[Atheists] UofA Atheists and Agnostics Newsletter

Greetings, fellow Atheists, Agnostics, and Freethinkers!

I hope the Fall Semester is treating you all well. We have lots of
news from the Atheist world that we'd like to catch you up on, so
please bear with us if this e-mail gets a little long!

First things first. If you have not already done so, please take a
second to join our Facebook group. It's a great way for us to quickly
inform you about upcoming events, and share links to neat sources or
videos we find online.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=5442393782

We are also on Twitter, for those of you who use that medium. Ryan
sometimes posts current information about Liquid Rationalism events on
this account.

http://twitter.com/UoAAaA

Another order of business is to formally invite you all to next week's
Liquid Rationalism, on November 6th, 2009, at Deweys on Campus. Liquid
Rationalism is a chance for you to hang out with other free thinkers
and enjoy a few beverages, or just grab a coffee and catch up with
other members on what's happening in the Atheist world. Past LR's have
brought us such memories as "Pope Hat Day", "Finding Jesus Photoshop
Contest", and various other good times which are too hazy for me to
recall in detail. For those new to Campus, Deweys is located just
South of Cameron Library, and just East of CEB and CAB in the old
Power Plant.

Some current news from the freethinking community that you might find
interesting: Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort are leading a campaign to
distribute free copies of the Origin of Species to celebrate the 150
year anniversary of it's publication.

"Origin into Schools"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN9zpf5cT0M

The bad news is: it has a 50 page introduction that slanders Darwin,
tries to discredit evolution, and promotes a Creationist / Intelligent
Design viewpoint. 100, 000 copies of this book are set to be
distributed at Universities all over North America. More information
on this can be found in the following link:

http://www.livingwaters.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=383

As well as a free PDF version of the book to be distributed:

http://assets.livingwaters.com/pdf/OriginofSpecies.pdf

Lastly, I would like to share with you a link for a Youtube video
called "Jesus The Evidence". It's a documentary that has been banned
in the United States for it's viewpoint on Christianity. I found it to
be a more science/history based version of Zeitgeist, so if you're
interested check it out! (Thanks to Chris Allen for sending me this
link!)

"Jesus, the Evidence"

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=8285B54DB1014024

Well, that is it for now. We hope to see you all at Liquid Rationalism
next week!

Continue doubting,

University of Alberta Atheists and Agnostics

http://www.ualberta.ca/~atheists/

"Most people, I believe, think that you need a God to explain the
existence of the world, and especially the existence of life. They are
wrong, but our education system is such that many people don't know it."

-Richard Dawkins
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[Atheists] Movie Time

Sorry for the second email, but I forgot to include the time for the
kick off event.

The God Who Wasn't There will be screened at 5pm on Wednesday 9th, in CAB 239.

Ryan Bromsgrove
VP External

University of Alberta Atheists and Agnostics

http://www.ualberta.ca/~atheists/

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[Atheists] Clubs Fair, Re-registration, Kick Off Event, Twitter

Hello All

I hope you had a good summer. This email is about four things:

1. Clubs Fair Volunteering.
2. Re-registration (EVERYONE READ!)
3. Kick off Event
4. Twitter Account

1. Clubs Fair Volunteering

Clubs Fair is happening next week, and our table needs volunteers. If
you are interested, all you have to do is sit at the table and talk a
bit about the group to potential new members checking out our display.
Clubs Fair is the event that gets us the most new members each year,
and so we appreciate anyone who volunteers their time to help out.

If you would like to volunteer, please insert your name on the
following Googledocs spreadsheet:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Amb85rmVK-NqdEctdGRUbm1HMS1NRnpwbzJpOTJkSlE&hl=en

Ideally we would like at least two people for each timeslot. The SU is
still finalizing times for Clubs Fair, so it is possible that these
times may change very slightly. Monday and Tuesday we will be in the
Butterdome, and Wednesday to Friday, at Quad.

