Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists
by Dan Barker
Dan Barker is a wonderful writer, and writes in such a clear and very comprehensible manner ... and he is often funny! He was a "You need to come to Jesus!" evangelical preacher for 19 years, so he knows the arguments religionists use to defend everything from "The Bible is the word of God" to "Atheists are immoral and have no meaning in their life."
His story of how he went from blind faith as a preacher to a humanist using his mind and reason is fantastic. Dan says "I finally realized that faith is a cop-out, a defeat -- an admission that the truths of religion are unknowable through evidence and reason."
Here are some of my favorite quotes: "We atheists believe in life BEFORE death. Before we were born, there was a very long time, perhaps an eternity when we did not exist, and it did not bother us one bit. The same will be true after we are dead. What matters is that we are alive NOW." Given this, he says that "Atheism actually enhances the value of life" instead of living for some uncertain better after-life in heaven. I love what he says about religious hell: "Hell is an incentive to a phony morality."
How can you take away anything good from such a reprehensible Bible story? Do people really read these kinds of stories to their children with a straight face, believing that they're instilling "morality"? This is only one example of how Haught tries to counter Dawkins, Hitchens and Harris. Most of what he writes is quite honestly, boring.
In other words, if the only reason you want to be a "moral" person is that God is threatening you with hell, what kind of morality is that? Dan says "Be good for goodness sake!" A great read for all those interested in reason with respects to religion.
- William Gautreaux
August 2010 - NOSHA's 11th Anniversary Dinner, Our special guest speaker will be Ellen Johnson
21 July 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Smilie's Restaurant
5725 Jefferson Highway in Harahan View Map
Ellen Johnson is the past president of American Atheists. She has twice testified before the United States Commission on Civil Rights. In 2002 she organized the Godless Americans March On Washington and she was the organizer of the November 11, 2005 "Atheists In Foxholes" March On Washington . In 2003, she established the Godless Americans Political Action Committee now called EnlightenTheVote.com and serves as its Executive Director.
In 1998, she met with the Office of Public Liaison for the Clinton White House to discuss the subject of giving Atheists a "place at the table" in the discussion of issues of concern to our nation's Atheists.
She is also a frequent guest on national radio and TV shows including the Fox Network's Hannity & Colmes, The O'Reilly Factor, Larry King Live, The CBS Early Show, Glen Beck on Headline News, CBS Sunday Morning, a Barbara Walters Special and C-SPAN's prestigious public affairs program "Washington Journal."
Get your seat! Price per guest, $40.00 for NOSHA Members, $45.00 for Non-Member.
Seating is limited, so make your reservations. See Calendar for more information, and to pay online.
Anointing Oil
20 June 2010
From: Harry Greenberger (hpgreenx@yahoo.com)
To: letters@timespicayune.com
Date: Thu, June 17, 2010 2:54:44 PM
Subject: SENATE CALLS FOR PRAYER, 6/17/ 10
Pandering for religious votes, the Louisiana Senate voted unanimously to declare Sunday, June 20, a "state-designated day of prayer" to seek divine intervention in the BP oil spill crisis. Aside from the reso1ution's being unconstitutional (as the National Day of Prayer was recently ruled to be by a U.S. District Court), it is an acknowledgment that if the "divine" can end the spill, he (she) could have prevented it in the first place. Must Louisiana's elected officials continue to display their ignorance to the rest ofthe countiy? - Harry Greenberger
Becoming a member, or renewing a membership, is easy. Go to the About Us page, and click on the membership button. Membership is $20.00 per household. It's fast, easy, and mostly painless.
Famous Quotes
I am always amused by Christians who try so very hard to defend their position with reason and logic. They are like standing on top of a ladder with their tools and gadgets, straining their necks looking skywards for the leaks, trying to fix the roof amidst the rain. What they do not realize, of course, is that the roof isn't leaking -- it isn't there. - Anon
Event Calendar
Looking for something to do? Check out our Calendar page for upcoming NOSHA events.
Freethinking Happy Hour
We are adding another secular happy hour to our calendar. Now you can join our merry band of skeptics on the FIRST Wednesday and THIRD Tuesday of each month. See the Calendar page for more information.
NOSHA News
Newsletter
Read the latest issue of Nosha News, the official newsletter for the New Orleans Secular Humanist Association.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
From: Harry Greenberger (hpgreenx@yahoo.com)
