TMCIF!

(Thank Man-made Calendars It’s Friday)

I have plans for this weekend. Tomorrow is jam-packed: Clinic escorting at 7am, then over to The Source for their Holiday Jubilee (i.e., huge boardgame and comic sale), then over to this local annual women’s craft fair that I’ve been going to for years.

I am leaning towards attending the Million March Minnesota at 1pm at Government Plaza in downtown Minneapolis. The organizers appear to be on the up and up about wanting to organize against racist state-sanctioned violence; they’ve been responsive on their Facebook event page and I received a timely reply to a letter that I sent to their email. They state that they are “Artists and Allies with Black Leadership who are committed to channeling and connecting people and organizations who are doing the work of social justice.” They ask people to leave the “All Lives Matter” signage at home as they prefer to keep the focus on black lives, so that’s a good start. But this is Minnesota, y’all. I’m apprehensive that it’s going to be a sea of white faces, which is not what needs to be happening right now. If anyone knows more about the rally – and importantly, if you’ve heard any concerns – I’d love to have your input. You can comment below or shoot me an email at [email protected]

I’m also planning on doing some organizing and planning for the FTB Conscience this weekend. The 3rd FTBCon is scheduled for the end of January 2015, so start getting excited!

I leave you with this incredible Cthulu wreath from BoredPanda. Check out the website for more detailed photos. I love this line from the site: “I may have lost a little of my mind in the process, but it seems a worthwhile trade for dabbling in eldritch crafts.”

A green and red holiday-themed wreath that uses tentacles and octopi for decorations.

TMCIF!
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Interview with Greta Christina for Atheists Talk

Who had the most fun this morning? That would be moi.

Today I had the pleasure of interviewing Greta Christina for the radio show that I co-host for Minnesota AtheistsAtheists TalkWe discussed anger – what it is, what it isn’t – and anger’s place in activism. The inspiration for our talk was Greta’s book Why Are You Atheists So Angry? 99 Things That Piss Off the Godlesswhich she published in 2012.

I recommend Greta’s book to those who are genuinely interested in why atheists are “so angry” about religion (spoilers: we’re angry, but not all the time, and for very worthy reasons, and many of us want to do something effective with this anger). The book is written for believers and non-believers alike, for atheist activists, religious apologists and those who haven’t given the topic much thought, but wonder what all the fuss is about.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book is that it addresses those who argue that the religious right extremists aren’t “real” Christians, that Christianity is all about love and tolerance. Greta explains reasons why one can’t simply be “a better Christian”, why moderate and progressive religions, New Age religions and those who identify as “spiritual but not religious” aren’t let off the hook when it comes to the religious-based and reality-blind injustices that are committed by believers and by religious or spiritual institutions.

You can listen to the interview on iTunes, on the AM950 radio station website, or at the Minnesota Atheists podcast page. Or here, if I figured out how to embed the link properly 🙂
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And I would be remiss if I didn’t take the opportunity to say that if you enjoy the interview, and want to help Minnesota Atheists continue to keeping doing work like this, you can donate at the Atheists Talk radio show Fund Page.

Interview with Greta Christina for Atheists Talk

Why Are You Atheists So Angry?

I have a new book to read on the plane ride to Reason Rally on Friday!

Greta Christina is the author of Why Are You Atheists So Angry? 99 Things that Piss of the Godless. The first part of the title is funny because it plays off the common misconception that atheists are angry all the time because we don’t know God, or don’t have God’s peace, or something like that. Greta Christina steps up and makes the argument that while we’re often very happy people, we ARE angry about some things, and we have very good reason to be angry about them! As she mentions in the upcoming documentary Scarlet Letter, “Anger isn’t necessarily a sign that there’s something wrong with you. Sometimes anger is a sign that there’s something wrong with the world.”

You can read Greta’s blog about her new book, and you can order it for Kindle from Amazon. Why Are You Atheists So Angry should also be up for Nook and Smashwords in a week or so, and a paper edition is slated for April.

Why Are You Atheists So Angry?