beausoleil

While well intentioned, it begins to look a bit odd. The interfaith alliance basically divides society along faith or no-faith lines then asks all of them to get together and talk. Couldn't they just substitute 'anybody who cares to come' for their list of faiths and non-faiths?

Or is the truth that there is a huge category missed out - those who spend no time thinking about religious belief or unbelief. "Apatheists" perhaps? From the way they live their lives and their day-to-day conversations, it is clear that apatheists don't care whether there is a God or not. I suspect it is true that most congregations are in fact made up of apatheists, rather than atheists or agnostics.

Richard1366

You might want to stay away from the weak/strong atheist/agnostic differentiation, too confusing to most. Many of those there may never have met or heard a real live atheist so I think it most important to insure them that we are not Satan worshipers, and we don't sacrifice virgins ( well, at least we only sacrifice them once in a while...). Tell them that there are atheists in foxholes and that there are many "religious" people out there that probably would admit to their atheism if it were not for the grief they would get becoming part of an unfairly hated minority.

Vorkosigan

A character in Louise McMaster Bujold's Shards of Honor once described atheism as "A simple faith, but of great comfort to me." Maybe you could start out with that remark as a bit of light humor, and follow on with a remark about sleeping in on Sundays "Atheism lets me sleep in on Sundays but I still have to mow the lawn like everybody else" or something similar, show basic solidarity. Also, you might laud the hosts for their position on C-S issues, as they are important to us.

Hmmm...done much public service? Maybe you could talk about your experiences here, as an administrator meeting dozens of atheists and how individual each one's atheism is.

I can see that your problem is going to be speaking without sounding either sanctimonious or judgmental. Good luck!

Be sure to give us a precis of the speech. Maybe we should try to make it a policy to get someone to such events in their area.

Vorkosigan