Free[SAY] at The Reason Rally! – Washington D.C. – 2012

Considered the largest secular gathering in all history, the Reason Rally took place at the National Mall in Washington D.C. on March 24th, 2012, and  Free[SAY] was there. The overall message of the rally was that atheists do have a strong population and that  we, just as any other people, deserve our voices to be heard. It was also a day to celebrate being part of our group, and to celebrate our identity as atheists. We are often misunderstood as a group, and the Reason Rally was an excellent way to show our true faces and what it means to be atheists.

Free[SAY] began travelling from Toronto on the Friday night before the event and arrived in Washington D.C. the next morning. We checked into our hostel which was small and cozy (with bunk beds!) for our group of nine.   We were looking forward to this event for months. As soon as we heard the events date announced we instantly began working out how we could bring our campus group of atheists to the rally. We had never attended such a huge, historical event before. So naturally, we were very excited and proud to be a part of it. We were so anxious to find out what it would be like to be a part of the rally.

Even though it was raining lightly, and it was slightly chilly, when we arrived at the event by metro, I was stunned by the crowds that had attended. It was announced that there we were among 20,000 people altogether! What an amazing turn out. Nothing else could describe the emotions I felt being in such a wonderful crowd of people. What especially moved me was knowing that we were all connected by one seemingly simple idea, the idea that we are without a god. It was beautiful and most importantly, powerful.

To know that I was side by side with people who honour reason, rationality, science and knowledge felt amazing. To know that we were not being judged by our rejection of religion but instead we were accepted, understood and celebrated for it. We embraced our atheism will full force.

It was great to hear the speakers messages, not timid or ashamed, speaking about the rejection of superstition, and about the atrocities that religious ideas can bring about. There was also humour, music, and poetry. Most of all there a feeling of respect. Respect for the equality of all people regardless of their race, gender, age, sexual orientation or ability. Everyone was welcome to take part in the rally.

The messages were about the education of people about reason and science, about protecting our governments from fantasies and superstitions. It was about being moral without religion, without a god above us.

In the end, the idea that Free[SAY] took from the Reason Rally was that we as atheists should be proud of ourselves,  and that we should stand up against those who bring religious ideas and actions that are harmful to our society. That we should not be afraid to be atheists openly.

The Reason Rally was like the grand coming out party for atheists. At least for myself I can say that it was the first big secular event I had attended, and it will be an important part of my life forever. It was certainly an awesome way to finish Free[SAY]‘s year!

Here is a great photograph of our group with the Washington Monument behind us.

The God Helmet: Your Brain On Religion

What if we could recreate a religious experience by simply flipping a switch in the brain? What if we could produce the feeling that someone or something is watching over us on demand? According to neuroscientific research conducted with The God Helmet, this may be possible.

The God Helmet, invented by Stanley Koren and used primarily by Dr. Michael Persinger, has forced us to reconsider the neurological basis of religion in the brain. The headgear is controversial because when electromagnetic waves are sent through a subject’s temporal lobe, it can create the feeling of a religious experience, or a sense of belonging. “We basically imitate what happens within the brain itself during a mystical experience,” says Dr. Persinger.

In this engaging lecture with guest speakers Trevor Carniello and Dr. Michael Persinger, learn about how The God Helmet works and discover the origin of religious experiences in the brain. Join us in this exclusive opportunity to be able to ask Dr. Persinger questions and find answers to your curiousities about God, the brain and religion.
The lecture takes place on Friday, March 9th at York University.This event is brought to you by Free[SAY]: Freethinkers, Skeptics and Atheists at York in collaboration with the Center For Inquiry.

When: Friday, March 9^th 2012 7:00pm

Where: York University, Accolade West Room 109

Tickets: http://www.cficanada.ca/ontario/events/the_god_helmet/

How Much: $5 York Students

$7 General Admission

Tickets will also be available at the door

To encourage and promote involvement in both Free[SAY] and the Centre For Inquiry we’re offering FREE ADMISSION to “Faithless: Better without God”  (details here:http://www.cficanada.ca/ontario/events/how_dan_barker_lost_his_faith_in_faith) AND “The God Helmet: Your Brain On Religion” with the purchase of a Student Membership for one year to the Centre for Inquiry.

For more information about the event and to purchase tickets please visit: http://www.cficanada.ca/ontario/events/the_god_helmet/

Faithless: Better without God

Atheists have now been found to be the fastest growing minority group. We are no longer being silent and closeted about our beliefs. The question is, how does one transition from being devoutly religious to being an active atheist? In this compelling presentation brought to you by Free[SAY] and the Centre for Inquiry we will hear the deconversion story of a man who lost his faith in faith.

