The September-October issue of The Moral Atheist is now being distributed by postal mail and email. To get the entire magazine mailed to you, just email your postal address. You will get 3 issues free so you get a good idea of what we are all about. We want you to join us!

Meanwhile, below is our AFHR Report so you know what is going on, plus the cover story so you can plan to attend our conference if you are in the area. (Some photos omitted for this TMA excerpt.)

Atheists For Human Rights is hosting this event and we're giving it the red carpet treatment with great speakers. We'll even treat you to coffee and cookies!

* Table of contents for this issue.

* PDF of the cover.

REVIEW: My Purpose Driven Death: How I Managed To Become One Lucky Stiff

Jerry Metz, M.D.,
Medical Dirctor, Final Exit Network

Like most people, I have worked hard to understand and control my life; unlike most people my work with Final Exit Network made me try to imagine being in control of my own death. I failed.

I read "On Death and Dying" years ago and a stack of books since then but nothing clicked until I picked up Annie Chase's booklet and couldn't put it down! This slender memoir is a jewel - a treasure! - and I hope it becomes a classic. The smiling photograph on the cover introduces a blithe spirit whose bright light makes clear for us the thoughts and fears of a brave soul circling the sun for the last time, fully aware and willing to share.

Highly recommended reading.

NOTE: Non-members can get Annie Chase's booklet with a donation of $10 or more to support Final Exit Network and our Moral High Ground project. Send an e-mail or letter to AFHR, pay with PayPal or a check, and specify where to mail the booklet.

In this issue:

3	AFHR Report: Our Interfaith Dialogue and Other Happenings.
4	AFHR to Host American Atheists Statewide Conference on Secularism in a Religious Culture.
5	A Split in the Atheist Ranks? Conrad Goeringer
9	A Merger in the Atheist Ranks? AFHR Report
10	CHRISTIANITY IN ITS OWN WORDS. When Love is a Sin and a Crime. Part 4: Sexual Tyranny Reaches to the 21st Century. William Sierichs Jr.
14	Trust Me. George Erickson
15	WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE? A Small But Not Trivial Matter. Bill van Druten
16	Physicians in Conflict with Religious Hospitals. Submitted by Tim Gorski, MD
17	A Remarkably Moronic Display of Faulty Logic. Stephen Van Eck
17	THE ATHEIST EXPERIENCE Politics, Parodies and Protests. Don Havis
18	THE LETTERS DESK
20	THE NETWORK
22	THE BOOKSHELF
23	THE HUB CALENDAR
BACK COVER: The Most Generous of All Entitlement Programs.

AFHR REPORT
By Marie Alena Castle, Communications Director

HOW IT WENT WITH OUR INTERFAITH DIALOGUE
Randy Tigue and I went to Congressman Keith Ellison's interfaith dialogue on July 13 in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. We were somewhat wary of the topic, which was about getting government money for faith-based projects. Randy spoke about our concerns at the meeting, and everyone involved -- from Rep. Ellison, to Joshua DuBois (the executive director of the White House Office of Faith-Based & Neighborhood partnerships), to the former priest who ran the workshop, to reps of area churches -- all but knocked themselves out assuring us that "faith-based" does not really mean that because no money is available specifically for faith-based programs and everyone is eligible to apply.

I went to the workshop and spoke about the sparse chances an atheist group might have in getting a grant, and again was awash in assurances that no, no, we can apply. The workshop staff went to great lengths to give me helpful hints that would almost ensure a grant would be approved. The support and acceptance of us atheists did seem genuine. Applying for a grant is extremely complex and time consuming but we may try it. We'll see.

LOTS OF BOOKS, BUT HOW TO DISTRIBUTE THEM?
Robb Marks, Bookseller, has donated a large number of books to us in closing out his bookselling business. There are several excellent titles, way more than we have room for in our library, but how do we get them into your hands? For starters, we will offer them as free door prizes at our Fireside Chats. We can include them in our membership premiums listed on page 23, but that will mean some layout redesign. We may use the last page of TMA for the complete list of what we offer and what level of membership earns what. Readers can then check off what they want. However, since many of the books are single copies, you will have to call or email to reserve your choice.

