I meant to post the link, but a Saint Mary's student threatened you guys violence from him and his "homeboys" - but doesn't do that now since he's "saved".

You mean St. Mary's University?

It actually surprises me how few religious people I encounter at that school. Someone brought up the "Smut for Smut" campaign in my Persuasion class yesterday, so the whole class started talking about it and no one seemed offended. The girl next to me even said, "They need to be careful. Some religious fanatics are going to shoot them or something. Those hardcore christians can be nuts!" Then she went on to say that christians are crazier than atheists. I had no idea whether to take that as a compliment.

i know a lot has been said about the soft-sell and catching more flies w/ honey and the like. and i agree its necessary to show all sides of atheism. I don't think anyone who participated in Smut 4 Smut did so to win over the religious. (if they did, that's a bit naive). That's obviously not the goal as those folks are already entrenched. you can catch more flies w/ honey but there's no honey that's gonna compete w/ what they've been told and convinced themselves of. S4S def got middle-of-the-road people and people who just never thought about it much to think about it more. and if just one of those people starts thinking about their non-beliefs, then that's way more than i accomplished this week. and it definitely got people talking, which is never a bad thing.

First, I have no problem with the event. In fact, I think it's hilarious to piss people off in manners like this, so this was right up my alley. However, I would be surprised if Carlos or Miguel or anyone else who attended agreed that the religious attendees were more responsive to the actual smut part of the event rather than the challenging and intellectual discussions they had with AA members. In my opinion, you're right that the smut only served to separate the moderates from the zealots. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I meant to post the link, but a Saint Mary's student threatened you guys violence from him and his "homeboys" - but doesn't do that now since he's "saved".

You mean St. Mary's University?

It actually surprises me how few religious people I encounter at that school. Someone brought up the "Smut for Smut" campaign in my Persuasion class yesterday, so the whole class started talking about it and no one seemed offended. The girl next to me even said, "They need to be careful. Some religious fanatics are going to shoot them or something. Those hardcore christians can be nuts!" Then she went on to say that christians are crazier than atheists. I had no idea whether to take that as a compliment.

In the article,
The Fat Line Between Free Speech and Defamation - The Huffington Post...

Adam Zepada from nearby Saint Mary's University, told The Paisano, "I wanted to call up some homeboys and be like 'hey dawg, I wanna go up there and take care of it real quick.' But, because I'm saved and I gave my life to Christ in 2007, I don't live like that anymore."

Here is one option. We could help this group.

Atheists Helping the Homeless
AtheistVolunteers.org/Austin

Friends,

Howdy again, Joe Zamecki here in Austin to tell you about our giveaway to the homeless this Sunday. Atheists Helping the Homeless is coming together as a bona fide group very nicely now.

We've got our new website with improved url: www.atheistvolunteers.org/Austin

It's got Paypal capabilities for donations, and a ChipIn button to get you there.

It's got a video playlist player so you can watch us do giveaways while you learn more about the group.

We've gotten some more boxes of donated items to give out, plus we'll have items we've bought with donated money as well. Thank you to all our donors and volunteers and other supporters! :o)

Also I'm told there is supposed to be a reporter from the Austin Chronicle there this Sunday, specifically about us and our giveaway. www.auschron.com

Finally, on the next live airing of Answers in Atheism, I'm scheduled to be the phone-in guest, to talk about the AHH. www.answersinatheism.net The date for that show is to be announced soon.

Please consider coming out to our giveaway under I-35 at 7th Street in Austin this Sunday. We'll be there starting at 8am sharp. If we all wear t-shirts that say that we're Atheists, that would look really great for the video. We have a sign now too, thanks to more good volunteer work done, so that'll get into the video too.

No preaching Atheism though. It's really fun to just help out, and occasionally get questions about who we are. It's fun to talk about it without pressure from either side, and every time, we come out winners. There's really no conflict. It's all positive activism. :o)

Joe Zamecki
Co-Founder, Atheists Helping the Homeless
www.atheistvolunteers.org/Austin
Texas State Director, American Atheists
www.atheists.org/Texas_State_Page
www.youtube.com/aajoeyjo
http://www.facebook.c...
(512)758-0060

Then she went on to say that christians are crazier than atheists. I had no idea whether to take that as a compliment.

lol. i am offended. just cause I'm not delusional doesn't mean I'm not crazier than any Christian.


ps: i think the homeless charity's a great idea.

No preaching Atheism though. It's really fun to just help out, and occasionally get questions about who we are. It's fun to talk about it without pressure from either side, and every time, we come out winners. There's really no conflict. It's all positive activism. :o)

I really dig this.

This event has made for some very interesting discussions at my place of employment. I work among socially conservative Christians. Some of my coworkers have approached me privately to ask me why atheists would do such a thing. "Why are you denigrating the beliefs of others? It doesn't help your cause." I may not completely agree with the way the event was carried out but I also don't disagree with the message. Just glad I'm the team's friendly heathen. Otherwise, I don't think they would have really understood the purpose of such an event. They only see it as a personal attack. Thanks for the conversation-starter. Dialog is a good thing. I see that this has sparked dialogue well beyond the gates of UTSA. That is definitely a good thing.

Smut for Smut definitely gets people talking. There are a lot of good aspects to it. I just think the bigger picture suffers in the long run. Carlos did an interview with a French newspaper I believe... which is awesome. I think this message will have a strong impact in more enlightened countries like many of those in Europe.

Maybe if we do Smut for Smut every year, and people get used to hearing it, it will lose its offensive nature and the message will shine through. Like when you say your name a million times and it turns to nonsense.

Also I say "we", because there are few distinctions among us when it comes to public image. What one of us does, we all have done. That's how stereotypes work, however unfair.

As for volunteering, I've always been torn when it comes to attribution. Do we do it openly as atheists, creating the appearance that we're just doing it because we want the karma? Or do we do it because it's the right thing to do? I lean toward the latter, but taking credit and being proud of our lack of religion and abundant ethical behavior in a nonconfrontational way should be a priority as well.

I think people should learn that atheists are one of the most moral and reasonable groups in the world (especially the the ones I know).

Just adding my two cents. This type of activism doesn't sit well with me because it brings Christian's out of the woodwork . Christians are are bigger in number. These larger numbers calculate into more votes and more money to buy legislation. It also provides more opportunity to prove to their masses that we are the "anti-Christ". Christians are easier to deal with when you reference gays or lesbians because this segment contains believers. We are the anti-Christ so I don't see how infuriating the Christian mass will benefit us? It causes the right wing to move forward with their poisonous political agenda and biblical text books.

How does saying "Smut for Smut" differ from drawing Mohammed with a bomb on his head?

http://www.timesonlin...



Just wanted to remind everybody how 'reasonable' our fundamentalists are compared with the ones that want to cut off your head for disrespecting their deity.

In the USA, we can say what we want... and all they do in response is vote for morons and try to take away our rights. Same idea, I suppose.