Atheism 101: are there any atheism conventions this year?

July 29, 8:40 PMMinneapolis Atheism ExaminerD. A. Ross

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Photo courtesy of AAIC.org

Christians have church. Jews have synagogue. Muslims have mosque. What do atheists have? I hear Christians snickering and saying, “You have Hell.” Hilarious.

Though atheists may not have an established set of meeting spots nationwide, there are still ways to get in touch with other atheists and freethinkers, and more importantly, it is vital to do so. Social gatherings are a great way to exchange ideas, become an informed participant and gain a sense of community. As I mentioned several weeks ago, there are a lot of local organizations here in Minneapolis for atheists to join and congregate, but what if you’re thinking bigger? Well, it does not get much bigger than this year’s Atheist Alliance International Convention, being held October 2-4, 2009 in Los Angeles, CA.

The Atheist Alliance International is the premiere organization for atheists, both across the US and globally. According to their Website, “AAI's vision is to transform society into one that supports and respects a worldview based on the values of reason, empiricism and naturalism, and respects and protects the separation of religion and government. “ The irony, of course, is that this sounds like heaven.

Each year, the AAI holds a massive international convention and this year’s in Los Angeles will prove to be one that should not be missed. Among the esteemed list of guest speakers are several who alone make the trek out west worthwhile:

• Richard Dawkins (need I even provide a bio for Professor Dawkins?)
• Bill Maher (TV personality, comedian and star of the documentary “Religulous,” and 2009 recipient of the Richard Dawkins Award)
• Daniel Dennett (Tufts University professor and author of “Breaking the Spell”)
• William B. Davis (you may remember him as the Cigarette Smoking Man from the television show “The X-Files”)

Register now, as space is filling quickly. Do not miss this amazing opportunity to hear some of the world’s best speakers discussing science and freedom from religion, and walk amongst other rational thinkers and like-minded folks. They may even let in believers who are on the fence and need a little encouragement to take that final step towards freedom.