All faithful Pastafarians are welcome to join Seattle Atheists in the parade! Keep an eye out for direction from Becky and Kyle.

DETAILS

9:00 a.m.
FSM moving assembly begins at the staging area on 4th Ave between Columbia and Cherry streets.  We will need help with assembly.

10:30 a.m.
Pirates should arrive at 4th and Cherry St. and be ready by 10:30. Leave lots of time for crowds. Come on foot via James or Columbia. If being dropped off from the north or west, approach via University; if from the south, approach via Cherry/6th Ave; if from the east, approach via Madison. If you can, take the bus. King Country Metro is giving out free all-day passes to downtown. Prepare for tough traffic, detours, and impossible parking. The KOMO4 News garage near the Seattle Center is reasonably cheap.

11:00 a.m.
Parade start at 4th and Union, to 4th and Denny. Pirates should be ready and present. Becky will tell you what to do!

2:00 p.m.
We need people to help break down the FSM at 4th & Denny.

Bring
Water, sunscreen, comfortable shoes. Wagons for supplies and baby pirates are welcome.

Pirate Escorts: Becky F., Kyle H., Matt B., Naomi C., Taylor H., Jennifer L., Susan R., Laurie B., Amanda B., Ranjan B., Michael L., Jordan W., Casey G., Michele G., Tyson J., Beth L., DebbieAnn A., etc.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Paul Case
President of Seattle Atheists
P.O. Box 283, Seattle, WA 98111-0283
(206) 826-0770
president@seattleatheists.org
www.seattleatheists.org

SEATTLE ATHEISTS WINS 2010 AMERICAN ATHEISTS AFFILIATE OF THE YEAR AWARD

Seattle — Seattle Atheists is deeply honored to be the recipient of the 2010 American Atheists Affiliate of the Year Award.

Blair Scott, the National Affiliate Director of American Atheists said, “Over the past year Seattle Atheists have shown outstanding dedication to activism, community support, and the advancement of a positive view of atheism.

“The personal drive of the leadership and members of Seattle Atheists, their dedication to activism, community support, and a positive view of atheism, their unselfish application of time and talent, are a great credit to themselves, atheist groups across the United States, and atheists everywhere.

“Each year, American Atheists gives away the Affiliate of the Year award at the American Atheists Convention. Affiliate of the Year is not a random award: it actually means something. It means the Affiliate earned the award through hard work and dedication. The criteria looked at for consideration of Affiliate of the Year is:

• Activism for the separation of church and state and civil rights of non-theists (protests, demonstrations, letter-writing, action alerts, etc.).
• Events, activism, or programs that promote a positive image of atheists and atheism (public events, parades, editorials, etc.)
• Events, activism, or programs that advance science and reason (Darwin Day, etc.).
• Provides a social outlet for local atheists (in addition to regular monthly meetings – unless they are exclusively social).
• Charitable works, community outreach, or some other social programs or events (such as blood drives, feeding the homeless, donations, etc.). Please note that as a policy, American Atheists does not participate in charitable works or social programs. While American Atheists certainly does not discourage affiliates group from participating in charitable works and engaging in social programs, such activities are by no means required or expected of Affiliates.

“It is our hope that their activism and community outreach promotes the same in Affiliates across the nation and American Atheists encourage all Affiliates to increase activism and outreach!”

Seattle Atheists extends its congratulations and thanks to our volunteers, members, and board, whose tireless work in the community, and unflagging enthusiasm for charity, education, and outreach have made this award possible.

Seattle Atheists is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to serving the atheist community in the Seattle area. We strive to promote understanding and respect toward all freethinkers by providing information, creating a sense of fellowship, actively opposing discrimination, and above all, emphasizing reason, critical thinking over supernaturalism, and for the separation of church and state.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Paul Case, President of Seattle Atheists, (206) 826-0770, president@seattleatheists.org

Dr. David Barash, psychology professor at the University of Washington, will discuss the evolution of a drive for religion. He’s currently writing a book on mysteries of human behavior. The title of this talk is “Homo Religiosus: Can evolution help explain why so many people believe things that are so palpably untrue?” Prof. Barash was one of the early contributors to the field of sociobiology. He examines the underlying evolutionary factors influencing human behavior, called “evolutionary psychology,” and has been active in researching, promoting, and practicing the field of Peace Studies. He feels that the issues of animal behavior, evolutionary psychology and Peace Studies are fundamentally linked, because they involve questions of how biology affects behavior. He co-authored the book “Madame Bovary’s Ovaries: a Darwinian look at literature,” and was recently profiled in “The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America” by conservative commentator David Horowitz.

After short break,  we will welcome Paul Constant, who recently wrote the letter, “Dear Catholic Church: Excommunicate Me” for the Stranger.  He will be speaking about his life and the letter. His talk will take place after David Barash’s, instead of the Town Hall normally held.

This event is sponsored by the Seattle Atheists. If you have concerns about transportation to/from any of our events, please contact Becky, Member Relations Committee Chair.
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We also encourage you to bring canned food items for our year-round Seattle Atheists SeasonLESS Food Drive. Food goes to the non-sectarian distribution network of Northwest Harvest.  Please consider donating healthful non-perishable items (suggestions here).

Contact:
Mike Gillis
Board Member of Seattle Atheists
P.O. Box 283, