Bible Verses That Atheists Love

bible
Valerie Tarico has an interesting piece up on AlterNet: Bible Verses That Atheists Love. It’s sort of a response to the Ship of Fools project, which asked Christians to honestly cite their least favorite verses from the Bible. Tarico decided that if Christians can acknowledge the horrible parts of the Bible, we atheists can acknowledge the good parts. (Plus it makes a strong counter to the notion that atheists lump all Christianity together, and that we only ever focus on the horrible stuff in religion.)

I contributed to the project, along with Hemant Mehta, Kim Veal, Leighann Lord, Dale McGowan, Adam Lee, David Silverman, Dan Barker, Vyckie Garrison, August E. Brunsman IV, David Fitzgerald, and more. It’s interesting to see which verses inspire whom, and why. (I was struck by how many other people picked something from Ecclesiastes.) Enjoy!

Bible Verses That Atheists Love
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Greta Interviewed on “Freethinking Island” Podcast!

freethinking island logo

I did an interview with the “Freethinking Island” podcast, a Freethinking forum for the unique Caribbean audience and indeed the world. David Ince, Joy Holloway and I talked about my new book, Coming Out Atheist: How to Do It, How to Help Each Other, and Why. We talked about what language to use when we come out as non-believers; having to do Atheism 101 education when we come out; setting aside time to have a serious conversation about your atheism versus coming out more casually; people who are happy that they came out atheist but regret the way they did it; having patience when we come out; how coming out as atheist will sometimes make believers feel stupid — even if we didn’t say that or anything like that; the role of atheist anger (and the misconceptions about atheist anger) when we come out; talking and/or arguing with believers about religion; and more.

I also found out David’s “coming out atheist” story — which it turns out I played a part in! That makes me so very happy — especially since he’s doing his own work in the atheist community with his blog and his podcast. I was very much influenced to come out and get involved in organized atheism by other atheists, and it makes me really happy to pass that influence on to others… who are then passing it on to still others. Enjoy!

(Note: There isn’t a specific link to just this one podcast episode. You have to scroll down through the list and select Episode 42: Coming Out Atheist. Caution: Reading this list may suck you into listening to every single one of these podcasts. Just the titles are very enticing.)

Greta Interviewed on “Freethinking Island” Podcast!

Greta Interviewed on “Life, the Universe & Everything Else” Podcast!

life the universe and everything else logo

I’ve done an interview with the “Life, the Universe & Everything Else” podcast! They talked with me as part of their special book review episode, in which they discuss a whole bunch of books on atheism, skepticism, science, science fiction, and more. We talk about my new book, Coming Out Atheist: How to Do It, How to Help Each Other, and Why: why atheists might want to come out about our atheism; how coming out makes our lives better and helps other non-believers; whether using the phrase “coming out” for atheists is appropriating language from the LGBT community in a problematic way; parallels (and differences) between coming out as atheist and coming out as LGBT, polyamorous, or with other marginalized identities; the language we use when atheists come out; my motivation for writing the book; what this coming out guide has to offer atheists who are already pretty much out; my favorite stories from the book (and why some of my favorite stories are the boring ones); and more. Enjoy!

Greta Interviewed on “Life, the Universe & Everything Else” Podcast!

“Easy read, clearly laid out and explained”: Amazon Review of “Coming Out Atheist”

Got a nice customer review on Amazon for Coming Out Atheist: How To Do It, How to Help Each Other Do It, And Why! Five stars out of five. (In fact, the book now has 16 customer reviews — and 14 of them are five stars out of five, with one four-star review!) Here’s what T. Hail “Tom Hail” had to say:

No dogma. Greta provides you with things to think about for you and your situation.

As a lifelong atheist I wasn’t sure what I would learn from this, but then realization sets in because I come out every time I meet somebody new. And then there’s the information about how to help others come out as atheist, learning why it’s hard for some people to come out, what challenges do they face, risks that some of them take. Additionally this book covers why atheism isn’t just about atheism, it’s about all aspects of humanity. That social justice issues are easily part of what the atheist community is about, that LBGT and feminist issues apply directly to atheist issues.

