like this one possible!

Whatever you celebrate (fingers crossed for Newton's birthday), happy holidays!

Best,
Becca

How Religion Holds the BSA Hostage

2011-12-16T14:17:00.027-06:00

Back in November I wrote a blog post concerning how my love of the Boy Scouts of America conflicted with my Atheism. I discussed how I reconciled these beliefs, and believe the BSA can do the same. It was pretty well received and I got some very useful comments, overall there was much revelry (and ego stroking on my part) to be had. After all this was said and done, I was still left with a feeling that there was far more left in this topic to be explored. Most of this is occupied with how religion affects scouting, how various churches have enormous influence on the BSA, and how they use this influence to force the BSA into maintaining and upholding its discriminatory views.

To get right to the meat of the issue, I have to discuss the meaning of a chartering organization. When it comes to funding, at the troop level most groups aren't exactly rolling in the dough; everything they receive goes right to the scouts (as it should). So when it comes to finding a location for a troop to organize, they look for someone to sponsor them, to take the scouts in and use their space as their own. Sometimes these are schools or other federal buildings. But overwhelmingly the troops are sponsored by churches, with 68.4% of all scout units chartered sponsored by a religious group. Units referring to scout troops, cub packs, and venture crews.

Most of these religious sponsors are some flavor of Christianity, with the LDS church taking the lead, laying claim to 33% of all scouting units. Following closely behind are Methodist and Catholic churches (with 9.8% and 7.6% of units respectively) and then pretty much every religious group past that has a few units to its name.

Scouting With Jesus

Now there's something about that number, the 68.4%, that really scares me. It's not just the mere concept of making 2.6 million kids, starting at 7 years old, associate the church with their physical, mental and moral development under the scouts. What scares me is that the churches, on a national level, have used their sheer numbers to adjust scouting's policies to fit that of the church's views.

Now a bold claim like that requires some backup, and to do that I am going to bring you back to the court case that put controversy in scouts on the map, the case of Boy Scouts vs Dale. As I talked briefly about in my earlier post, this court case was concerning whether refusing to allow homosexuals into the BSA counted legally as discrimination. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the BSA, stating how the decision was allowed under their freedom of association to eject those who disagree with scouting message.

I bring up the Dale decision because it made me wonder why the BSA was so firmly against admitting homosexual and atheist members, I mean Scouting relies on a steady influx of new members and leaders to stay afloat, why would they avoid those who disagree with a small portion of scouting's message while exemplifying the rest; not to mention having to deal with all the bad karma that came from a lengthy and highly publicized court case. I mean surely it was not worth losing all that goodwill because of a few people? Well that's where the churches come in.

You cannot ignore the fact that the BSA's views on homosexuality and atheism line up pretty well with that of the various churches, and the church has it in their interest to keep it as such. In fact during the BSA vs Dale case the Mormon church went so far as officially stating that in the event the Boy Scouts admitted homosexual men, the LDS church would immediately withdraw all support from the organization. "Should the LDS Church leave the program, it would take more than 400,000 Scouts and 30,000 scout troops with it." not to mention whatever pressure was coming at them from the other churches. It's almost like organized religion has the Boy Scouts of America by the short and curlies.

Could you imagine that? The church using its vast numbers to twist and persuade a group to do its bidding, promising immediate failure to any who disagree with them in minor ways. Why, this is beginning to sound a lot like political campaigns, public policy making, or any of the many ways religion has its fingers in everybody's pies. It's a traditional move of the churches to do this, and I am so god-damned angry that gay and atheist children are being deprived of a wonderful organization because of it.

Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide scouting movement, once wrote: "The religion of a man is not the creed he professes but his life -- what he acts upon, and knows of life, and his duty in it. A bad man who believes in a creed is no more religious than the good man who does not." The Boy Scouts of America absolutely has the capacity to act as a secular organization and still maintain the morality it asks of its members. If only religious organizations would let it do so.

