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The idea came from the Pastafarians at the University of South Carolina. As UGAtheists president Randall Bourquin said to me, “They dreamed it up, shared it with me, and will be executing their own day on Sept. 30^th.”

Here are some pics from the awesome UGA event:

So, how exactly does one “stone” a heathen?

With water balloons. (Obviously.)

Bourquin and other atheist students encouraged people walking in Tate Plaza to stone them according to the Bible’s commands.

Leviticus 24:14, a command from God to Moses, reads: “Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him.”

The UGAtheists laughed at their own self-condemnation.

“Jesus said, ‘Let he who is without sin cast the first stone,’ but he said nothing about water balloons,” Bourquin said.

…

… Bourquin said one reason his group organized “Stone a Heathen Day” is because it is not easy to be an atheist in a community such as the one at the University.

“It’s pretty tough to extract sympathy from almost anyone,” he said. “It’s more or less socially unacceptable to come into a room and say, ‘I’m an atheist’ and get a pat on the back.”

What a great way to show some of the crazier stuff in the Bible. You shouldn’t take it seriously (or literally) here, so why should you take it any more seriously when it is used to justify bigotry and promote Creationism?

It clearly hit some nerves, too:

Butler Stoudenmire, a sophomore from Albany, watched Bourquin recite Bible verses and ask for the group’s punishment.

“They’re definitely poking fun at religion,” he said. “It doesn’t personally offend me, but they’re giving Christianity a bad name.”

Yes, it’s poking fun at religion. There’s nothing wrong with that. And if Christianity has a bad reputation, I’m pretty sure we can blame most of that on Christians themselves.

After one atheist student asked if Christian student James Wood would throw a water balloon at him, Wood declined.

“Behind that action I think is a sinful desire to get back at them,” said Wood, a senior from Marietta. “I don’t think Jesus would throw a balloon at them.”

Right. But Jesus would *totally* have banned gay marriage and voted for Sarah Palin.

One professor called out the atheists for using Old Testament cruelty:

Richard Elliott Friedman, professor of Jewish studies in the religion department, said any argument using the Bible — whether theist or atheist — requires extensive study.

“It’s not for amateurs to interpret the Bible,” he said.

Like that’s ever stopped anyone before. When Christians heed that lesson, I’m sure the atheists will follow suit

By the way, there’s a great picture of group member Daniel Brettschneider getting “stoned” in the UGA student newspaper. Check that out.

And look at the featured video on the paper’s website!

I love the beginning of the school year. All these creative atheists groups are out in full force, getting their message out, shaking up theistic sensibilities, and making me smile in the process.

(Pics via Lisa Lansing on Facebook)

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First, a letter from Steve [Last Name Withheld]

Hi Joe,

Can you give the owners of the Empire State Building some love on the next podcast, and encourage listeners to do the same? I’m sure they’re getting it from all sides on this one.

http://wcbstv.com/local/mother.teresa.snub.2.1740885.html

I sent the management company a congratulatory note through the below link. Don’t know if it’s the best way but it works.

http://malkinproperties.com/about-us/contact-us

I’ve also written to the City Councilman who wanted to (did?) introduce a resolution compelling the ESB to reverse it’s decision. You can do so by clicking on Email Us here:

http://council.nyc.gov/d22/html/members/home.shtml.

Steve

Give them a shout.

Also, the results are in. You guys like it when we ramble about random stuff on the Atheist News Podcast. This week, we may have taken it a bit too far, but you get what you pay for.

Should we stick to only talking about religious/atheist subject matter on the show?
* Eh, some digression is interesting. (62.0%, 32 Votes)
* No, talk about whatever catches your interest. (27.0%, 14 Votes)
* Yes, that’s why I listen. (12.0%, 6 Votes)

There is a new poll this week on the site

Should I bring back the doot doot doot doot music before the atheist news segment officially begins?
Go cast your vote! The fate of… absolutely nothing… depends upon it…!

That’s it.

Oh, check out the site, I am posting a nutty proposal there for all you gamer nerds.

Ok, now that’s it.

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The questions we ask ou…

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and if possible could you interpret this to the crucible?
and could you please give a quote from the crucible, its extremely hard and im suffering T_T

          

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I will pick the best answer.
A&L- I got it at Books a Million $20.00, and well worth it.
I also found it on Ebay, at very cheap prices!

          

It’s up until August 28^th, thanks to $4,100 from the United Coalition of Reason.

Reaching out to the like minded isn’t the only goal of the effort. “We also want the public to know that people who don’t believe in a god are part of the Louisville population,” added Edwin Hensley, coordinator of the Louisville Coalition of Reason. “People like us can be found all around: in families and among friends and co-workers, including cheering kids at soccer games. We can even be found in churches, temples, and mosques!”

Leave it to a local priest to find something negative in that simple message:

“Some people are offended merely by our existence,” Hensley said, “and so matter what we do those people will be offended.”

“It’s a disturbing sign, or at least potentially disturbing sign,” said Fr. Elias Henritzy, a Roman Catholic priest.

Fr. Henritzy, a Dominican priest at Saint Louis Bertrand Catholic Church in Old Louisville, said he is not offended, but he is troubled by the billboard and what it might do.

“I think God really made us to be close to Him and have His love draw us close to each other more,” Fr. Henritzy said. “It’s a saddening sign in some ways, if that’s the real intent of it to draw people away from God.”

“Our answer is not so much what we turn people away from, but what we turn them to,” said Hensley, “which is rational thought, evidence based thinking, evidence based belief.”

While Fr. Henritzy’s faith is strong, he worries about those whose faith may not be.

“I’m hoping this isn’t an invitation to like a dead-end path for a lot of people and that’s the real danger of it, I think,” Fr. Henritzy said.

“A billboard in and of itself is not going to convert somebody. No one is going to drive down the road, see that billboard and say, ‘oh I’m now an atheist,” Hensley said.

It’s anything but saddening. It’s uplifting and a wonderful sign for any atheist to see.

I’m sure the discussions started because of the billboard will be useful for everyone who sees it, though, regardless of their beliefs.

How soon until this one gets vandalized? Let the guessing begin…

(Thanks to Wayne for the link!)

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