Easy read, clearly laid out and explained. No dogma. Greta provides you with things to think about for you and your situation.

Thanks, Tom! And if any of you have read Coming Out Atheist, it’d be awesome if you’d post a review.

***

Here, by the way, is ordering info for the book in all three formats — print, ebook, and audiobook!

Coming Out Atheist cover 150
Ebook edition:

The Kindle edition is available on Amazon. (That’s the link for Amazon US, btw — it’s available in other regions as well.)

The Nook edition is available at Barnes & Noble.

The Smashwords edition is available on Smashwords. Right now, it’s only available on Smashwords in epub format: I’m working to make it available in other formats.

All ebook editions and formats cost just $9.99.

Print edition:

The print edition is now available through Powell’s Books.

The print edition is also available at Amazon. However, be advised (if you haven’t been already) that seriously abusive labor practices have been reported at Amazon warehouses. Please bear that in mind when you’re deciding where to buy my book — or indeed, where to buy anything. (For the records: Powell’s employees are unionized.) Again, that’s the link for Amazon US — it’s available in other regions as well.

You can also buy the print edition at your local bookstore. If they don’t currently carry it, you can special order it. (Bookstores can get it from standard wholesalers; wholesale info is below.) Support your local bookstore!

The print edition is $17.95 USD. It is published by Pitchstone Publishing.

Wholesale sales of the print edition:

Bookstores and other retailers can get the book from Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and other standard wholesale distributors. It can also be purchased directly from the publisher, Pitchstone Publishing.

Audiobook edition:

The audiobook version is available on Audible.

The audiobook is also available through Amazon.

The audiobook is also available through iTunes.

And yes, I did the recording for it!

“Easy read, clearly laid out and explained”: Amazon Review of “Coming Out Atheist”

Greta Being Interviewed Live on “Atheist Airwaves” Today!

Atheist Airwaves logo

I’m going to be interviewed live on the “Atheist Airwaves” radio show! Today, Thursday June 5, at 5:30 pm Pacific time. They won’t be taking calls during the interview, but they will be interacting with their chatroom, and will pop in with some of the audience feedback as they go. We’ll be talking about my new book Coming Out Atheist: How to Do It, How to Help Each Other, and Why, as well as feminism, LGBTQ issues, intersectionality in varying movements, sex work, and whatever else comes up. And yes, the show will be recorded as a podcast for later listening. I’ll post a link when that happens. Enjoy!

Greta Being Interviewed Live on “Atheist Airwaves” Today!

“Likely to remain the definitive book on the subject”: Amazon Review of “Coming Out Atheist”

Got a nice customer review on Amazon for Coming Out Atheist: How To Do It, How to Help Each Other Do It, And Why! Five stars out of five. (In fact, the book now has 16 customer reviews — and 14 of them are five stars out of five, with one four-star review!) Here’s what Brian had to say:

Likely to remain the definitive book on the subject

As followers of her blog and readers of her earlier excellent book “Why Are You Atheists So Angry? 99 Things That Piss Off The Godless” will know, Greta Christina has a beautifully clear, conversational writing style. Her writing is a pleasure to read, both for that easy style and because she has a talent for organizing her thoughts on a topic into a clear progression.

“Coming Out Atheist: How To Do It, How To Help Each Other, And Why” has those sterling qualities, and also another which was hinted at in “Why Are You Atheists So Angry” but which truly comes out in this one: when Greta Christina decides to sink her teeth into a subject, she is *thorough* about it. This is a comprehensive treatment of the subject.

Beginning with the “Why?” of doing it and continuing with an array of practical “How” strategies, not only does she give a compassionate and nuanced discussion of the pros and cons of coming out in the general, but also in the many specifics: she discusses coming out in relatively atheist-friendly places, and in religiously conservative places, in outright theocracies both official and unofficial, at work, in schools, and at home, to immediate family, extended family, friends and even complete strangers. She pays attention to arenas with particular issues, such as clergy who have become atheist, atheists in the military, in healthcare, and others. She has gathered and sifted through literally hundreds of individual stories from several countries and all manner of situations, and she has listed and organized these stories to illustrate both the commonalities and the differences.

