No Bell Ringing or Red Kettles: Fundraiser for Foundation Beyond Belief

Forgo the army of bell-ringers, red kettles, and faith-based charities which are too concerned with misguided bible-based morals and ideas of salvation. Consider, instead, making a financial donation to Minnesota Atheists and/or Foundation Beyond Belief who acknowledges that there's no supernatural power to make this world a better place. They know that it's up to humanity, itself, to improve this world and this life.

Minnesota Atheists has benefitted from the efforts of Foundation Beyond Belief (FBB) and their 100+ affiliates by helping bolster our volunteer service projects at a local homeless shelter, food bank, hospital, and more. Because of their ongoing support and incredible work they do locally, nationally, and globally, Minnesota Atheists set up a Razoo account for an end of the year charitable fundraiser to help support FBB so they can carry out their mission: To demonstrate humanism at its best by supporting efforts to improve this world and this life, and to challenge humanists to embody the highest principles of humanism, including mutual care and responsibility.

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Remembering Bob Nienkerk

August Berkshire wrote and read this tribute at the memorial for Robert Nienkerk on June 29, 2015.

Nature just provided us with a brief rainstorm, so we would all have something that Bob would have appreciated: nice clean cars!

In early 1984, Madalyn Murray O’Hair and Jon Murray came to the Twin Cities, on their second or third attempt to try to form a chapter of American Atheists here. This time it worked, and a bunch of us, including Bob & Marilyn Nienkerk, started the Twin Cities Chapter of American Atheists, which became Minnesota Atheists seven years later.

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Washington County Decision is Status Quo for Atheists

By Stephanie Zvan

On May 4, U.S. District Judge Joan Ericksen dismissed a lawsuit filed on behalf of Atheists for Human Rights as moot. The suit was filed when a marriage officiant certified by AFHR had their filing of that certificate rejected by Washington County on the basis that atheists were not among the groups authorized as marriage officiants under Minnesota law. Ericksen dismissed the suit when Washington County reversed its decision and declared it should have accepted AFHR’s certificate at the start.

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The Something (rather than nothing) that I Attended

By James Zimmerman

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend and present at the National Conference of Undergraduate Research, held at Eastern Washington University (near Spokane). My presentation was in the History discipline, and I made an effort to support and attend other History presentations.

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Minnesota Atheists visit Church of Scientology

By Eric Jayne

A group from Minnesota Atheists visited the Church of Scientology this past Memorial Day weekend. It was the second time we toured their building after first visiting shortly after it opened in 2011. Just like last time, the church members were hospitable, but a little unclear.

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