Militant Atheist Says We Should Love God

2011-12-12T08:06:00.000-06:00

For most of us, this year’s Thanksgiving wasn’t any different from years past. For right-wing Christians, though, the day was marked by a shocking piece of Obamadrama. In his Thanksgiving address, Obama said he is thankful to serve as President, that his daughters get to be raised in this country, and for the chance to improve our future. Can you see it? There’s a God shaped hole in his speech! While the atheist community reacted in this way, Christians flipped out, even calling him a "militant atheist".

Remember, everything we should be thankful for is due to God. Not luck or hard work.

Probably due to this overreaction, Obama’s Christmas Tree Lighting speech last Thursday was all about Jesus. Normally, I wouldn't mind; everyone has the right to talk about their personal beliefs. However, as President, he should be particularly cautious not to make blatantly false generalizations: "[Jesus] taught us a message as simple as it is powerful: That we should love God, and love our neighbor, as ourselves ... No matter who we are, where we come from, or how we worship, it's a message that can unite all of us on this holiday season."

Yes, there is actually a site called evilGOPbastards.com

Loving God isn't a message our entire nation can embrace, and clearly it divides rather than unites us. What's wrong with gathering in front of the White House "simply to light some decorations"? While some think Obama was making an analogy to immigration reform, particularly the DREAM Act, I disagree. I think Obama was just trying to appeal to the majority, especially after the GOP's Thanksgiving fiasco. Still, it's disappointing to hear such reverence of scripture considering the controversial stance he took while still a senator.

By trying to cater to religious voters, Obama is forgetting the ideals that gained him support from many secularists. While it's amusing that conservatives get so riled up when Obama simply doesn't include religion in a speech, it's acceptable for us to be irritated at this Christian pandering. When government officials don't mention religion, we don't "win". It doesn't mean they're favoring atheists over believers - it means they're respecting the fact that our nation is diverse and governed by human laws.

One week left to the semester... We'll mISSA you over break!

2011-12-06T19:53:00.000-06:00

The weekly email of the Illini Secular Student Alliance!

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Illini Secular
Student Alliance

Greetings, sleepy secularists!

We know these days are rough. Final exams are upon us, and tensions are high. You're probably procrastinating already... So why not do it with ISSA? Read on for details of our last few events this semester!

ISSA Blood Drive
Heathens bleedin' for a good cause! Join us this Thursday, December 8th at the Wright Street YMCA and do your part to help save a life! RSVP via the Facebook event page, and sign up here to donate or here to volunteer your time.

Ugly Sweater Party
Cover that tacky blood donor band-aid up with an even tackier sweater and join us for one last shindig before winter break! This year's end-of-term party will be held at Debbie's place in Urbana this Saturday, December 10th at 9pm. RSVP via the Facebook event page.

One Final Note: If you currently have a book checked out of the Freethought Library, please contact Becca to renew or arrange a meetup time for return. To the rest of you, it's not too late to check something out!

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UIUC Giving Tree 2011

2011-12-04T21:23:00.001-06:00

We at ISSA had an eventful weekend as we teamed up with Interfaith in Action, the Newman Catholic Center, the Navigators, and the Jain Student Association to make the holidays a little brighter for some families in need right here in Chambana.

First, we gathered at the Newman Catholic Center to mingle with our peers, create groups, and assign families to shop for. My group, which was the most ISSA-heavy of all the groups, chose to shop for a local family with three young girls and one little boy.

Then it was off to a local Wal-Mart, where we got to indulge our inner children with a shopping spree in the toys section.

We heard one of the little girls loved Pokemon, so naturally we rushed to that aisle first. After a few minutes of passionate argument over which Pokemon was best for a six year old girl, we made our choice and moved on to the rest of the family.

We heard the little boy loved cars, trucks, and trains (what little boy doesn't?), so we got him a set of hot wheels and a big firetruck that makes loud, realistic siren and honking sounds. I made sure to apologize to the family in advance for that one.

