Next week, the Humanists of Minnesota are having their annual banquet and fundraiser. You should all go! It's at the Doubletree Hotel, 1500 Park Place Boulevard, in St Louis Park, at 6:00 on 19 May. Tickets are $37.
Here! A flyer and ticket order form!
The featured speaker at the dinner is, umm, me, but don't let that put you off, there will be lots of opportunity to converse with your fellow freethinkers. There is a kind of generic title for the talk that was invented way back when I was first invited, "Evolution, the Web and Freethought," but I'm not actually going to say much about the web — instead, I'm going to talk a bit about the "new" atheism (which isn't really new at all), and why scientists are suddenly getting so assertive, and how evolution is central to the erosion of religion.
It should be fun. If you want to come to heckle and throw tomatoes, that's good, too…as long as you cough up some cash for the Humanists of Minnesota.
Has anyone read this blogpost about Dawkins written by 'The Japing Ape'. Beneath the humour there is an interesting critique.
Wow. Sounds great. I am truly sorry I can't make it.
Sorry I can't make the event as I'll be camping with my family next weekend, but I am intrigued by this part of your proposed topic...
how evolution is central to the erosion of religion
By this do you mean that religion is being eroded as a function of the process of evolution or as a result of insights from evolutionary theory, or perhaps, something else? Inquiring minds want to know.
Has anyone read this blogpost...
Expresses sentiments approved of by people like this:
As far as Dawkins is concerned, you were right on the money when you called him a nag. I stopped listening to him ages ago. If I want to be nagged, I'll take my wife shopping.
http://japingape.blogspot.com/2006/03/saving-richard-dawkins.html
Congratulations on the Dawkins shoulder slap! :)
This one, that is:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/…
Expresses sentiments approved of by people like this:
"As far as Dawkins is concerned, you were right on the money when you called him a nag. I stopped listening to him ages ago. If I want to be nagged, I'll take my wife shopping."
Ah yes, the hen-pecked husband. Obviously an agent of the Pope.
Sounds great. Would definitely attend if I lived in the area.
On behalf of those who do not live in the area, I would ask that you post a video of the talk on your blog.
Shorter Japing Ape: "Sit down and shut up, you uppity atheist"
I noticed how a commentor seemed to take the details of Ape's fiction as "proof" of the no-atheists-in-foxholes assumption (which was hardly the point of the piece anyway).
What was the point of the piece?