As with previous years, the UAAA is helping to set up and clean up for
clubs fair. This gets us additional funding, meaning we get to hold
better events throughout the year. We defintely appreciate anyone
willing to come out early on Wednesday to move tables around, or stay
late on Friday to take down the tables and pick up garbage. At the
moment, the times on the spreadsheet are not final, but probably won't
change much.

2. Re-registration (EVERYONE READ)

If you would like to remain a member of the UAAA for the 2009/10 year,
you must send an email to atheists@ualberta.ca with the subject "UAAA
REGISTRATION". Do NOT reply to this email, as it will be sent to the
wrong place. All you need to put in the email is your name, and
preferred contact email address. If you do not send this email, you
will not remain on our memberlist!

3. Kick Off Event

Our first event of the year will be a screening of The God Who Wasn't
There. This will be on Wednesday, September 9th, in CAB 239. Everyone
is welcome to come out!

4. Twitter Account

The UAAA now has a Twitter account: http://twitter.com/uoaaaa. We'll
be using it to announce events and such, so if you're on Twitter,
please follow us!

If you have any questions about anything, you can email
atheists@ualberta.ca and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

Thanks, and enjoy the last days of summer!

Ryan Bromsgrove
VP External

University of Alberta Atheists and Agnostics

http://www.ualberta.ca/~atheists/
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[Atheists] Petition against the bill making evolution classes optional in Alberta

Dear UAAA members,

As you may have heard, the Alberta Legislature is considering a bill that would require teachers to notify parents in advance if a class will be discussing subjects related to religion, sexuality or sexual orientation. For some reason this is deemed to include the study of evolution. Once notified in this way, the parents would have the right to withdraw their children from such classes if they contradict their religious beliefs. Some people joke that since the bible (apparently) says that pi=3, any math class that teaches otherwise would also be optional.

Here is one of the news stories that have appeared on this topic:
http://technology.sympatico.msn.cbc.ca/News/ContentPosting?newsitemid=cgy-bill-evolution-law-alberta-classes-teachers&feedname=CBC-TECH-SCIENCE-V3&show=False&number=10&showbyline=True&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc&date=True

There are numerous reasons to oppose this bill (or, more specifically, some of its sections), as you may guess. The most vigorous opponents seem to be the representatives from NDP. They are vastly outnumbered, but they've launched a petition to demonstrate the support for their position from the public. If you agree that religious parents should not deprive their children of good science education, please sign this petition, linked to below.

Page with more details and a link:
http://www.ndpopposition.ab.ca/site/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.details&ID=8027&t=8&i=54

The petition itself:
http://www.ndpopposition.ab.ca/uploads/Bill%2044%20Petition.pdf

All the best,
Zoya

P.S. If you are not interested in this, then sorry to have wasted your time.

[Atheists] Fwd: My new books

Hi everyone,

Below is an email from Victor Stenger, a professor from the University
of Colorado and a Research Fellow for the Center for Inquiry -
Transnational. Some of you may have heard his talk when he came down
to Calgary last year. His most recent book was God the Failed
Hypothesis, which I have heard many people have enjoyed. He will be
having another book coming out soon.

Sonia Milbradt
VP Finance and Operations
University of Alberta Atheists and Agnostics
http://www.ualberta.ca/~atheists/

Dear Canadian friends,

My next book Quantum Gods: Creation, Chaos, and the Search for Cosmic
Consciousness will be available shortly. Please take a look at the
review in New Scientist at
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20227041.600-quantum-gods-dont-deserve-your-faith.html
.

I have also sent in the manuscript for The New Atheism: Taking a Stand
for Science and Reason which I assume will out by the end of the
year. See my website for more information.

Thanks for the hospitality you showed to Phylliss and me during our
trip to Alberta last year. Hope to see you again sometime.

Vic

------------------------------------
Victor J. Stenger
http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/vstenger/
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[Atheists] New posters and upcoming events

Hi everyone,

This will likely be my last post to the mailing list as UAAA president, as on Tuesday we hold our elections, and I'm graduating. Thank-you all for the support this year, and best of luck in the future.

