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                  THE TEXAS ATHEIST

             December 31, 1999                                   # 37
               Copyright  1999 by Howard Thompson

=========[   An independent, free e-mail newsletter   ]=========

    IN THIS ISSUE

1.  Texas events
2.  Getting out of the atheist "closet"
        "I was taught to sneer at atheists"
        "It is indeed liberating"
3.  Will Boerne gives up "official" nativity?
        "The nativity is about power, not piety"
4.  Evangelical "prophets" recant end of the world
5.  Do atheists or Baptists divorce more?
6.  News/Science Briefs
    Internet discussion for isolated atheists
    Godless Gamers group formed in Austin
    Atheist musical group started in DFW
    Football prayers on Republican primary ballot
    Austin attorney challenges hospital prayers
    FBI's "Project Meggido" warns of millennial terrorism
    New University of Texas group may form
    NTCOF building fund tops $13,000
    Ethical Society of Austin - name change
    ACLU/AUSCS challenge Louisiana school prayer law
7.  Letters
8.  Groups & TV
    [[ Media items from Kristine Danowski's news service. ]]

=======================================

TEXAS EVENTS

    COLLEGE GROUPS MEET? -- A campus freethought-atheist group meeting is in 
planning for Spring 2000.  More info as things firm up.
    TEXAS PRIMARIES – Democratic and Republican primaries are March 14th, an 
opportunity for nontheists to learn political processes and gain visibility 
for atheist issues.

=======================================


GETTING OUT OF THE ATHEIST "CLOSET"

    The holiday season gets atheists to thinking.  We worry about xmas 
religiosity of co-workers and family.  We don't want to be rejected; but we 
dislike hiding our unbelief or faking our faith.  It is no wonder that many 
unbelievers come out of their atheist "closet" at xmas.

    Here is how some readers describe it.

    [From Sara] "Thank you for the atheist newsletter and also for the 
interesting bit of Fredericksburg history.  Sad to say that this town is now 
often proclaimed to be a "city of churches".  In fact, I heard with my own 
ears, a local preacher broadcasting over KNAF radio that the holocaust 
probably never happened, but even if it did, it was greatly exaggerated by 
the Jews, who basically brought it all upon themselves ... really!"
    "Also appreciated your commentary on "faking faith".  Believe me, it's 
very comforting to hear those words and to know that there ARE others who try 
to see the world with an open mind.  I'm happy to say that the end of '99 saw 
me vow to "come out of the closet" as an atheist, and already I have had 
numerous small "successes" ... it is indeed liberating."

    [Lindsey Durway] "Your comments bring to light an observation that I've 
observed for some time now:  acknowledging one's atheism is like "coming out" 
about one's homosexuality. The way some folks describe their homosexual 
"coming out" experience, emotionally, sounds a lot like my atheist "coming 
out" experience."
    "I was taught to sneer at atheists, prejudging them as psychologically 
fucked up &/or immoral/amoral.  Then one Sunday I walked out of the 
Presbyterian church in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, after having 
found myself utterly unable to spout the creeds, prayers, and other tokens of 
‘beleef' during the worship service, and I admitted to myself that I was an 
atheist."
    "It was like what I've read about homosexuals who finally & suddenly 
admit to themselves that they can't uphold the hetero charade:  I felt a huge 
weight lift up off my shoulders, and I wanted to shout to the world:  I don't 
believe this ridiculous crap!  There's no lord!  no creation!  no Eden, sin, 
son, Word, virgin birth, redeemer, redeemee, redemption, descent into hell, 
ascent into heaven, and so forth and so forth.  I was free to admit to myself 
what I was, the rest of the world and their psychotic admonitions be damned.  
I discovered that deep down inside, I was exactly what I was taught to 
despise, and I fucking loved it!"
    "That was about 10 years ago, and the older I get, the more unbelievable 
theistic ‘beleef' becomes for me.  ‘Beleef' in a god becomes more & more like 
some ridiculous 3rd world superstition--wooden statues with ancestors' names 
carved on them, slips of paper with birthdays written on them, bowls of food 
left out for hungry ghosts, chicken blood daubed on the foreheads of sick 
children, desperate entreaties to fickle powers, and on and on and on."