The book is organized such that a person can zero in quickly on her or his own situation, to a startling degree of specificity, or read through the entire spectrum to gain an overview. Because of that dual purpose there is necessarily some repetition of advice and description, but the keen notice she gives to how individual circumstances can alter cases prevents the text from becoming boring (at least, I was not bored reading through all the variations).

Nowhere does the author become dogmatic or claim that there is any one right way to come out: in fact, she does not even insist that coming out is necessarily for everyone, and makes particular note of circumstances where it may be better not to do so, or to delay doing so, or to do so in stages. She does note that the overwhelming majority of atheists who do come out are glad they did so (in fact, while many regretted particular aspects of how they did it, only one out of the hundreds expressed regret at the *fact* of having come out), and is encouraging of closeted atheists to come out, but she emphasizes the personal nature of the decision, telling her audience not to allow themselves to be stampeded into it and definitely not to force others out. Her advice on the process is practical and realistic: have your personal and financial ducks in a row to the extent possible, be aware that it is difficult to stay only partially out for long, come out in a controlled way on your schedule rather than in a crisis if possible, and other such clear-headed advice is presented again and again with an eye on how those realities differ by situation. There are no blueprints here, but rather guidelines the person considering coming out can adapt to his or her own particular needs, with an abundance of examples of how others did it well or badly.

Greta Christina is of course one of the most active members of the atheist community at large, and as the subtitle says she does not neglect to provide advice to atheists who want to help others through the transition. As she did in “Why Are You Atheists So Angry?” she provides a comprehensive resource guide at the end of the book to help both the individuals seeking to come out and those who want to be of help to them.

The reason I chose to entitle this review as I did is that while I am sure others can, should, and will provide their own take on the subject, this book is so well done and so comprehensive that I believe it will remain the standard against which others of the same stamp will be measured, and that it will measure up very well against any others which do come along.

Finally, I’ll express the hope that this book will become obsolescent to an increasing degree as being openly atheist becomes a norm. There will probably always be a need for some atheists to seek advice on this process of coming out, but I believe the day is coming when it will be a very common happening, and largely unremarkable.

“Coming Out Atheist: How To Do It, How To Help Each Other, And Why” is a remarkable and valuable tool which will hasten that day considerably, and I recommend it highly to everyone interested in the process of coming out atheist.

Thanks, Brian! And if any of you have read Coming Out Atheist, it’d be awesome if you’d post a review.

***

Here, by the way, is ordering info for the book in all three formats — print, ebook, and audiobook!

Coming Out Atheist cover 150
Ebook edition:

The Kindle edition is available on Amazon. (That’s the link for Amazon US, btw — it’s available in other regions as well.)

The Nook edition is available at Barnes & Noble.

The Smashwords edition is available on Smashwords. Right now, it’s only available on Smashwords in epub format: I’m working to make it available in other formats.

All ebook editions and formats cost just $9.99.

Print edition:

The print edition is now available through Powell’s Books.

The print edition is also available at Amazon. However, be advised (if you haven’t been already) that seriously abusive labor practices have been reported at Amazon warehouses. Please bear that in mind when you’re deciding where to buy my book — or indeed, where to buy anything. (For the records: Powell’s employees are unionized.) Again, that’s the link for Amazon US — it’s available in other regions as well.

You can also buy the print edition at your local bookstore. If they don’t currently carry it, you can special order it. (Bookstores can get it from standard wholesalers; wholesale info is below.) Support your local bookstore!

The print edition is $17.95 USD. It is published by Pitchstone Publishing.

Wholesale sales of the print edition:

Bookstores and other retailers can get the book from Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and other standard wholesale distributors. It can also be purchased directly from the publisher, Pitchstone Publishing.

Audiobook edition:

The audiobook version is available on Audible.

The audiobook is also available through Amazon.

The audiobook is also available through iTunes.

And yes, I did the recording for it!