We've launched a new poster campaign, based off the successful Atheist Bus ads that are running in Toronto and Calgary (since 60% of respondents to our poll preferred the "probably no God" slogan over the "You can be good without God" ad). You can spot these posters around campus or check out some pictures at our website: http://www.ualberta.ca/~atheists/2009/03/new-poster-campaign.html

Finally, we have two more planned events for the year:

On Tuesday, 24 March at 5:00 PM, in CAB 239, we will be screening Bill Maher's satirical documentary Religulous and then holding elections immediately after. We will be electing a new president, and VPs (internal, external, and operations-finance). Please considering running, and if you have any questions, feel free to email any of the exec (http://www.ualberta.ca/~atheists/exec.html).

Our last Liquid Rationalism will also be on Friday, 27 March in Deweys at any time after 3:00 PM. We now have a banner for these events to help you find out where we are. Hope to see you all there.

Thanks for a great year, and keep doubting,

Ian Bushfield
President, UofA Atheists and Agnostics
http://www.ualberta.ca/~atheists/
University of Alberta

New poster campaign

We've launched a new poster campaign on campus to support the Atheist Bus ads.

[Atheists] Atheist Blood Drive Tomorrow!

Hey everyone. Sorry for the short notice, but there is an atheist
blood drive taking place tomorrow at 12:00 at the Canadian Blood
Services Edmonton Donor Clinic (8249 - 114 ST). If you can make it
out, your donation will be much appreciated!

Thanks,

Ryan Bromsgrove
VP Internal UAAA

University of Alberta Atheists and Agnostics

http://www.ualberta.ca/~atheists/

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[Atheists] IDEAfest

Just a quick plug of an exciting event that's happening tomorrow (Saturday, March 7).

IDEAfest is a series of 15 minute presentations from 10-5 in Tory 95 (basement). Among various presentations will include a presentation by myself on "Atheism, Alberta and the 21st Century" which will outline the state of freethought in the province and look ahead to where it's going.

Here's the full summary and itinerary from the Facebook event:

-----------------------------
AGENDA
The goal is for students to teach one another and stretch our brains in a different direction, practice our presentation skills, and share something we find interesting with a broader group. After that we will have met many interesting people and we can go and have some libations and nosh with them!

Why did the financial crisis happen? What is happening in Gaza? What are Genetically Modified Foods? What is happening in the Congo? Think that you are an expert? Know enough to give a brief overview? Come and share your experiences, and then sit on some other lectures by your peers. IDEAfest is not just restricted to current events- presentations on storytelling, creative writing, songs, poetry- all are welcome!

10AM
Welcome, Format, Introductions

10:05AM
A- Lisa Amerongen: Improv Workshop
B-
C- Eric Kline: The Alberta Student Film Festival: The success of the U of A Society of Creative Filmmaking in a niche market."

1030AM
A- Christel Hyshka: the current UN process to negotiate an new Kyoto Protocol (i.e. International Climate Negotiations)
B- Stella Lee: Research on emotional design (am a phd student on human computer interaction).
C- Ian Bushfield: Atheism, Alberta and the 21st century

11AM
A- Mack Male: Twitter and social media...
B- Idris Fashan: What is advertising doing to us? What does it offer us?
C- Alex Abboud: The 15 Steps to Making Edmonton a Better City.

1130
A- Jordan Schroder: Future LRT and Urban Development in Edmonton
B: Nathan Brown: SUBvision and student filmmaking
C: Adam Rozenhart: dub5: Its time to find time to manage your time.

12PM
A- Samantha Power and Aaron Chubb: Underground Media and the Importance of do-it-yourself local media.
B- Kevin Kutchinski: How global free trade will cure poverty.
C- Michael Janz: What I saw in Israel before 'Cast Lead'

1230- 1PM
Lunch Break
- Do you know of a potential sponsor? If not, we will be loving the Ho Ho's in HUB.