    [From Mark] "Your words describe my situation to a ‘T'.  Without going 
into too much detail, suffice it to say that both my sister and parents are 
extremely active in their local churches, though I wouldn't label them as 
fundies.  My parents are retired missionaries, and many, many other relatives 
are full time ministers."
    "I finally acknowledged my atheism earlier this month, after hiding 
behind agnosticism since early summer.  My parents know nothing of this, but 
my wife supports me.  She, too, is a Christian.  I've spoken with other 
agnostic/atheists about how they "outted" themselves to their families, and 
most advise against it at Christmas, primarily because of the strong 
Christian theme of this holiday.  What are your thoughts on that?"
    "Also, would you explain how the "price of going along" got too high?  
I'm not eager to "hide" for very long, but I'm not certain next weekend is 
the best time for a confrontation."

    The common themes of coming out stories run something like this.

    *  Doubts about magic that cannot be answered.
    *  Knowing you don't believe the magics others believe.
    *  Worries about how family and friends might react.
    *  Discomfort around religious people and religious activities.
    *  Growing discomfort over silent unbelief or faking faith.
    *  Resolving internal stress by coming out of the atheist "closet".
    *  Relief after giving up secret unbelief.
    *  Hopeful outlook for the future.

    Being a go-along-to-get-along atheist and faking faith have personal 
costs.  Our choices, however, should be based on information.  I hope words 
from those who will no longer live in their atheist "closet" to please 
believers gives you food for thought.




    WILL BOERNE GIVE UP "OFFICIAL" NATIVITY?

    Last year, Julie Fisher of the Texas Hill Country Freethinkers told 
Catherine Fahringer, a board member of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, 
that Boerne had a nativity scene on city property.  FFRF then sent a letter 
to the City of Boerne about their nativity scene.

    An article in the San Antonio Express-News described 1999's controversy 
when Boerne removed the nativity after a brief appearance.  Apparently, 
someone in Boerne remembered FFRF's letter.  A Boerne city official told 
Julie that the city would find a solution after xmas.

    Boerne can expect lots of heat from Christians.  The usual lies about the 
U.S. being founded as a "Christian" nation and our founders's first 
constitutional amendment only prohibiting a national religion will be 
endlessly repeated.  Julie Fisher's excellent letter on the nativity got into 
the San Antonio and two Boerne newspapers.

    [By Julie Fisher, zoezappa@texas.net] "As always, religion is divisive. 
The issue of the Nativity on Main Plaza is simple, though.  It is against the 
law!  Tradition and majority vote don't trump our Constitution.  The Bill of 
Rights protects the individual's freedoms and rights, whether they are 
popular or not.  Separation of church and state protects us all.

    "The founding fathers realized that keeping government neutral toward 
religion was the best way for America to avoid the religious wars and abuses 
that had taken place in Europe.  They were right!  Boerne Christians can put 
up Nativity scenes in front of the many churches, at their own expense.

    "Why is it so important to some Christians to make it look like the 
government favors the Christian religion?  The message is that Christians are 
first-class citizens and Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Wiccans, atheists, 
and all the rest are second-class citizens.  The Nativity on public property 
is about power, not piety.

    "It is a shame that some Christians have such a sense of entitlement to 
government favoritism that they feel outraged at just being put on an equal 
footing with other people.
The city did the right thing removing the crèche.




    EVANGELICAL "PROPHETS" RECANT END OF THE WORLD

    The kingdom of god is at hand.  Natural and human disasters will destroy 
society as we know it.  Accept Christ as your savior.   Repent your sins.  
Jesus is coming back January 1st to raise the righteous to heaven in rapture  
The wicked will raise Satan's anti-christ to power only to be defeated by god 
in an ultimate battle between good and evil.

    But wait!  With the new millennium at hand, leading evangelicals are 
recanting.