Dan Barker is the co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which is now the largest organization of freethinkers. He is also an accomplished musician and songwriter. However, what makes his story fascinating is that he began his career as an evangelical preacher.

At the age of 15, Dan accepted Christ as his savior and a few months later accepted what he felt was a calling to join the ministry. Dan received a degree in Religion at Azusa Pacific University and was ordained into the ministry by the Standard Community Church, California, in 1975. Barker also co-pastored in three different churches, and for eight years he was a cross-country evangelist. He preached for a total of nineteen years and has over two hundred published and recorded Christian songs that he has composed.

So what made Dan Barker lose his faith in religion? Free[SAY]: Freethinkers, Skeptics and Atheists at York in collaboration with the Centre for Inquiry, will be bringing you Dan Barker to tell his deconversion story at York University on March 1^st, 2012. The presentation will be taking place from 7-9 PM at Accolade West, room 109.

When: Thursday, March 1^st 2012 at 7:00 pm

Where: York University, Accolade West Room 109

Tickets: http://www.cficanada.ca/ontario/events/how_dan_barker_lost_his_faith_in_faith/

How Much: $5 York Students

$7 General Admission

Tickets will also be available at the door

To encourage and promote involvement in both Free[SAY] and the Centre For Inquiry we’re offering FREE ADMISSION to “Faithless: Better without God” AND “The God Helmet: Your Brain On Religion” (details here:http://www.cficanada.ca/ontario/events/the_god_helmet) with the purchase of a Student Membership for one year to the Centre for Inquiry.

Atheists Care: Help Support FreeSAY’s Food Drive!

A recent study titled “Do You Believe in Atheists? Distrust is Central to Anti-Atheist Prejudice,” done by the University of British Columbia discovered that atheists are one of the most distrusted groups of people. According to the survey, atheists were as distrusted as rapists. This prejudice is based on the misguided notion that atheists are immoral.

FreeSAY has taken up the challenge of dispelling this negative stereotype placed upon atheists. We are holding a food drive in order to show that atheists can and do have a positive role in society. All proceeds from this event will be going to support the North York Harvest Food Bank which supplies a variety of food banks and kitchens across North York, including York University’s own food bank.

We will be accepting donations from Monday January 30th till Friday February 3rd in Vari Hall from 10:00am – 4:00pm everyday, with the exception of Thursday February 2nd where we will be in the Vari Hall Link.

Our goal is collect 500 pounds of donations! Come out and show your care by helping us reach our goal and supporting your local community.

Good without God

For some time there has been the misconception that morality is established through religion. This belief has subsequently inferred that those who are without religion are not capable of mortality and thus are deplorable beings. While the average individual, in our modern Western Society, might believe this outdated label no longer holds any clout, this is not the case. The Secular community themselves would like to believe that such a negative stigmatization would not be attached to a group that is heavily composed of  and highly progressive and educated community, but a recent study by University of British Columbia suggests the contrary.

Will Gervais of UBC recently published the study Do You Believe in Atheists? Distrust Is Central to Anti-Atheist Prejudice postulating that Atheists are the most distrusted group. The other groups that were represented in this study were Christians, Muslims, gay men, feminists and Jewish people. The only group that received a similar rating of Distrust were rapists. Yes, you heard correctly. Atheists are distrusted as much as rapists?

I myself as an Atheist find this study to be deplorable and highly misguided. This stereotype has been perpetuated by organized religion for far too long and it needs to stop immediately. From Albert Einstein to Noam Chomsky to Freud, secularists have for centuries helped contribute and change society.  Fortunately The Centre for Inquiry (CFI) has just launched a campaign to help change this perception. Through their Think Again! TV campaign they plan on collecting videos from the secular community showing/telling what they do and what charitable or generous acts they have done to benefit society.

Are you interested? 

As mentioned, CFI is collecting videos from local, national and international voices to defend our stance within the community and demonstrate how we are Good without God. If you are interested in helping with this project, They would be glad to feature you on our video.

Please keep the videos short (less than 1 minute) and keep the format as the following:

1. State your name and where you are from

2. State your occupation

3. What you do for charities, non-profits or society?

4. End with the statement “that is why I am good without god”

You can submit by either uploading the video to YouTube and sending the link to multimedia@cficanada.ca or you can put the video file into CFI’s Drop Box folder linked to socialmedia@cficanada.ca.

For more information about the this campaign visit CFI’s website at http://www.cficanada.ca/ontario/news/are_you_good_without_god_then_we_want_you/

To read more about this study visit CTV’s article here: http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20111201/bc_atheist_research_ubc_rapists_111201/20111201?hub=BritishColumbiaHome