130PM
A Reg Cheramy - Experiments in Brainstorming - Edistorm
B: Daveberta.ca: How to develop a following online
C: Matthew Capowski: "How we solve our problems is the problem: How thought and knowledge prevent the operation of intelligence".

2PM
A Jacqueline Sarah Geller: Because you live your life in it: The importance of the history of clothing'
B: Lyndsay Burnett: The importance of Theatre Arts and Arts in general in the grownth (physically and emotionally) of children
C: Derek Warwick: "Putting an End to Rape Culture: Challenging Attitudes and Misinformation."

230PM
A: Brendan Trayner: Breast Cancer research: Promising, relevant work made possible by fundraisers
B: Brock Richardson: The Student Mutual Respect Initiative: bridging the gap between rights policies and student community at the U of A.
C:Erin Rayner: The Campaign to Control Cancer

3PM
A: Graham Frobb The SUBnews: The U of A's first student-run satirical television program.
B: Kyla Fisher: TBA (Genocide and race relations)
C: Dave Schroder: Community Security: Vigilantes or Volunteers? Case Study on the Edmonton Guardian Angels.

330PM
A Cam Linke: Developing Products, Start-ups, and Community
B: Chris Henderson: One thing that George W. Bush did right.
C: Katharine Laurie: "Human Rights Accompaniment in Guatemala".

4PM
A: John Braga: How my love of science fiction in high school led to me taking a physics degree. How my physics degree led to a hatred of science fiction.
B: Andy Grabia: "Turn On, Tune In, and Put Down Your iPod: Reflections on Listening"
C:

430PM
A: Ross Lockwood: "Zymurgy and the Physics of Beer".
B: Madeline Bachmann: Fertility Tourism
C: "Debunking the stigma around Weed" Tyler Trueman of Sunshine and Grass.

5PM Adjourn for Pizza and Beer!
Location: Will survey the audience in the morning.

---

We also have a Liquid Rationalsim coming up on Friday, March 13 (perhaps a superstition bash theme and we will have signs to show where we are) and on the 24th we will be showing Religulous and holding our elections for the 2009/2010 year. (More information to come in the next week).

Hope to see you all out.

Ian Bushfield
President
University of Alberta Atheists and Agnostics

[Atheists] Atheist Bus Ads Cont

Thanks to everyone who emailed me their comments and concerns about the atheist bus ads. A number of things are much clearer now.

After talking to the Vice-President of Pattison Outdoors Advertising today, I learnt that the concern that was likely echoed by the Edmonton Journal reporter was actually more complicated than it had been framed.

Pattison's main concern is that they do not want to run a cheap controversial ad that's sole purpose is to generate media. With that said, he would support our ad, if it were worth it to their company. This means he would rather see a larger ad campaign so that when he fields hundred of angry religious callers he can rest easier at night.

However, the ad campaign being run in Calgary is smaller than he quoted to me for what he wants to see. In Calgary they will have only 8 ads on the sides of buses. Perhaps there's not a lot of internal communication in Pattison advertising, or perhaps he hardened his heart on the issue.

Nevertheless, the Freethought Association of Canada (of the "There is probably no god..." ads) and Humanist Canada (of the "You can be good without God" ads) are both testing the waters here to potentially run here. They are not competing groups, and merely want to see a productive dialogue be raised in each city that the ads run. The FAC has done very well pursuing PR when these ads are launched, and potentially have a larger coiffer backing them. However, the Humanist's ad may appeal more to the less confrontational among us.

I should note that both of these ad campaigns are driven solely by donations from people across the country. You can donate to the FAC campaign at http://atheistbus.ca or to the Humanist Canada campaign at http://www.humanists.ca

So I'll put it to a vote: which ad, or no ad do you want to see?



Please only vote once. The poll closes in one week on Friday, 27 February 2009 at 3:00 PM (right when Liquid Rationalism starts).

And feel free to send me (thzatheist@gmail.com, do not reply to the mailing list) any more comments you have about the ad campaign.

Ian Bushfield
President, UofA Atheists and Agnostics
http://www.ualberta.ca/~atheists/
University of Alberta