    Preacher Tim LaHaye, co-author of the popular "Left Behind" books, now 
"regrets having talked about" the Y2K bug causing economic disaster leading 
to the anti-christ.  "Armageddon: Earth's Last Days" author Grant Jeffrey now 
says the end-times will happen gradually, maybe by April.  Jerry Falwell has 
withdrawn his alerts that god would shake and humble the U.S.  Other 
evangelicals are postponing end-times predictions for years or decades.

    So far, not one false prophet has given back to deluded believers a penny 
of panic donations or book sales.

    Sociologists would note this is classic "crisis-cult" behavior when 
prophecy fails.  Believers reinterpret scripture into new revelations that 
alibi failed predictions.  Failed predictions, however, strengthens faith in 
some.  The lucky ones come to their senses, realize it was lies and try to 
lead normal lives.

    In 1818 for example, William Miller began preaching the end-times for 
1843 or 1844. Eventually, he set a date no later than March 21, 1844.  A mass 
movement of Christian conversions developed from Miller's speeches that were 
attended by over 500,000.  Much of the nation was like a small East Texas 
town all goggle-eyed over a traveling charismatic revivalist.

    When March 21st passed without Jesus' return, new dates were set, which 
also passed.  The Millerite movement fell apart, but millions of scared 
converts remained Christians.  Hard core faithful later established the 
Adventist movement and Jehovah's Witnesses.
    [Some material from copyrighted Washington Post article by Hanna Rosin.]




    DO ATHEISTS OR BAPTISTS DIVORCE MORE?

    Barna Research Group, a Christian polling firm, reports that Baptists and 
non-denominational protestants have higher divorce rates than other 
Christians.  Barna interviewed 3,854 adults with the following percentages 
reporting at least one lifetime divorce.

    34%  Non-denominational Protestants
    30%  Jews
    29%  Baptists
    27%  Born again Christians
    25% National average, mainstream protestant churches
    24%  Mormons
    21%  Catholic, Lutheran, Atheists & Agnostics

    These results are not strong proof that fundamentalist Christianity 
causes more divorce.  Divorce rates are higher among lower income groups, 
like many fundamentalists.  Non-denominational churches tend to attract those 
with above average life difficulties.  Fundamentalists may also marry younger 
with more unrealistic expectations, greater sexual ignorance, and less 
relationship experience.  The results do, however, refute popular 
fundamentalist claims that old-time religion is good for families.

      Atheism may provide a view of life that produces useful pre-marital 
experience.  Lower results for atheists and agnostics may arise from more 
experience with sexual relationships and more living together before 
marriage, reported in other studies.  This is learning made possible by the 
atheistic stance.  It is not evidence for atheistic beliefs inherently aiding 
marriage.



NEWS/SCIENCE BRIEFS [Send items of interest to gofreemind@aol.com.]

    INTERNET DISCUSSION FOR ISOLATED TEXAS ATHEISTS

    Check out the following for Texas e-mail discussion groups:
    1)  Atheist Community of Austin.  A lively group with lots of different 
topics.
Send join request to: ask-list-request@atheist-community.org
    2)  Atheist & Agnostic Student Group at Texas A&M.  College student 
interest.
Send join request to:  AASG-L@listserv.tamu.edu.
    3)  North Texas Church of Freethought.  Mostly about NTCOF doings.
Send join request to: ntcof_talk_subscribe@e-groups.com  you will have to 
visit the e-groups.com website first and register with e-groups.
    AOL has two message board areas for atheists.  Only AOL members can get 
to these.
    4)  Enter "atheism" using the Keyword function, then click on "message 
boards".  The Atheism board has 57 different topic folders, the Agnostic 
board has 46.
    5)  Enter "aclu" using the Keyword function, then click on "messaging" at 
the bottom of that initial ACLU screen, then click on "Ethics & Morality", 
then click on "Atheism & Freethought", which has 18 message board folder 
topics.

    GODLESS GAMERS GROUP FORMED IN AUSTIN

    The Atheist Community of Austin has established a "Godless Gamers" group 
for board, card and role-playing games.  Their first meeting in Austin was a 
success.  Contact Jeff Dee (Atheist Experience TV show host) at 
unigames@io.com.