“Likely to remain the definitive book on the subject”: Amazon Review of “Coming Out Atheist”

“A very clear and persuasive and useful book”: Amazon Review of “Coming Out Atheist”

Got a nice customer review on Amazon for Coming Out Atheist: How To Do It, How to Help Each Other Do It, And Why! Five stars out of five. (In fact, the book now has 14 customer reviews — and twelve of them are five stars out of five, with one four-star review!) Here’s what Nom de Blume had to say:

Read Coming Out Atheist even if you think you don’t know any atheists

Everyone should read “Coming Out Atheist”, even if you think you don’t know any atheists. It’s a very clear and persuasive and useful book. It’s obviously good for people deciding if they are atheist enough to come out publicly (and when their surroundings mean they should wait). But this is also a good book for non-atheists to read.
First, everyone should read it because you might have atheist friends or relatives you don’t know about yet, and you will want to know what they’re facing and trying to analyze.
But even if that never happens to anyone you know of, you still need to know all this, in order to understand the social situation in the modern world, and what younger people are dealing with. If you want to be able to say anything relevant to the citizens of the future, you need to know the issues they face. This book is your toolkit for dealing with the emerging and fastest-growing group in America. When middle-aged people are in a retirement home, almost all the caregivers are likely to be atheists by then, according to current trends. Greta’s book will open a window on real human concerns and stories that will give a guidepost to understanding the future, for everyone.

Thanks, Nom de Blume! And if any of you have read Coming Out Atheist, it’d be awesome if you’d post a review.

***

Here, by the way, is ordering info for the book in all three formats — print, ebook, and audiobook!

Coming Out Atheist cover 150
Ebook edition:

The Kindle edition is available on Amazon. (That’s the link for Amazon US, btw — it’s available in other regions as well.)

The Nook edition is available at Barnes & Noble.

The Smashwords edition is available on Smashwords. Right now, it’s only available on Smashwords in epub format: I’m working to make it available in other formats.

All ebook editions and formats cost just $9.99.

Print edition:

The print edition is now available through Powell’s Books.

The print edition is also available at Amazon. However, be advised (if you haven’t been already) that seriously abusive labor practices have been reported at Amazon warehouses. Please bear that in mind when you’re deciding where to buy my book — or indeed, where to buy anything. (For the records: Powell’s employees are unionized.) Again, that’s the link for Amazon US — it’s available in other regions as well.

You can also buy the print edition at your local bookstore. If they don’t currently carry it, you can special order it. (Bookstores can get it from standard wholesalers; wholesale info is below.) Support your local bookstore!

The print edition is $17.95 USD. It is published by Pitchstone Publishing.

Wholesale sales of the print edition:

Bookstores and other retailers can get the book from Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and other standard wholesale distributors. It can also be purchased directly from the publisher, Pitchstone Publishing.

Audiobook edition:

The audiobook version is available on Audible.

The audiobook is also available through Amazon.

The audiobook is also available through iTunes.

And yes, I did the recording for it!

“A very clear and persuasive and useful book”: Amazon Review of “Coming Out Atheist”

Elliot Rodger and Misogyny Denialism: The Call Is Coming From Inside The House

How much more clear does it have to get?

When men in Islamist theocracies assault, rape, and kill women, we have no problem calling it misogynist hatred. When they explicitly state that their motivation is to enforce God’s gender roles and put women in their place, we have no problem calling it misogynist hatred. And we have no problem laying the blame, in large part, on the culture that teaches this hatred, and on the thousands of ways both large and small that Islamist theocratic culture teaches this despicable concept of women.

So why is it so hard to see the Isla Vista shootings as motivated by misogyny?

