The primate of the Church of England, archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, suggests that some aspects of Sharia be inserted into English Law. Why? To make British Muslims feel included, rather then excluded from Law. From a BBC interview, "We must face the fact that some of our
citizens do not fully recognise themselves in the British legal system
. . . I believe that it would be dangerous to maintain that there
exists a single law for all, and that anything else demanding fidelity
and respect is entirely irrelevant in judicial proceedings." He does caution later that elements of Sharia which treat women differently or the extreme punishments required would not be included. So, if you don't feel you are recognized in one legal system, you can choose to follow another legal system, there is no one Law for all. This suggestion rejects the humanistic advances of Europe made over the last decades. For more information, please read this article from by Samir Khalil Samir, sj.
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The Minnesota Atheists Center, as real now as a pink unicorn, will eventually become a reality. To reach that goal, we need the
support of our members, and others in the community who support our issues. But, what would this building be used for? Here's one suggestion. If there is a common place for people to meet, informally, it makes planning that much easier. It would be much more quiet then a restaurant or coffee shop, and you don't feel awkward for not ordering food if you happen to be broke. VJack in Mississippi writes on
Atheist Revolution about his ideal atheist organization. He feels that, "
If I want to pick up trash, I hardly need an atheist group to do so." He suggests small group meetings, similar to a support group of 5 to 10 people to just talk about atheism, and how to deal with being an atheist in America. For example, how to deal with dating, work issues, etc, as an atheist. A building would offer an opportunity for get-togethers like these which would serve members who find value in them. What do you think? When you imagine the Minnesota Atheists Center, how do you see it being used? Would you attend a small gathering of atheists to talk about atheism? You can post your comments below, or email your group ideas to info@mnatheists.org.
Minnesota Atheists will launch a weekly, one-hour program on Air America Minnesota (AM 950) beginning Sunday, January 13, 2008 from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. It will be broadcast live, streamed live on the internet, and made available later as a free podcast. The name of the program is Atheists Talk (the same as our cable television show). The show will feature news, interviews, live call-ins, and more. We are proud to announce that our special guest on the inaugural program will be Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, The Selfish Gene, and many other important and influential books.
If you are out of the listening area and want to hear the program live, go to www.airamericaminnesota.com/listen and enter a Minnesota zip code. If you would like to become involved with the program by volunteering your services, making a donation, or purchasing advertising, please call August Berkshire at (612) 338-4548 or e-mail him at augustberkshire@gmail.com.
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Dr. Patrick Carey's letter, titled "The Responsibilities of an Atheist," was a reply to recent letters published in the Brainerd Dispatch that maligned atheism. His reasoned and thoughtful approach received mostly positive responses, although there were a few intolerant religious rants. Read the letter and the replies [link obsolete] on the Dispatch website.
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The recently formed group Rochester Area Freethinkers is offering an oasis of rational thought for local nonbelievers, and has already caught the attention of Rochester's local newspaper, the Post-Bulletin. Minnesota Atheists is proud to have helped this group get started, and encourages anyone in the Rochester area to attend RAF meetings on the second Thursday of the month at the Rochester Public Library from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Read the Post-Bulletin's Article here.
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