Atheist Aliance Inc. Convention Starts Tomorrow

The Atheist Aliance's 2007 convention in Virgina starts tomorrow and runs through Sunday. There are some exciting speakers and attendees.

Check it out.

Divorce and Humanism

For various serious reasons that I won't go into here, my wife and I are divorcing after 17 years and with four kids that have no choice in the matter. This was actually my second marriage, the first one having been a bad mistake on my part that ended after a few years and no children were involved. This is completely different. Darcie was my soul mate, or so I believed for the first 10 years of our marriage. It was perfect - at least I thought so. We loved each other deeply, enjoyed life, met challenges head on and when there weren't enough challenges, we created them (like moving overseas). And, we had four incredible children that prove out our parenting ability.

Going through a divorce with someone you considered your best friend and when there are children involved is so much more difficult. I have to continually think of what is best for the children or I would end up lashing out at my soon-to-be-ex-wife and would try to screw with her as much as possible. But, that just isn't good for the kids in the long run and so I have to restrain myself, even if she doesn't.

I've realized two related things during this process. First is that I should have had a chapter in my book (Humanism for Parents) on divorce. Second is that writing and performing weddings, as I do as an AHA Humanist Celebrant, is more difficult when you are having a hard time believing in marriage yourself. I have a wedding to perform this Saturday that I was looking forward to, but it has been difficult to help the couple write the vows and even to read them. I'll suck-it-up and do a good job at the ceremony as they deserve nothing less; but I find it a challenge.

Eventually, maybe I'll write some thoughts on divorce for the Humanist. Other than religious people having a built-in support group, I don't think there is a lot of difference; but it would be worth the exercise anyway. If you have any comments about this, just send them my way - maybe they will end up in a future version of my book :).

Atheists Deluded?

Here is a nice little clip on glumbert about how atheists are deluded (not). It is quite funny.

Atheist Delusion

Left Behind [Series]

Sorry I have been lax on posting, I'll try to make up for it...

I've been reading the Left Behind series, and I have to tell you it disturbs me - on multiple levels.

The first is that I can imagine these books having significant conversion capability for those with any religious inclination. The books do an incredible job of making it sound and feel like there is a personal God out there who has tangible, physical impacts on our planet and our lives. Of course there has never been any real, scientific evidence to back this up, but many people want to believe in a God and in something more meaningful than the lives they are living. Having the hope in a God and reading these books and feeling that connection could easily aide in the conversion of many otherwise skeptical people. Frightening stuff...

Now, I am very skeptical and rational and have a lot of confidence in my Humanistic stance - but these books were able to kindle (rekindle?) very old, base feelings in me that made me (ME!) want to believe. I have to give it to the authors (Tim F. LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins); they know how to invoke deep-seated religious feelings in a person and how to give a person hope that there is some truth to heaven and God and the possibility of a personal relationship with Christ.

If you are secure in your Humanistic (or Atheistic) beliefs, then read them just to understand the other side. If you have any religious tendencies, but don't want to be converted fully into religion, then stay away from them until you are secure in your beliefs.