Elliot Rodger
A man participated regularly, and for some time, in online forums devoted to the hatred of women, part of a “men’s rights” (MRA) subculture devoted to the hatred of women. He made multiple YouTube videos devoted to the hatred of women. (The last one of which included the words, “I don’t know why you girls aren’t attracted to me, but I will punish you all for it”; “I’ve wanted a girlfriend, I’ve wanted sex, I’ve wanted love, affection, adoration, but you think I’m unworthy of it. That’s a crime that can never be forgiven”; and “If I can’t have you, girls, I will destroy you.”) He wrote a 140-page manifesto clearly outlining his vicious hatred of women, and his dehumanizing view of them, as his motivation for the crime he was about to commit. (A manifesto that said, among many other things, that “Women should not have the right to choose who to mate and breed with”; that “The ultimate evil behind sexuality is the human female”; that “Women are like a plague. They don’t deserve to have any rights. Their wickedness must be contained in order to prevent future generations from falling to degeneracy. Women are vicious, evil, barbaric animals, and they need to be treated as such”; and that ” I cannot kill every single female on earth, but I can deliver a devastating blow that will shake all of them to the core of their wicked hearts.”) As Lindsay Beyerstein wrote on Facebook: “I read Rodger’s manifesto twice. I wish all English comp students could formulate a thesis and support it as clearly as he did. Rodger told the world exactly why he went on this killing spree. He spelled it out in excruciating detail and sent his narrative of the killings to the media. In case that wasn’t enough, he made a series of YouTube videos to cement his narrative of his own crime in the public mind.”

Yet so many people are contorting themselves into pretzels to deny the connection between the Isla Vista shootings and misogyny. So many people are contorting themselves into pretzels to find any motivation at all other than misogyny. What the fuck is going on here?

Is it likely that many different factors played a role in these shootings? Of course. That doesn’t mean misogyny was not one of those factors, and a major one. Were men killed in the shooting spree as well as women? Yes. That doesn’t mean misogyny was not a major motivating factor: misogyny has splash damage that spatters blood onto men as well as women. Is it possible that some sort of mental or emotional disturbance played a role in the Isla Vista shootings? Sure. A case could be made that misogynist hatred on this level is, in and of itself, a clear symptom of being disturbed. A case could be made that misogynist hatred on this level is, in and of itself, by definition, deeply disturbed. That doesn’t make it not misogyny.

Birmingham church bombing
What’s more, many people are falling all over themselves to chide feminists for bringing up misogyny, for “politicizing” the Isla Vista shootings and “using” it to advance our agenda. It’s weird. When we talk about the Boko Haram schoolgirl kidnappings and connect it with misogynist Islamist theocracy, it’s not “politicizing”; when activists around the world screamed in agony over four little black girls blown up in a church by hateful racists, it wasn’t “politicizing.” But somehow, connecting the dots between (a) a man who explicitly and repeatedly named misogyny and the dehumanization of women as the motivation for his mass murder, and (b) misogynist elements of our culture that treat the dehumanization of women as normal and acceptable — somehow, that’s “politicizing.”

What the actual fucking fuck is going on here? Continue reading “Elliot Rodger and Misogyny Denialism: The Call Is Coming From Inside The House”

Elliot Rodger and Misogyny Denialism: The Call Is Coming From Inside The House

“A highly readable, helpful guide”: Amazon Customer Review of “Coming Out Atheist”

Got a nice customer review on Amazon for Coming Out Atheist: How To Do It, How to Help Each Other Do It, And Why! Four stars out of five. (The book now has 14 customer reviews — and twelve of them are five stars out of five, with one four-star review!) Here’s what David K. Chivers “fidchivers” had to say:

A readable, helpful guide,

In “Coming Out Atheist” Greta Christina provides a highly readable, helpful guide to the issues atheists face on whether and how to come out as an Atheist. While seemingly narrow in scope, the book’s audience is actually wider than you might think. For as Christina points out, coming out is a process that never ends for atheists, as even those who already consider themselves out are constantly entering new situations where the suggestions and examples in this book can be applied.

The book is basically segmented into three broad areas. The first question addressed is Why Come Out as an atheist. Generally she argues for coming out for noth personal clarity and peace of mind, and for the gmore general good of increasing the visibility of atheists in society, which helps make atheism more accepted. But she qualifies this with consideration of special circumstances, such as financial considerations, family considerations, and timing.

