
I thought this might be of some interest.  I elected to correct
some of the spelling errors (ironic, yes, I know.)  }:-}

-=-

By Richard S. Russell (RSRMadison@aol.com), Atheists
and Agnostics of Wisconsin:

*** 1 Menu ***

Hello. You have reached 233-7239, the Atheist Hotline.

[...cuts...]

*** 2 General Information ***

This is Option 2: General information about Atheists and Agnostics
of Wisconsin (AAW for short).

AAW is a non-profit, non-discriminatory organization, with all
decisions made at membership meetings.  [Although] we do not believe
in the supernatural or subscribe to any religion, we firmly support
freedom of religion; each individual should be free to choose her
or his own religious or philosophical beliefs without government
interference, intimidation, or coercion. We are active backers of
the principle of separation of state and church.

Knowing that someone is an atheist or agnostic doesn't necessarily
tell you anything else about that person.  Our members harbor a
wide spectrum of political, philosophical, economic, and social
opinions; some of us are ardent Green Bay Packer fans, while others
think that sports are a stupid waste of time.  This all leads to
lively discussions.

AAW sponsors an informative program - which is open to the public -
on the 2nd Sunday of each month at 10:30 AM at 650 E. Main St. in
Madison.  Info about upcoming programs is in Mailbox #4. Our
student chapter will be establishing its 1997 meeting pattern by
the end of December. Check back then for more info.

We don't just talk to ourselves - we're also available to give
speeches or debate theists in front of any kind of audience - just
leave your phone number.

AAW also has parties for the solstices and equinoxes.  And ask us
about FLAG - the Friendly Lesbian Atheist Group.

AAW is always looking for new members. If you're interested, just
show up at 1 of our meetings.  Or we can send you a free sample
issue of our monthly newsletter, Reasonings.  Please speak clearly
your name and address after the upcoming beep, and spell out
anything unusual.

*** 3 Commentary on Issues - 1996 Nov. ***

This is Option 3: Commentary on issues of interest to atheists.

There will be no regular program meeting in December.  Instead we'll
have a party on the evening of Saturday December 7.  Leave your
name and phone number or e-mail address if you'd like more info
about it.

And now this month's message.

We're coming up on Thanksgiving, when schools, churches, and
newspapers will all trot out the old fables about the Pilgrims.

You remember the stories and pictures, don't you?  It's the year
1620.  The hardy Pilgrims, in the good ship Mayflower, arrive at
Plymouth Rock in search of religious freedom.  Times are [tough]
for the 1st year, but, with the help of the local Indians, they
bring in a good harvest and celebrate their success with a big
feast, at which they give thanks to God for their good fortune.
Everybody wears stylized hats and caps, the men have big shiny
belt buckles, and the women all wear frilly aprons.

Well, the story is partly true.  There were indeed Pilgrims, and
they did flee England to escape religious persecution.  But it's
partly false as well.  The most obvious stretching of the truth is
the claim that the Pilgrims saut religious freedom.  In fact, when
they 1st left England, they went to the Netherlands, which had
religious freedom.  It was a tolerant society; nobody there was
persecuted because of her or his religious beliefs.

But that wasn't good [enough] for the Pilgrims.  Oh, no!  Their beef
with England wasn't with the absence of religious freedom, it was
that some other religion was running the show.  The Pilgrims had
nothing against religious persecution as long as they got to do the
persecuting.

The Pilgrims were a fairly small group, and they didn't have a lot
of political power.  But, not far from Plymouth Rock, a more
numerous band of Puritans established their settlements.  These are
the people who are justifiably notorious for being narrow-minded
bigots.  Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter, for
example, testifies to their obsession with sex.

But, much more to the point, as soon as the Puritans could pull it
off, they started discriminating against members of other religions.
They would try to force them to attend Puritan services.  If that
didn't work, they'd fine the dissidents.  [One] thing led to another,
and soon there were accusations of heresy, accompanied by
imprisonment, public pain and ridicule in the stocks, and ultimately
the tortures and deaths associated with the witch trials.

It is difficult to picture, in modern America, just how people
could get so convinced of their own righteousness that they would
actually believe stories from hysterical young girls that they had
been consorting with the [Christian] devil because some mean old
lady made them do it.  Yet that was the tradition of religious
"freedom" that prevailed in 17th Century Massachusetts.

Not surprisingly, people like Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson
fled in their own turn from the new religious tyrants.  They
established a settlement in Providence Plantation (now known as
Rhode Island) where they hit upon the novel idea of letting people
belong to whatever churches they wanted - or to none at all.  It
is that tradition, rather than the dubious story of the Pilgrims,
for which we should be thankful.

[...cuts...]

*** 4 Personal Reply Line - 1996 Nov. ***

This is Option 4: replies to comments from callers.

We didn't get many comments in response to last month's message,
but [one] stood out from the crowd.  It was from a caller who
warned us that "one day every knee shall bow and every tongue
shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord".  He hoped that we would
recognize this "before it's too late".

We [laughed] a lot at that.  Xians have been using these scare
tactics for nearly [2,000] years, claiming that Jesus will be back
any day now to judge the saints and the sinners, so you'd better
clean up your act before you fry forever in hell.

OooEEEEoooo! Scary, huh?

Wise up, you true believers!  All of Jesus's disciples expected him
to return during their own lifetimes.  That's why they were so big
on ideas like giving away everything they owned.  Didn't happen
then, hasn't happened since, isn't happening now, and will never
happen.  The only people who believe otherwise are loons, goons,
buffoons, and baboons.

Well, that was short and sweet for comments and replies.  Since
we've got some time left, let's hear a guest message from Jerry
Billings, an atheist who runs his own hotline in the State of
Washington.  Here's what he said last month:

    The difference between being moral and simply obeying orders
    should be clear to anyone who thinks.  Let's put ourselves back
    in 3rd grade.  Our teacher has made it clear, no gum chewing in
    her class.  So we do not chew gum in her room.

    Now you and I know that morals are not involved. It is neither
    moral nor immoral to chew gum in school.  When we choose to
    follow our teacher's rules, we are simply obeying.

    Now that we are grown up we can tell the difference between
    being moral or simply following orders.

    Or can we?  Many Xians will tell us that without a belief in
    the supernatural, we cannot distinguish between moral and
    immoral.  Sometimes they use the words "right" and "wrong".
    Those same Xians become outraged at the very thot of situational
    ethics - that is, the idea that things may be moral or immoral
    depending on the circumstances.

    To close your eyes to the [thought] that an action could be
    moral in one circumstance and immoral in another is simply naive.
    In fact, the Xian view of morality ends up with the [thought]
    that the only morality is to obey.  They seem to believe that
    the only moral thing to do in any circumstance is to carry out
    god's commandments because the only morality is to obey.

    This is the ultimate in mind control.  Do not think.
    Do not reason.  Obey.

    The Xians must accept that their god is reported to have said
    that when you conquer a city, kill all of the men, kill all of
    the male children, and kill every woman who has had sexual
    intercourse, but the virgins you may keep for yourselves. [1]
    By Xian standards the slauter of captives and of women and
    children was a moral act because God said to do it.  Obey.

    The Xians must also accept that their Jesus is reported to have
    said to his followers that they must "bring mine enemies before
    me and slay them".  Was that a moral act?  Xians apparently
    think so.

    Religion is not a teacher of morality.  It is mind control.

Thanks, Jerry.  That reflects the attitude of most atheists.

[...cuts...]

[1] Numbers 31:17-18
   "Now therefore kill every male among the little
   ones, and kill every woman who hath known man by
   lying with him. But all the women children, that
   have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive
   for yourselves."