A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT BILL SIERICHS' COLUMN
Bill Sierichs has been providing fascinating historical columns about religion's assault on human sexuality. This issue has Part 4 of 4 in his series, "When Love is a Sin and a Crime." Part 4 is especially relevant, given the religious right's current assault on the natural right of same-sex partners to enter into a marriage (or whatever one wants to call it) relationship.

We urge you to read it. It brings the centuries-long history of religious sexual tyranny into the 21st century, where it is as virulent as ever. Bill makes it clear that all these anti-woman, anti-gay, anti-humanity laws enforced on all of us have a purely religious basis, with no secular justification whatsoever. The so-called "culture war" that permeates and poisons our politics is, truth be told, a religious war.

THE TEXAS FREETHOUGHT CONFERENCE
On October, 8, 9 and 10, the Texas Freethought Conference will be held in Dallas at the Sheraton Grand Hotel at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. I have been invited to be one of the speakers. Apparently they want to hear more about our Moral High Ground project approach to human rights and have asked me to talk about that. My topic will be "Squatters on the Moral High Ground: Why atheism's moral claims trump the faux morality of religion." I don't know much about the other speakers except that one is Michael Newdow. For those of you who are in (or will be in) that area, try to attend the Conference. I am looking forward to seeing and talking with our AFHR members there. I am on the Friday speaking schedule and will be staying for the other presentations until mid-afternoon on Saturday.

NOW ABOUT THAT MOSQUE
That ridiculous dustup about the supposed mosque that is supposedly planned to be built on the supposedly sacred ground of the destroyed World Trade Center is a lesson in how propaganda works. Start a big lie and people whose prejudices it fits respond like moths to a flame. FACT #1: It is not a mosque, it is an Islamic Community Center that has only a chapel inside it. FACT #2: It is not anywhere near anything "sacred." It is two blocks away, and the World Trade Center site can't even be seen from it, nor can the "mosque" be seen from the World Trade Center site. FACT #3: The site is private property, a former Burlington Coat Factory, and the owners can build anything they want consistent with zoning laws. FACT #4: The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, so no matter what one's opinion is of the Islamic faith, it can't be singled out for restrictive treatment. FACT #5: This is nothing but a manufactured "affront" to patriotic sensibilities as part of the religious war going on under the guise of cultural conservatism. FACT #6: Barack Obama is NOT a Muslim, a fantasy this controversy feeds into when he says Muslims have a constitutional right to build their Center.

The only thing wrong with building the Islamic Center is that it takes valuable property off the tax rolls. But that is the case with every religious institution. It's stuff like this that drives the mob psychology that may finally bring about the Armageddon wipeout of humanity the religious right seems intent on persuing.

LAST ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE "ANNIE" FIGURINES
We still don't quite know what to do with the high-quality porcelain figurines (below) that Annie Chase gave us to raise money for Final Exit Network and our Moral High Ground project. They are by James C. Christensen, a well-known artist. If no one reading this or the Final Exit Network newsletter buys them, we will offer them as holiday gifts to collectors of art objects on eBay.

We find these on the Internet in the $300 to $500 range. Both have Certificates of Authenticity, are in pristine condition and in the original boxes. They are about 5" to 6" tall. One figurine is "The Fish Walker"; the other is "Levi Levitates a Stone Fish." They are numbered limited editions. "Fish Walker" is #406 of 1500; "Levi" is #1221 of 2500.

Meanwhile, Final Exit Network is putting out a special edition of their newsletter devoted to our "Annie" booklet, "My Purpose Driven Death: How I Managed to Become One Lucky Stiff." Whatever money is made from the books will be divided between Final Exit Network and Atheists For Human Rights for our Moral High Ground project, as Annie wanted.

AFHR HISTORY BOOKLET
We finally finished our AFHR activist history booklet. We will give it to a few people to review before printing it for distribution. It is an exciting story that we think most atheists (and even non-atheists) will find fascinating. It's an objective account with informational and historical value, definitely not a PR puff piece.

