Toto

I suspect senor b-w of irony. I also suspect that the two organizations are equally effective in conquering the demon drink.

EverLastingGodStopper

Video Conferencing all the different conventions is a great idea.

Ellen Johnson told me that anyone can email her with any advice or suggestions at: ej@atheists.org This includes those people who say they can't reach her. Email her a phone# and a good time to call.

I just asked her to postpone the planned reprint of AA (American Atheists) literature. When I went through the small stack of the lit I had here, all outdated stuff with AA's Texas address on it, it was all anti-theism stuff. I was chagrined to not have one pamphlet about atheism, atheist activism, or anything along those lines.

I'm not opposed to a few brochures about things such as bible contradictions, but, they fail to educate anyone about atheism.

So, I think I just made a new project for myself, an AA lit re-do. Yay for new ideas.

-Janice

ohwilleke

To expand a little, the AHA is a product of the Unitarians and Universalists (most of the founders were UU ministers, at a time when UU was at a humanist peak). The Unitarians have their roots in the Congregational Church in New England which in turn traces its roots to the Puritans. The Universalists were established in Boston as a lower class church movement not unlike Pentecostalism, evolved over time, and eventually merged with the Unitarians in the 1960s. And a third, stream, largely confined to the Northeast, is the Ethical Culture Society, which has its roots in humanistic Judaism.

The Colorado American Atheists branch leaders is David Eller, who is a capable and earnest man who has carried forward the primary work of the American Atheists which is basically activism to protect the rights and interests of atheists, often by speaches, debates, letter writing and rallys.

In Colorado, the Freedom from Religion Foundation is primarily a litigation oriented group and dominated by a very gray haired group of individuals.

While I am a card carrying, contributing AHA member, I find its primary magazine the Humanist, too political (despite the fact that I am a regular P.D. poster) for my liking and don't regularly attend local meetings (it is also reputedly not particularly dynamic). Infidels attracts more of a generation X crowd with more of a social and personal orientation, which I appreciated.

At 32 as a married father of two, I am looking for a social context more than a venue for activism. And I haven't fully found that yet. I don't have a strong desire to be a weekly meeting attender. The occassional beer is sufficient. I go to Infidels events and AA events which are social in nature. It is more about finding a comfort zone than anything else.

I'm interested in the Simplicity Movement as well. If UU were a metaphysically naturalist organization, instead of a neo-pagan, agnostic, deist, liberal Christian, Eastern Religion, etc. big tent, I migth be move involved -- as what I really want is a secular organiation that serves many of the purposes that a church does without the superstitution.

Respectable Joe

Quote:

At 32 as a married father of two, I am looking for a social context more than a venue for activism. And I haven't fully found that yet. I don't have a strong desire to be a weekly meeting attender. The occassional beer is sufficient. I go to Infidels events and AA events which are social in nature. It is more about finding a comfort zone than anything else. I'm interested in the Simplicity Movement as well. If UU were a metaphysically naturalist organization, instead of a neo-pagan, agnostic, deist, liberal Christian, Eastern Religion, etc. big tent, I migth be move involved -- as what I really want is a secular organiation that serves many of the purposes that a church does without the superstitution.

Perfect! If you find such an organization, please advise! While I personally see a need, although not always clear as to the specifics, for action, especially where my tax money is concerned, as you have stated, I too wish for help with the social "acceptance" and support issues as much or more than any channel for activism at this point. I'm a little older than you, married and a father of two as well, and don't have the luxury of like-minded family for support.

Respectable Joe

Great thought! The more national an event this is, the better, obviously. Individual events/speakers at two or three regionally located venues with satellite connections so all attendees can enjoy each of the other two sites main speakers. Is it true that the two events this year were in the Chicago and Miami areas? Maybe the third venue can be some place a little more west and south, then figure out all the issues of cooperation and coordination and how to pay for the necessary satellite time and display logistics and we're there! I'd love to have an excuse for a short Easter weekend trip away from all the xian celebration next year!

dangin

As most of you know I am a film/video producer. What I don't talk about as much is that my day job at a medical center includes video conferencing. (as well as video producer) But I have built a network of ISDN video conferencing sites (40+ all connected on their own T1s) all over my state.

It is far less expensive than Satellite and could be coordinated with hotels and convention centers around the nation pretty simply. A two hour video conference like this would be far less expensive than a satellite dealio of the same duration.

Using satellites you have to rent the sat time, and you need an uplink and a downlink at each location. (renting satellite trucks is not cheap)

Using ISDN, you simply need the bandwidth (which can be installed by the local telecom) and a video conferencing system, which can be rented, borrowed, or may already be there.

ISDN would be thousands cheaper than Satellite, even if we were connecting at a full T1 of bandwidth.

Janice, feel free to run this by Ellen and I will assist in whatever way she wants me too. But I'm not taking it to her. She and I's last project ended with us still friends, but not in a way that was what either of us intended or wanted. I'd be happy to help out, and I can make it happen (I even have a bridge that would bring all the sites together for $28 per hour, per site)

Drop me a line, or tell Ellen too if she wants to. She has my email.