Freethought & Rationalism Archive

marylandnaturegirl · 10-13-2002, 09:15 AM

PS

I am pretty sure that the GAMOW site says that their permit for the National Mall doesn't allow selling of any merchandise.

Which is too bad.

To double check this please see

<a href="http://www.godlessamericans.org" target="_blank">http://www.godlessamericans.org</a>

Toto · 10-13-2002, 03:15 PM

Dr. Zeus?

marylandnaturegirl · 10-13-2002, 10:20 PM

Heh heh, sorry combine a God with an author and add a mispelling. I type way too fast.

DonaldW112 · 10-14-2002, 11:44 AM

I am coming from upstate NY and plan to list my II handle and the Humanist/Athesitic groups I belong to on my sign. I have not decided on a statement yet. What are others thinking about? I like the t-shirt idea too.

Donald

LLaurieG · 10-14-2002, 02:32 PM

Thanks for all the info, marylandnaturegirl! Especially in light of AA's Friday night buffet being sold out so early, I may well show up at some of your events, especially the dancing. I have a feeling I'll be in the mood!

I completely agree with you about the HORRIBLE name for this event. What blind zealot of an atheistic PR flack came up with this awful, horrible name?? "Godless" is absolutely confrontational and abrasive�even more so than atheist. Naming it The Godless March damn near kills the event before we even have a chance to make a single point! It is guaranteed to unite the opposition groups, as well as attract to us the worst possible fringe co-demonstrators.

Worst of all, it practically guarantees instant media disparagement and dismissal. "Godless" is bound to attract the absolute worst kind of "strange, queer, news tidbit o' the day" kind of sensationalistic, negative, unhelpful media attention.

My personal favorite designation is "Creed-free." It's both atheistically accurate and positively expressed. Or go with the secular humanist angle: "Humanists March." That would have been PR-bulletproof: impossible for ANY church or media to disparage.

Dark Jedi · 10-14-2002, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LLaurieG:
 Or go with the secular humanist angle: "Humanists March." That would have been PR-bulletproof: impossible for ANY church or media to disparage.

I disagree, here. The term "Humanist" has been, of late, the favorite swear word of the far right when referring to any government blocking of their religious goals.
i.e. "Hypocrites, they say to keep religion seperate, but they only mean the Christians. They are always supporting the Humanist religious agenda!"

Defined: Anything remotely compassionate that is passed and not labelled "Praise Jesus" is a humanist religious act...

Bill · 10-15-2002, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by LLaurieG:
(Laurie) This is a general question to the moderators' management. Will the Secular Web and/or Internet Infidels be gathering officially at some specific hotel, or organizing anywhere beforehand as a group to march? Is there an Internet Infidels banner? There ought to be. "We don't believe -- we VOTE -- and we're computer literate!"

I've also recently learned that factionalism exists among different atheist organizations. For the record, I think this is stupid and sad. Yet I've also been quite encouraged reading the GAMOW board. So far I've emailed with three other married women who, like me, will be attending the March solo clear from California. That's some atheistic dedication!

The Internet Infidels will have at least three members of its Board of Directors on hand for the March. Your mention of a banner is being considered right now as an expense that we ought to undertake. We are close to a decision on meeting someplace to organize as a group before the March. Keep your eyes open for some sort of an announcement. Thanks!

== Bill

galiel · 10-15-2002, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LLaurieG:
I completely agree with you about the HORRIBLE name for this event. What blind zealot of an atheistic PR flack came up with this awful, horrible name?? "Godless" is absolutely confrontational and abrasive�even more so than atheist. Naming it The Godless March damn near kills the event before we even have a chance to make a single point! It is guaranteed to unite the opposition groups, as well as attract to us the worst possible fringe co-demonstrators.

It is actually not called "The Godless March". It is called "The Godless Americans March on Washington". Godless Americans" is a pun on "God Bless America" (Same words without the "B"), and was a reaction to the sanctimonious pushing of that song and phrase by Congress following 9/11, even to the point of promoting its use on official public school billboards and publications.

It would not be the name I would have chosen, but it is hardly the antagonistic tragedy that you make it out to be.

LLaurieG · 10-15-2002, 03:40 PM

Quote:

It is actually not called "The Godless March". It is called "The Godless Americans March on Washington". Godless Americans" is a pun on "God Bless America" (Same words without the "B"), and was a reaction to the sanctimonious pushing of that song and phrase by Congress following 9/11

Ahem, but any pun that you have to explain...! In literature, language and the world at large, "godless" is a negative adjective with a heavy emotional load. Especially as atheists are too often characterized as a humorless lot, I regret that this key event for us will always bear that name.

"An atheist doesn't have to be someone who thinks he has a proof that there can't be a god. He only has to be someone who believes that the evidence on the God question is at a similar level to the evidence on the werewolf question." -- John McCarthy

galiel · 10-15-2002, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LLaurieG:


Ahem, but any pun that you have to explain...! In literature, language and the world at large, "godless" is a negative adjective with a heavy emotional load. Especially as atheists are too often characterized as a humorless lot, I regret that this key event for us will always bear that name.

"An atheist doesn't have to be someone who thinks he has a proof that there can't be a god. He only has to be someone who believes that the evidence on the God question is at a similar level to the evidence on the werewolf question." -- John McCarthy

Sigh

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10-13-2002, 09:15 AM	#11
marylandnaturegirl Regular Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Washington DC Metro Area Posts: 151	PS I am pretty sure that the GAMOW site says that their permit for the National Mall doesn't allow selling of any merchandise. Which is too bad. To double check this please see <a href="http://www.godlessamericans.org" target="_blank">http://www.godlessamericans.org</a>

10-13-2002, 03:15 PM	#12
Toto Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 40,549	Dr. Zeus?

10-13-2002, 10:20 PM	#13
marylandnaturegirl Regular Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Washington DC Metro Area Posts: 151	Heh heh, sorry combine a God with an author and add a mispelling. I type way too fast.

10-14-2002, 11:44 AM	#14
DonaldW112 Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Schenectady, NY Posts: 45	I am coming from upstate NY and plan to list my II handle and the Humanist/Athesitic groups I belong to on my sign. I have not decided on a statement yet. What are others thinking about? I like the t-shirt idea too. Donald

10-14-2002, 02:32 PM	#15
LLaurieG Regular Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: So. California Posts: 116	Thanks for all the info, marylandnaturegirl! Especially in light of AA's Friday night buffet being sold out so early, I may well show up at some of your events, especially the dancing. I have a feeling I'll be in the mood! I completely agree with you about the HORRIBLE name for this event. What blind zealot of an atheistic PR flack came up with this awful, horrible name?? "Godless" is absolutely confrontational and abrasive�even more so than atheist. Naming it The Godless March damn near kills the event before we even have a chance to make a single point! It is guaranteed to unite the opposition groups, as well as attract to us the worst possible fringe co-demonstrators. Worst of all, it practically guarantees instant media disparagement and dismissal. "Godless" is bound to attract the absolute worst kind of "strange, queer, news tidbit o' the day" kind of sensationalistic, negative, unhelpful media attention. My personal favorite designation is "Creed-free." It's both atheistically accurate and positively expressed. Or go with the secular humanist angle: "Humanists March." That would have been PR-bulletproof: impossible for ANY church or media to disparage.

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