We picked up some art supplies for the other two girls then hastily wrapped up the presents in the trunk of the car and headed out to West Champaign to meet up with our designated family.

Here we are all gathered with the family in the living room. We hung out for about an hour and a half, talking and joking and...

...racing with Hot Wheels cars...

...battling Pokemon...

...and playing with Smokey the Cat.

When we left one of the girls gave us this adorable thank you card. I've hardly been able to stop smiling since I put it up over my desk. My face hurts.

Now I've been likened to Ebeneezer Scrooge more times than I can remember, but I loved doing this and I can't wait to do it again next year. I don't care that the event was centered around Christmas. It was honestly one of the most rewarding moments of my life. We got to help a family going through some hard times and makes some kids feel good in a special time of year.

Taoism as Philosophy

2011-12-02T07:53:00.000-06:00

As an atheist, one of my biggest continual personal struggles (one of most atheists', probably) is to determine where exactly in religion we can separate the bullshit from the genuinely philosophical. After all, even if we decline, for good reason, the idea of any sort of supernatural or divine force, there still surely must be some life lessons to be learned from any particular holy book. One religion that I try to borrow a lot from, while still evaluating its descriptions of the divine, is Taoism. (Not familiar? Click the link, I don't mind. A lot of people have never heard of Taoism...probably because its adherents aren't really into displays of religious fervor.)

Hey, even this guy had some great ideas about the separation of church and state. Maybe.

I was first introduced to Taoism and its literature when I was studying jiu jitsu; my sensei believed that, in addition to physical conditioning, studying the historical beliefs that went along with a martial art was of paramount importance. Despite the fact that I don't consider myself Taoist then, and I don't now, by any sense (after all, it is kind of a snobbish religion: The Way that can be described is not The Way?), I would most certainly consider myself a student of Taoist philosophy. I've read its core works, and I believe the Tao Te Ching, Taoism's principle text, is amazingly well-written and, purely from a philosophical perspective, has some amazing insight into human interaction and how we ought to lead our lives. And, needless to say, I've spent a lot of effort debating with myself as to whether I can truly consider myself atheist when I rely on a religion's advice for guidance.

Am I being hypocritical? I don't believe so. The meaning I extract from a holy book is certainly different than the beliefs held by your average American in their pick-and-choose view of the Bible: "Oh yeah, I think Jesus is a cool guy. I love his views on abortion and I'm gonna get saved. What's that about giving to the poor?" Just like I believe in the altruism that Jesus was so much a fan of, I choose not to believe, at all, anything the Tao Te Ching has to say about the ancient Chinese Pantheon, or my place in the afterlife, or my connection with the five elements. But Taoist literature itself certainly contains stories which in themselves have little or nothing to do with spirituality. The Tao Te Ching and the Zhuangzi both contain numerous moral parables, the lessons from which anyone, regardless of religion, would do well to follow. Lessons on pragmatism, seeking inner peace, and the relativism of life, are useful to everyone. The fact that these beliefs are so well consolidated in one (religious) philosophy, doesn't detract from them, only make them convenient to find.

How about you, dear reader? Do you love the philosophical views of a religion, even though you may reject its spirituality? Most holy books, after all, originally became famous because they had at least a few wise things to say.

This ISSA it! The fall semester's almost over!

2011-11-29T22:49:00.000-06:00

Greetings, skeptical schoolmates!

We hope you had a great fall break! Finals are almost upon us, and that means a few last minute ISSA events before it's time to hit the books. Read on for details...

THIS WEEK --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This week's meeting will be at the usual time in the usual place: Thursday, December 1st at 7pm in Noyes 165. Click here for a map.

On the agenda...

FREE PIZZA and the new "Agnostic Angel" episode of South Park! Need we say more?

ISSA at Murphy's!

After the meeting, we'll adjourn to Murphy's, as is our tradition. We welcome anyone and everyone who can make it, regardless of whether or not you plan to drink. It's a great chance to get to know your officers and godless cohorts better!