The bulk of the book then addresses the question of how to come out. Here, her chapter on “The Basics” outlines 18 general considerations that have to be given thought by everyone who is an atheist. Then, in in chapter after chapter, Christina explores and expands those basics while coming out in a variety of specific settings, from spouses to family, to friends, to co-workers, to the community at large. She discusses considerations as to the best order to address them, timing, and special considerations in certain situations. There are also special chapters for coming out in the military, in high school, as a clergy person, in highly conservative communities and in highly religious families. While some might be tempted to read only those Chapters that would apply directly to them (and this would work) all the Chapters have points that are applicable to a myriad of situations, and would be valuable to those coming out in any situation.

While many there are many variations of coming out, the two general categories are The Big Announcement and the slower, No Big Deal I Mention It When It Comes Up method. She does a good job of exploring how these work in the various situations above. In either situation she stresses one point – as much as you may try to control the timing to different groups, or even keep it hidden from particular groups, once you start coming out, be prepared for anyone in your life to find out.

The third and final part of the book addresses the need to build communities of atheists to support each other in coming out and living an openly atheistic life. The more people that do so, the easier it is for others to do so, both because of the ease of finding support, and the more general acceptance in society that sheer numbers bring. Also, a resource guide at the end is very helpful, with references and websites that even long term atheists may not know of. (I found several fascinating ones I did not know about.)

Christina is an excellent writer and journalist. Her style is breezy andeasy to read, and she follows up general points with specific, real-life, coming out stories and experiences that are

illustrative of the larger point she is making. She has a good ear for the telling story or comment from people who have come out, and how they dealt with specific situations.

Another point she emphasizes that far too few atheists pay cognizance to, is that the simple affirmation of “I am an Atheist” can seem to be (and actually is) a direct attack on people’s own beliefs. It’s not a case of “I like oranges and you like apples” but rather “You like apples, I don’t think they exist.” It’s more than a simple difference of opinion, and one has to be cognizant of that when coming out.

Another point Christina makes over and over is that coming out usually (and she does emphasize usually, and not always) goes much more smoothly and with much less trauma than people think it will. Again she follows up with real life examples of how it does and doesn’t go as well as people thought. But no matter how the coming out goes, Christina also emphasizes that in all but one case she can cite, every atheist she interviewed is glad that came out. The only regrets some have is the way that it came out, and that is where Christina’s book can provide a useful blueprint and life guide for any atheist.

Thanks, David! And if any of you have read Coming Out Atheist, it’d be awesome if you’d post a review.

***

Here, by the way, is ordering info for the book in all three formats — print, ebook, and audiobook!

Coming Out Atheist cover 150
Ebook edition:

The Kindle edition is available on Amazon. (That’s the link for Amazon US, btw — it’s available in other regions as well.)

The Nook edition is available at Barnes & Noble.

The Smashwords edition is available on Smashwords. Right now, it’s only available on Smashwords in epub format: I’m working to make it available in other formats.

All ebook editions and formats cost just $9.99.

Print edition:

The print edition is now available through Powell’s Books.

The print edition is also available at Amazon. However, be advised (if you haven’t been already) that seriously abusive labor practices have been reported at Amazon warehouses. Please bear that in mind when you’re deciding where to buy my book — or indeed, where to buy anything. (For the records: Powell’s employees are unionized.) Again, that’s the link for Amazon US — it’s available in other regions as well.

You can also buy the print edition at your local bookstore. If they don’t currently carry it, you can special order it. (Bookstores can get it from standard wholesalers; wholesale info is below.) Support your local bookstore!

The print edition is $17.95 USD. It is published by Pitchstone Publishing.

Wholesale sales of the print edition:

Bookstores and other retailers can get the book from Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and other standard wholesale distributors. It can also be purchased directly from the publisher, Pitchstone Publishing.

Audiobook edition:

The audiobook version is available on Audible.

The audiobook is also available through Amazon.

The audiobook is also available through iTunes.

And yes, I did the recording for it!

“A highly readable, helpful guide”: Amazon Customer Review of “Coming Out Atheist”

Godless Perverts Social Club Tuesday June 3 – And Thursday June 19! Plus Godless Perverts Story Hour June 14!

Godless Perverts Banner

Two great pieces of Godless Perverts news! Starting in June, the Godless Perverts Social Club, the social/ community arm of the Godless Perverts empire, will be meeting twice a month — first Tuesdays, and third Thursdays. Yes, first Tuesday is tomorrow, June 3. And we’re having one of our infamous performance events, the Godless Perverts Story Hour, on Saturday June 14!

