Do Something For Atheism
I know it may seem that I am getting lazy about the blog, but honestly, I am in the middle of some legal BS and a very busy work season to boot. But I have found time to make some positive differences for atheism in my little red neck Bible-belt town.
A few months ago my wife noticed that one of the local Comcast trucks had a Jesus Fish on one side of the back bumper and a God Bless America on the other. We called the regional office and emailed and got a prompt very polite and seemingly interested response. The person even followed up later to say that they had started an investigation of the matter and thanked us for bringing it to their attention. BTW, the Fish was never seen again.
Then two weeks ago I was in our local B&N Bookseller and noticed a display table with the sign "Religion and Spirituality". In browsing the titles on the table, there was not one other religion mentioned other than Christianity. There was one book about Islamic terrorism. No Judaism. No Wicca. No Buddhism. I asked to see that manager and pointed out the rather biased display and noted that they could just perhaps change the sign to say 'Promoting Christianity' which would be more accurate and honest. This manager didn't seem too thrilled at having to talk to me and at one point when I said that I was not a Christian she interjected "Obviously Not'. However, in revisiting the store a week later, there was now a little improvement. There are a couple of books on Judaism, a few on Buddhism but all of the Christian books are still there. I think I will pursue this one over the local managers head.
Lastly, inspired by a story I read on another blog concerning complaints to public libraries about lack of atheist literature, I visited my local library. I was not holding my chances as being very good and my first meeting with the head administrator was less than friendly. However, she referred me to the person who actually orders the books and what do you know - she is an atheist! Well, agnostic at least! Holy Shit. We talked for a half hour about all the Bible Beaters in our town and about good atheist books. I gave her a list in writing today of my complaint and the books I would like the library to order and expect to see them on the shelves soon. However, she did point out that many of these books disappear or are checked out and never returned.
So, this just goes to show that with a little effort anyone can start to call attention to our atheist cause or at the very least the inequities of many businesses.
Have any of you had success lately in any of this?
18 Comments:
Ok Alan, you have motivated me. I have been bothered recently about not being able to find atheist or other secular literature at our local library...we live in a growing community about 45 minutes southwest of Chicago and it is time for this town to catch up with the rest of Chicagoland since it has been sucked into suburbia by the urban spread. I am going to march right into our library on Monday and ask to talk to the head librarian...and I will find out when the next public meeting is and be there with my list of recommendations.
For the most part, Chicagoland does a good job of keeping a fair balance of things and there aren't too many problems. It's just time for this community to join the modern world.
Well, I got retrenched once because of my inability to comply to my boss's religion: Taoism.
Before that, I got suckered into studying in a Catholic school which forces people to attend mass. And for every mass held, I would dutifully attempt to escape, only to be caught and punished by the irrate discipline mistress.
How is that for personal bodily sacrifice?
beast -
sounds like my husband. He wasn't a catholic but went to a catholic high school because his mother thought he would get a better education. He escaped mass quite regularly, only to be punished later but didn't care. From what I hear from friends and others who attended catholic high school, public high school wasn't so bad!
I once worked for a company whose owners were fundamentalist xians...real "rah rah for jeebus" and they prayed at company meetings etc. I guess they assumed I was xian when they hired me because most people are. But when they noticed I would not pray, would ditch out of the meeting to go to the ladies room, etc. they started getting an attitude towards me. One day I was called into the office and was "let go" with no reason. I know what the reason was.
Wow Alan, you're a shining example of what we all should be doing. I've talked to librarians in the past year and made sure that they had copies of various documentaries, but besides that I haven't been that active as of late. Of course I live in one of the most liberal areas in the country. I actually see a comparable amount of FSM tags as I do Jesus fish!
Keep up the good work, it really sounds like you're helping to make a difference!
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Dude! Very cool Acts man. {-;
Hope work ain't too big a pain.
Delta said,
"Of course I live in one of the most liberal areas in the country. I actually see a comparable amount of FSM tags as I do Jesus fish!"
I am outnumbered here 100 to 1 at least with the Jesus fish. I think I may have to ad a FSM to my car as more and more people are recongnizing it.
Hopefully business matters are going to cool off enough for me to start posting more soon. I have not been as active as I would have liked on the blog but do appreciate those of you who continue to read it. I will do better!
The man who lives in my airing cupboard worships cockaleekie soup.
Well, I did my part today. While I was in the waiting room of Children's Hospital waiting for my son to finish speech therapy, I was looking through the kids book to find something to read with my youngest. Boy, was I surprised when I found the "Children's Bible" and the "NIV Kids Bible." So I grabbed them and marched up to the desk and told them that children's Bibles were completely inappropriate to have in the waiting room at Children's Hospital. The lady behind the desk actually agreed with me and didn't realize they were there. She took them away. :-)
Gee, Alan. No room for Christians on your map? smile
Put a cross on Dallas, Texas.
Tammy
Fuck atheism. I'm not doing shit for "atheism". I'm doing shit for myself.
Add me to your atheist blogroll?
Hello fellow atheist,
I am 17 yrar old atheist that seeks some aid, for I have an idea that is devouring my mind like a virus. My plight is this: I find myself believing in ridiculous things.
I feel myself going down that awful path of theism. I am normaly a rational thinker ;however, as of recent I have been thinking theistically. I find myself believing the ridculous notion of an ominipotent being. I realize that is philosophically and scientifically unsound, yet I have lost the rational sensation that I get when I try to refute theism. To give you all an idea I was arguing heliocentrism vs geocentrism, evolutionism, veritability of history, and the free will argument. It may be due to my weariness from school ,but I need aid in realising these "demons" from my head.
Thank you
Mike
Balfa56@bellsouth.net
"However, she did point out that many of these books disappear or are checked out and never returned."
That's what fines and inventory is for! "Endevor to persevere" - from "Little Big Man".
Our town dump/recycling center has a book and magazine swap table. Any time I see Christian Inspirational Crap, I collect it and send it down the paper recycling chute where it can't harm anyone.
Fantabulous. I'm inspired and thus will seek out ways to improve the lives of my fellow atheists.
Good job :)
Breakerslion said,
"Our town dump/recycling center has a book and magazine swap table. Any time I see Christian Inspirational Crap, I collect it and send it down the paper recycling chute where it can't harm anyone."
I Like, I Like!
I travel quite a lot and you should see the collection of Gideons Bibles that I have.
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