    ATHEIST MUSICAL GROUP STARTED IN DFW

    DFW atheist musicians took another tiny step towards establishing a 
culture without supernaturalism.  The "Reasonettes" debuted at the December 
5th service of the North Texas Church of Freethought.  The Reasonettes are 
Cathy and Kevin Smith, Gail DeLay and Scott Williams.  Yep, we now got MUSIC 
by atheists for atheists.

    FOOTBALL PRAYERS ON REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT

    The Texas Republican Party is putting the issue of prayers at public 
school football games on their March 14th primary election ballot.  The Texas 
GOP hopes that the football prayer issue will attract fundamentalists who are 
still in the Democratic party.  What did you expect when the Christian 
Coalition and other evangelicals have absolute control of the Texas GOP?

    AUSTIN ATTORNEY CHALLENGES HOSPITAL PRAYERS

    Austin attorney Jim Kirby is challenging Brackenridge hospital's daily 
prayers over the public address system.  Brackenridge Hospital is managed by 
Catholic Seton Health Network under a long term contract with the city of 
Austin.  The Texas Atheist has had previous complaints that Nuns start 
employee meetings at Catholic hospitals with a prayer.
    Kirby has written to the Seton Health Network CEO Charles Barnett (1201 
W. 38th St., Austin, TX 78751) and filed a complaint with the Austin Human 
Rights commission.
    "I consider this to be bald-faced and annoying prayer," said Kirby's 
letter, "that is in direct violation of my federal and state constitutional 
rights and in violation of Austin Municipal Code regarding religious 
discrimination in employment and in places of public accommodation."
    You can contact Jim Kirby at <jimkirby@zipmail.com.br>

    FBI'S "PROJECT MEGGIDO" WARNS OF MILLENNIAL TERRORISM

    The FBI issued an October warning to police chiefs about millennial 
terrorism by Christian groups.  The "Project Meggido" report, on the FBI 
website, addressed groups that "attach special significance to the year 
2000."  Meggido (the root for "armageddon") is the old testament site for the 
final end-times battle between god and Satan.
    "As the end of the millennium draws near," says the report, "biblical 
prophecy and political philosophy may merge into acts of violence by the more 
extreme members of domestic terrorist groups that are motivated, in part, by 
religion."
    Religious right organizations are demanding congressional hearings to 
investigate, with the usual whiney liberal-bashing and claims that Christians 
are always victimized.
    [Based on a copyrighted article by David M. Bresnahan, WorldNetDaily.com.]

    NEW UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS GROUP MAY FORM

    The possibility a new nontheistic group at UT Austin has been discussed 
on the Atheist Community of Austin e-mail list.  Your editor has contacted 
all Austin subscribers about the possibility.  The Council for Secular 
Humanism's Campus Freethought Alliance has expressed interest in helping out.
    Discussions will resume when the new semester starts.  The hope is that a 
student group can be established.  There has also been enough interest 
expressed by University employees to probably form a campus faculty/staff 
group similar to Christian faculty/staff groups.

    NTCOF BUILDING FUND TOPS $13,000

    Mike Sullivan of the North Texas Church of Freethought (NTCOF) told me 
over dinner in Round Rock that their building fund has topped $13,000.  It 
looks like NTCOF will become the first Texas group to have a meeting hall, 
and one of the very few such groups in the nation.
    The NTCOF newsletter put it this way.  "While other Freethought groups 
waste time arguing over who controls the purse strings and then pester their 
members with dues and Roberts Rules of Order, NTCOF continues to thrive with 
none of those tiresome practices.  Mutual trust, full disclosure, delivering 
on promises, and most of all, providing Freethinkers with services and 
experiences they desire has led to a financially stable and growing 
organization with the membership and resources few other local Freethought 
organizations can claim."

    ETHICAL SOCIETY OF AUSTIN CHANGES ITS NAME

    The Ethical Culture Fellowship of Austin has voted to change its name to 
the Ethical Society of Austin.  Most of the other 30 or so Ethical Culture 
societies in the nation are similarly named.  New contacts:  
esaustin@usa.net,  http://www.esoa.org.