Tuesday June 3 AND Thursday June 19: Starting in June, the Godless Perverts Social Club will now be meeting twice a month — first Tuesday, and third Thursday! This is the socializing/ hanging out branch of Godless Perverts. Community is one of the reasons we started Godless Perverts. There are few enough places to land when you decide that you’re an atheist; far fewer if you’re also LGBT, queer, kinky, poly, trans, or are just interested in sexuality. And the sex-positive/ alt-sex/ whatever- you- want- to- call- it community isn’t always the most welcoming place for non-believers. So please join us — on Tuesday June 3, AND on Thursday June 19!

We’re going to do slightly different formats for the two clubs. The first Tuesday Social Clubs have been loosely-structured casual affairs: we typically start with a check-in question and do a little moderating to make sure everyone gets to talk who wants to, but mostly we just nosh and sit around schmoozing about whatever topics happen to come up. On First Tuesdays, we’ll keep doing that. In June, that’ll be Tuesday June 3.

Our Third Thursday Social Clubs will be a little more structured — we’ll pick a topic, let people know what it is ahead of time, have a moderator/ host who leads the discussion, maybe even get in special guests to guide discussions on particular topics. In June, that’ll be Thursday June 19. (We haven’t yet picked a topic — we’ll announce when we do.)

All Social Clubs are at Wicked Grounds, San Francisco’s renowned BDSM-themed coffee house — 289 8th St in San Francisco, near Civic Center BART — for an evening of conversation and socializing. All orientations, genders, and kinks (or lack thereof) welcome. 7:00 – 9:00 pm. There’s no admission, but we ask that you buy food and drink at the counter, and/or make a donation to the venue. (Their food is quite yummy, with both full dinners and lighter snacks/ beverages, and they have the best milkshakes in town.)

Saturday June 14: We’re having a Godless Perverts Story Hour on Saturday June 14! The Godless Perverts Story Hour is the performance/ entertainment branch of the Godless Perverts empire. It’s an evening about how to have good sex without having any gods, goddesses, spirits, or their earthly representatives hanging over your shoulder and telling you that you’re doing it wrong. We’ll be bringing you depictions, explorations, and celebrations of godless sexualities, as well as critical, mocking, and blasphemous views of sex and religion. The evening’s entertainment will have a range of voices — sexy and serious, passionate and funny, and all of the above — talking about how our sexualities can not only exist, but even thrive, without the supernatural.

Heina
annalee-newitz
jon ginoli
Juba Kalamka

SImon Sheppard
Chris Hall
Greta Christina

Our June 14 event is part of LGBT Pride Month, and for the occasion, we’ll be emphasizing queer readers and sexualities. Our readers and performers include: renowned Skepchick contributor Heina; Jon Ginoli, co-founder of queercore band Pansy Division; local tech geek and editor-in-chief of io9, Annalee Newitz; poet and co-founder of homohop group Deep Dickollective, Juba Kalamka; and erotica writer and activist Simon Sheppard. Not to mention co-hosts and co-organizers Chris Hall and me me me! We’re hoping to add more names to that list — further bulletins as events warrant. Center for Sex and Culture, 1349 Mission St. in San Francisco (near Civic Center BART). Festivities start at 7:00 pm. $10-20 sliding scale donation; no-one turned away for lack of funds; benefit for the Center for Sex and Culture. Hope to see you there!

If you want to be notified about all our Godless Perverts events, sign up for our email mailing list, or follow us on Twitter at @GodlessPerverts. You can also sign up for the Bay Area Atheists/ Agnostics/ Humanists/ Freethinkers/ Skeptics Meetup page, and be notified of all sorts of godless Bay Area events — including the Godless Perverts. And of course, you can always visit our Website to find out what we’re up to, godlessperverts.com. Hope to see you soon!

Godless Perverts Social Club Tuesday June 3 – And Thursday June 19! Plus Godless Perverts Story Hour June 14!