E Pluribus Giving Tree Event -- Saturday December 3rd

Join ISSA and our E Pluribus allies (Interfaith in Action, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, the Navigators, and more) as we help make the holiday season a little brighter for needy families in the Chambana area. Together, we'll shop for gifts and present them to the "adopted" families in person. It's a fun and rewarding opportunity to make the world a better place -- one present at a time! RSVP via the Facebook event page.

UPCOMING EVENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ISSA Blood Drive -- Thursday December 8th
Heathens bleedin' for a good cause! Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. requires a blood transfusion. And about 20% of blood used in transfusions is taken from college age men and women just like you! Do your part to help save a life -- sign up here to donate and here to volunteer your time.

Ugly Sweater Party - Saturday December 10th

Cover that tacky blood donor band-aid up with an even tackier sweater and join us for one last shindig before winter break! Details to come soon.

Open call for blog entries -- ONGOING

Got something secular(ish) on your mind? BLOG ABOUT IT! Articles from members are always welcome, and much appreciated -- email IlliniSSA@illinois.edu if you're interested or have any questions!

<3 <3 <3
Your ISSA Officers

_______________________________________________________

Can't get enough of us? ISSA online!

ISSA Blog: www.illinissa.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/IlliniSSA

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Email: IlliniSSA@illinois.edu

Hell Populated by Women with Pants, Combed Hair

2011-11-17T07:30:00.000-06:00

Despite last-minute complications, the Jamila-Carlton debate went exceedingly well. Although Ms. Bey couldn't make the debate due to a delayed flight, she provided a number of questions for Bishop Pearson to discuss. It soon became clear that Pearson isn't your average Bible Belt preacher.

Through his cultural background and experience as an African American bishop, Pearson was able to explain some of the fundamental issues surrounding the debate. Pearson explained, “In the African American community for you to say there is no God, is to say your mom, your grandparents, your culture – are all wrong.” Pearson explained that African Americans relied heavily on faith when they were repressed as slaves in the U.S. “Religion has done a lot for our culture,” Pearson said, and continued to explain how African American beliefs are based on a mixture of Christian beliefs, African spiritualism, and animism.

In response to Ms. Bey’s first question, Pearson explained some of the issues he has had with traditional Christianity. “Christianity is a Jewish religion, and many aspects have been borrowed from other belief systems.” Pearson described the similarities between Christianity and other religions, and how he was shocked to find these parallels within scripture.

Furthermore, Pearson explained his largest problem with traditional Christianity – the concept of Hell. One word translated as Hell is Gahanna, which was a literal garbage dump in Jerusalem, where waste was burned, not a metaphysical torture chamber. Semantics aside, he pointed out a fundamental flaw in the concept. “Is Hitler in heaven, or hell? If he’s in hell, is he in the same hell as a boy who [never heard about God]? Where’s the justice in that?”

You're (not) going to hell!

Pearson said that the fear that Christianity incited in his community was ridiculous. “In my culture we didn’t smoke, cuss, cut our hair, some didn’t even comb our hair because it was considered a sin ... I used to think Baptists were going to hell because their women wore pants." He then talked about a homeless man he gave money to while still believing in eternal punishment. “I didn’t feel like I had to save him to get him to Heaven and save him from Hell – he was in Hell.”

On this note, Jamila asked, “If there is no need for Hell, and all have been saved, what is the need for any religion at all?” Pearson explained that he wanted to spread the word that, “… what you believe only affects your life for sure, that we can all walk in agreement.” This is reiterated in Pearson’s philosophy of Inclusionism – “We don’t have to go along to get along.” He related this to his experience of organizing this event with ISSA. “I honestly felt love from atheists,” Pearson told the audience. Speaking about a current officer, Pearson said, “Clint almost sounded like a Christian on the phone he was so nice,” to which Ed Clint jokingly retorted, “Take that back!”

We almost look like Christians!

