THE   FOCUS
centerforatheism.org

September 8, 2007 Volume 3, Issue 37
Published by the Center For Atheism (CFA)

Editor: Kenneth Bronstein

The Focus provides links to articles collected from major newspapers and magazines, and is emailed weekly.

This Week in Atheism is a cable show that discusses the articles featured below, every Wednesday at 6:30 PM (EST), Manhattan Cable station 57.
Live streaming is available at:
http://www.mnn.org.

Comments, suggestions and subscription: focus@centerforatheism.org.


  THE FOCUS WILL BE ON VACATION - RESUMING OCTOBER 5, 2007
         
       Featured Articles
     Paragraph Of The Day - Donklephant
       Atheist Daniel C. Dennett, Co-Director, Center for Cognitive Studies, Tufts
       University This entry was posted on Monday, September 3rd, 2007 and is filed ...
 
       Rational Atheism: Scientific American - Michael Shermer
       An open letter to Messrs. Dawkins, Dennett, Harris and Hitchens.
       Evangelicals in America | The bond between god and power ...
       Once looked down upon, American Evangelicals have now risen triumphantly to the 
       heights.
 
       Susan Jacoby - On Faith
       People always ask atheists how they can get through the pain and hardships of life
       without believing in a God who will one day wipe away all tears. ...
                        

 

       News Articles
        (Some publications may require that you sign up for membership to view their article.)



    ATHEISM 

    The L Magazine, New York City's Local Event Guide                                                 
   god is in the Pamphlets. New York City Atheists Try to Prove Otherwise ....

   The rapid response squad's rhetoric of hatred - The Herald
   One thing the debate has established is that dogmatic atheists are no more (or less)
   attractive than dogmatic Christians. Cool scientific rationalists can ...

   Rationally Speaking: Chatting with atheists - Massimo Pigliucci                                   
    Chatting with atheists. I just spent five days on a cruise from New York City to 
   Canada, hosting three roundtable discussions on behalf of New York City Atheists..

   Becoming atheist akin to finding religion - Mankato Free Press
   August Berkshire of the group Minnesota Atheists says that becoming an atheist -- 
   which Berkshire defines as "a lack of belief in God, rather than a belief ...

   Atheist Arguments - ProgressiveU.org
   I'm following up with a look at logic-based atheist arguments because I said I would.  
   However, I am not familiar with many such arguments. ...

    Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo - On Faith
    Where every institution that is imperfect (all of them) falls beneath the atheist. (In 
    fact, the atheist columnist on this site had so few arrows in her ...


   BOOKS, FILM, TV, YOU TUBE

  http://www.bluejacket7.com/books/godless.html 
  "godless" by Ann Coulter - Book report by Bill Chapman (NYC Atheists member)  

  EVOLUTION, CREATIONISM, I.D.

  Climate change drove human evolution - Mongabay.com
  Climate change appears to have been a significant driver of human evolution, report 
  researchers writing in this week's issue of the journal Proceedings of ...

  New "Mini" Dinosaur a Step in Bird Evolution Path - National Geographic
  An 80-million-year-old fossil recently uncovered in the Gobi desert could be a key piece of the evolutionary puzzle of how massive dinosaurs gave rise to ...

 SCIENCE  

 When Bacteria Transfer Genes to Invertebrates and Spread From ...
 Scienctists have discovered widespread transfer of bacterial genes into the genome of 
 numerous invertebrates.

Ancient diamonds unlock secrets of early Earth | Oddly Enough ... Reuters

Diamonds more than 4 billion years old -- nearly as old as the Earth itself -- have been discovered in Western Australia, ..
 
In the Genome Race, the Sequel Is Personal - New York Times
A newly decoded genome makes clear that the variation in the genetic programming carried by an individual is much greater than expected, researchers are reporting.
 
The Mix Tape of the gods - New York Time
Contemplation of Voyager’s billion-year future among the stars may make us feel small and the span of our history seem insignificant.
 
Virus Is Seen as Suspect in Death of Honeybees - New York Times
A virus appears to be a prime suspect — but not likely to be the only culprit — in the mass die-offs of honeybees reported last fall and winter.
 
Genes Associated With Schizophrenia Evolved Rapidly Due To ... - Science Daily
Several genes with strong associations to schizophrenia have evolved rapidly due to selection during human evolution, according to new ...

 

SEPARATION CHURCH / STATE 

 Can good people pray for bad things? - Sacramento Bee
 The controversy about imprecatory prayers began in mid-August when the Americans
 United for Separation of Church and State asked the Internal Revenue ...

 Hate-crimes legislation stirs pulpit and podium - Houston Chronicle
 "The genius of the separation of church and state is what makes America," Currie  
 said. "Religious leaders of any faith that want to institutionalize their ...

