It's time for another meeting of the Fayetteville Freethinkers. Our
September meeting will have some eye-opening presentations you won't
want to miss.
A recent article by John Terry in the NWA Times (9/22) has been getting
some attention. In a rant against atheists he reached a crescendo with
this observation:
"The third danger lies in what kind of person the atheist may become
when he becomes his own god. If he does not recognize God, he may not
recognize any of the restraints that a belief in God generates. Thus,
without restraint, he may become a pedophile, a murderer, a thief, or
any other kind of a deviant you can think of." --John Terry, Church of
Christ minister
Several letters have been written in response and one was printed
today. More will be printed and the editor of the NWA Times has offered
for someone to write an article elaborating (not just rebutting) a
freethought response to this unfortunate and not so uncommon
stereotype. We have started a thread in our forum so people can more
easily read Mr. Terry's article, send in a response to the Times and
post a copy of their response for others to see. You can join in here:
"John Terry's NWA Times Column Slandering Atheists"
viewtopic.php?t=2284
Dr. Chris Huggard of the Northwest Arkansas Community College will
present a lecture on Jesus: "The Gnostic Jesus." The Gnostics were
a group of early Christians whose beliefs differed from what later
became orthodox Christianity. Because they lost the battle for
orthodoxy, they became known as heretics. Was Jesus influenced by
these heretics? Dr. Huggard's answer may surprise you.
After a break we will watch a DVD Gary Berger has put together on that
persistent little band of door-knockers called Jehovah's Witnesses. It
is a snappy lecture by Diane Wilson who is author of the book:
"Awakening of a Jehovah's Witness: Escape from the Watchtower Society."
The Jehovah's Witnesses have a 100,000 congregations worldwide and a
membership approaching 7 million. It's too easy to just rebut their
doctrinal claims so Ms. Wilson with her 25 years as a JW goes beyond
that and gives a very interesting and shocking inside look into how
this prolific organization operates and captures new members.
Also, at this meeting we will introduce our new regular feature:
"Freethinker News that will make your Jaw Drop"
Along with the best of the latest funny Internet goodies, a few local
announcements, and a recap of how the Dawkins/Harris live video feed
went the night before at the University. Did you forget? Perhaps a
reminder would be in order:
***
The Atheist Alliance International will be hosting its 2007 connection
from Sept. 28-30 in Washington, D.C. For those who cannot attend the
event, the secular groups Occam's Razors and Fayetteville Freethinkers
will be hosting a live-stream video presentation for two of the most
anticipated speakers, Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. The event will
take place on Friday, 28 September, at the University of Arkansas
Union, Room 507/508, at 6:00 PM.
***
Freethinker Meeting Details:
When: Saturday, September 29, 2007
Where: The Fayetteville Public Library. 401 W. Mountain
St. (two blocks west of the town square). Library phone: 571-2222.
Time: 2:00 pm
Room: The Walker Room. This is the main meeting room. Go in the front
door, through the lobby and go to your RIGHT. You can bring a snack or
coffee from Arsaga's in the lobby if you like.
Questions? Call Darrel (479) 442-6738