In the Q&A Pearson was asked some thought-provoking questions that revealed the Bishop interprets Christianity about as liberally as possible. One audience member put Pearson on the spot by asking, “Are you a Christian yourself?” “No, not anymore,” Pearson replied, shocking the audience. However, he then said, “Yes, I’m a Christian of course – but I’m not the same kind of Christian that you might be.” He was then asked if he might simply have the wrong label for what he is. “It’s very possible,” Pearson replied, laughing with the audience.

Pearson revealed that he agreed with Jamila on many aspects of the debate by saying, “Does the black community need God? Not any more than the white community needs God or doesn’t need God. The Hispanic community, Native American community or the Asian community, too.”

Pearson represents a new kind of Christian - one who's life isn't dictated by fear. A Christian who doesn't look to God for morals because he knows that they're something we all have, regardless of our ideologies. This kind of religion, a religion without fear and guilt – religion that permits critical thinking - may be the first step our culture needs to embrace free thought. "Instead of saying there’s good and evil, there are actions and consequences. That creates your reality."

CoexISSAstence: What the farmer does with the turkey... until Thanksgiving.

2011-11-16T00:14:00.000-06:00

The weekly email of the Illini Secular Student Alliance!

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Illini Secular
Student Alliance

Greetings, gnarly nonbelievers!

Where-oh-where has the semester gone? We can't believe Thanksgiving Break is almost here... Especially because that means it's time for Skepticon IV! Anyhow, we've got a few more things in store for you before we run off to Missouri. Read on for details...

Weekly Meeting
This week's meeting will take place Thursday, November 17th at 7pm in Noyes 165 -- click here for a map.

On The Agenda
Derek and Sam discuss the role of Christianity in American politics and its negative influence on our collective ability to make sound policy decisions... All in an hour. Challenge accepted.

ISSA at Murphy's
After the meeting we'll adjourn to Murphy's, as is our tradition. We welcome anyone and everyone who can make it, regardless of whether or not you plan to drink. It's a great chance to get to know your officers and godless cohorts better!

E Pluribus Giving
Tree Event
(Saturday, Dec. 3rd)

ISSA Blood Drive
(Thursday, Dec. 8th)
Yes, it's a ways off, but you gotta start saving that stuff up, right? Right. Plus, a little heathen blood's bound to forever taint even the most pious of transfusion recipients... Save a life, condemn a soul! Sign up here to donate, or here to volunteer your time.

Ugly Sweater Party
(Saturday, Dec. 10th)
Cover that tacky blood donor band-aid up with an even tackier sweater and join us for one last shindig before winter break! Details to come.

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Carlton Pearson: Revolutionary Raconteur

2011-11-09T14:21:00.002-06:00

"Fear has no place in a relationship where God's grace has already guaranteed our salvation."

-Carlton Pearson

Joining Jamila Bey to debate the question, "Does the Black Community Need God?", Bishop Carlton Pearson is a minister, musician and author who has blazed his own trail as a leader in the African American spiritual community. An alumnus of Oral Roberts University, he formed what would become one of the largest churches in Tulsa and began preaching hellfire and damnation in the Pentecostal tradition. However, Carlton had what he believed to be an epiphany from God and began preaching the "Gospel of Inclusion"; the affirmation that there is no Hell and that non-Christians are not condemned.

Once the pastor to more than 6,000 people every week, Bishop Pearson was labeled a heretic by his peers for preaching the Gospel of Inclusion. Carlton went on to found New Dimensions International and recently preached at Chicago's Christ Universal Temple. He has been featured on 2020, Nightline, CNN and Dateline debating such broad topics as the existence of God and Hell. A dynamic and unique figure in the realm of Christianity, Carlton has been featured in his own episode of NPR's This American Life and was also deemed one of America's most influential black spiritual leaders.

Bishop Pearson's "It Gets Better" video highlighting the Gospel of Inclusion

Currently, Bishop Pearson's New Dimensions group preaches every week in Chicago. He has a history of bringing inclusiveness, laughter, and thought-provoking questions to his audiences, and will surely bring a unique perspective to tomorrow's debate.