Court bans Christian cross on private land in public park - Yahoo ...
The US government cannot trade a parcel of land to private hands to allow a Christian cross to remain in the middle of a vast federal preserve, ...

MISCELLANEOUS

  
   Wicca Teacher Claims Piece of Jackpot - AOL News
 
   Plane Crash Kills Five Ministers | Drudge Retort
   A plane carrying five Jehovah's Witness ministers crashed in a remote area of eastern 
   Tennessee, killing all aboard, officials said.
 
 
   'Psychiatrists are the least religious of all physicians' by ...
   Psychiatrists are the least religious of all physicians in the USA.
   
  CONVENTIONS / MEETINGS 
  
   Atheist Alliance International - September 28-30, 2007 - Crystal City, Virginia ...
 
   Atheist Alliance International's (AAI) September 2007 "Crystal Clear Atheism" convention has long since filled all their spaces, got new spaces and filled up again.  There's no registration available.  I'm passing this on from the AAI.
 
But you can view all of the convention proceedings as a live Internet video stream. You will be able to see speeches by Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Julia Sweeney and many others from the comfort of your own home (1/10 of what it would have cost for you to attend in person).

 

Thanks to the fine work of Anthony Gaston Bayou Productions and Joe Reinhardt of Hi-Tech Enterprises Incorporated, you can purchase an Internet password through AAI for the cost of $35 for one event (selecting either the Thursday, September 27 Fundraiser, the Friday, September 28 Dawkins and Harris Program, the Saturday, September 29 Plenary, the Saturday Night Awards Banquet, or the Sunday, September 30 Secular Ceremonies Event), two for $70 or $95 for all 5 events (Thursday, September 27-September 30 as described above). For more program details, please see the convention schedule at:
 
http://www.atheistalliance.org/conventions/2007/aaicon2007_schedule.php
(click on the "Download Schedule" link)
 
Please go to the following link to connect to the AAI Convention Live Video Stream Website where you can make your password purchase through Pay Pal or credit card.
 

http://www.onsitestreaming.com/ 

 

As an extra bonus, you will be able to log on after the show and download the WMV file so that you can watch it from your own hard drive. The shows will be posted after the live broadcast, and the convention activities will remain on the server for a week to be viewed or downloaded only by people who have purchased passwords.

Please note that the following restrictions apply:
 
1. You cannot log on from more than 1 computer at any time using the same password. This prevents anyone from sharing a password. If the same password is used on another computer, both computers will stop receiving transmission. 
 
2. Anyone with a slow ISP such as a dial up will not be able to watch in real time as their computer will frequently pause to "buffer" the stream. 
 
3. The deadline to sign up and pay will be Sept. 19, 2007.

 

4. If you sign up for one video stream or a package of two video streams and you decide later to view all five events, you will not be able to upgrade or transfer/apply credit.
 
We suggest that you consider hosting a party or renting a hall so that as many people as possible can share in this historic convention. AAI's goal is to connect atheists all over the world and this convention is the first attempt to synchronize the movement through the inspiring words of atheist leaders, scientists, writers, philosophers, and passionate nontheist people.

If you do not want to see the convention activities in this manner, we suggest that you visit the AAI website in October to purchase quality DVDs of each day/event.  The video will cost $25 for your choice of day/event or $75 for the entire disk set (plus postage).
 
Thanks for your interest in AAI. We hope to meet you someday. Perhaps we can meet at the 2008 AAI convention that will be held in Long Beach, California on the Queen Mary, the last weekend in September! Watch for more exciting details of that event on the AAI website (
www.atheistalliance.org) Please write or call if you have any concerns or questions.
 
Freethoughtfully yours,
 
Margaret Downey
AAI President

Phone: (610) 793-2737

Email: president@atheistalliance.org


Christopher Evans
Assistant to AAI President

Phone: (610) 793-2737

Email: downey1@downey1.cnc.net

    FFRF Annual Convention - Oct. 12-14, 2007 - Madison, Wisconsin

    CFI NYC - Events - Nov. 9 - 11, 2007 - New York City
 
            

 

          CFA Program
 

The Center for Atheism (CFA) was established by the New York City Atheists as a separate and independent national organization to propose, develop, and be a catalyst for new national activities supporting the objectives of atheists, agnostics, humanists, freethinkers, skeptics, secularists and separation-of-church-and-state advocates.

CFA will accept and review suggestions from individuals and other secular organizations that will foster our goals.

 

 

          Special Notices

 
 
There are no special notices this week.

 

 

          Legislation Alerts

There are no legislation alerts this week.

 

Comments, suggestions, and subscriptions: focus@centerforatheism.org