AFHR to Host American Atheists Conference on Secularism in a Religious Culture

Atheists For Human Rights will host an American Atheists statewide conference on *Sunday, September 19*, at the Southdale Regional Library, 7001 York Ave. S. in Edina. Randall Tigue the Minnesota State Director for American Atheists, has arranged for an impressive lineup of speaker -- five of them! The event will be from 12:45 to 5 PM and is free and open to the public. AFHR will provide coffee and cookies. Minnesota Atheists will use the meeting room from noon to 12:45 PM for a membership meeting. That is also open to the public.

Randy (an AFHR board member) is an attorney who specializes in First Amendment litigation. He is certified to try cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2005, he won a case for AA on behalf of Idaho Atheists when they were denied the right to reserve space on the Boise capitol steps for a rally in opposition to the National Day of Prayer.

As with our occasional public forums, AFHR will advertise the event in the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Saturday, Sept. 18, and run 50 60-second radio ads during two weeks prior to the conference on 950 AM (Voice of Minnesota/Air America). The print ad is 2 columns wide x 6 inches deep. The ads, speaker air fares and related expenses come to about $4,000. AFHR is covering all the costs, so donations are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

We could avoid over half of these costs if we didn't advertise, but it is our policy to take our message to the general public instead of just talking to ourselves. The atheist voice is critical if there are to be rational discussions of public policy, and the public has to be made aware of it. We will, of course, also send out news releases.

THE SPEAKERS

CECIL BOTHWELL is the atheist councilmember in Asheville, North Carolina, who was under attack there for being an atheist. Religious bigots tried to have him removed from office but, thanks to the U.S. Constitution, it was not possible. The Secular Coalition for America has named Bothwell one of four national Secular American Leaders. He has written a book critical of evangelist Billy Graham, so he doesn't mind being a truthful troublemaker in the Deep South. His speech topic is "We're All in this Together: Faith and Reason and Their Consequences."

LAVANAM is a director of social work at the Atheist Centre in Vijayawada, India. He is touring the U.S., visiting freethought organizations. AFHR is sponsoring the Minnesota segment. Lavanam is a son of Gora and Saraswathi, founders of Atheist Centre. He has spent his life doing social reform projects, such as breaking down caste divisions and establishing criminal reform projects. Books could be written about him and the work of Atheist Centre, and have been, including one published by AFHR, India's Atheist Centre: Where Atheism Works. Lavanam will speak on "Who Can Save the Future? Finding Safety in Community in a Complex World."

GEORGE ERICKSON is one of our freethought community's best known activists. He lives in Eveleth, Minnesota, the base from which he travels the Arctic in his bush plane, the Tundra Cub. He has written several pro-science travel books, one of which, /True North: Exploring the Great Wilderness by Bush Plane/, was a bestseller in Canada. Others are /Time Traveling with Science and the Saints/, /Back to the Barrens: On the Wing with da Vinci & Friends/, and /Eyes Wide Open/, an anthology of stories about life without religion. He donates book profits to freethought and educational organizations George will speak on "Science, Faith and our Global Environment."

CRYSTAL DERVETSKI, "The Sunny Skeptic" from Waseca, Minnesota, is a dynamic organizer of meetups for younger freethinkers and is the face of the future of atheism. She will talk about "How to Work with Woo Thinking without Losing Touch with Reality." (Woo is shorthand for pseudoscientific/anti-scientific ideas.)

DR. WILLIAM "BILL" VAN DRUTEN will come from Duluth, Minnesota, to add some humor to the conference. Readers of TMA know him as one of our regular columnists. Enough said. Bill's non-humorous side includes a track record of opposing Catholic-secular hospital mergers in Duluth -- which forced all staff and patients to adhere to Catholic doctrine regarding medical care -- and getting the Ten Commandments off the City Hall lawn. He will speak about "The Day Our Play Group Got Redirected." We have no idea what that's about and are afraid to ask.