    ACLU/AUSCS CHALLENGE LOUISIANA SCHOOL PRAYER LAW

    "Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the American 
Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana filed suit today in federal court, 
charging that the state's new school prayer law is unconstitutional. The suit 
also challenges specific school-sponsored religious practices at West Monroe 
High School in Ouachita Parish."
    "At issue is an amended school prayer law that was passed overwhelmingly 
by both chambers of the Louisiana legislature last June and signed by Gov. 
Mike Foster on July 2.  The measure altered an existing statute authorizing 
"silent prayer or meditation" in public schools every morning by striking the 
word "silent."  The measure's legislative sponsor, Rep. Cynthia Willard, told 
the House Education Committee last May that she wanted to allow for "verbal 
prayer" in public schools." [From a 12/3/1999 American Civil Liberties Union 
press release.]



LETTERS

    [From <Darwin@atheists.net> Darwin Bedford]  I have posted your "Faking 
Faith" commentary (with full credits) at www.UnitedStatesGovernment.org, 
USAGov.com and about 100 other domain names.  There are approximately 500 to 
2100 visitors to the site per day (mostly Canadians). [[ Thanks for the 
exposure and proper credits, Darwin.  HT ]]



GROUPS

    Agnostic & Atheist Student Group of Texas A&M.  Wednesdays 8:00 PM.  
Check http://atheist.tamu.edu/~aasg/ for changing room locations.
    American Humanist Association.  Houston, Dallas. 
<frankprahl@earthlink.net>.
    Atheist Community of Austin.  Weekly meetings, monthly speaker, TV show. 
<kellenvh@earthink.net> www.atheist-community.org.
    Corpus Christi Atheists & Agnostics. Contact Brian Meyer 
<bmmagic@swbell.net>. 
    Ethical Society of Austin.  10:00 AM, 1st & 3rd Sunday, Austin Senior 
Activity Center near 28th and Lamar.  512-306-1111, esaustin@usa.net, 
http://www.esoa.org.
    Freethinkers Assoc. of Central Texas.  Weekly meetings.  
http://atheistalliance.org/fact Don Lawrence  <lawdon99@earthlink.net> or 
Julie Fisher <txfreethinker@geocities.com>.
    Freethinkers Union - U of Houston.  Active unbeliever student group.  
Stacy Irwin <stirwin@Jetson.uh.edu>. http://get.to/freethinkers.
    Houston Church of Freethought.  Contact <afay@worldnet.att.net>.
    Houstonians for Secular Humanism.  Monthly meetings, <dts2000@flash.net>.
    Humanist of Ft. Worth.  1st Wed, 7:00 PM, Russell Elleven 
<R.elleven@tcu.edu>, http://webalias.com/humanism.
    North Texas Church of Freethought.  First Sunday, 10:30 AM at Wilson 
World Hotel, Irving.  Singles group, social events. <church@freethought.org>  
http://church.freethought.org.
    Oklahoma Atheists.  Monthly & online meetings.  Kim Schultz- 
Kimmysai@aol.com,   www.geocities.com/~ok_atheist.html, 
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/oklahomaatheists.
    San Antonio College.  New group.  Don Lawrence <lawdon99@earthlink.net>.
    San Marcos.  Contact David Morris <camerare@itouch.net>, group may form
    Texas Hill Country Freethinkers.  Monthly luncheons, dinners, 
discussions.  Julie Fisher at 210-354-3311 <txfreethinker@geocities.com>.

TELEVISION
    The Atheist Experience:  9:00 AM call-in show.  Sunday on Austin public 
access TV.
    Freethought Forum:   6:30 PM Thursday on San Antonio public access TV.

    [[ There is no commentary this issue due to space constraints.  There 
will be several special informational mailings in January.  I hope the new 
year treats each of you well.  HT ]]

• Crazy Atheist Libertarian
• Government Snitch?????
• David Dorn
• Fat Blond Guy
• Crazy Atheist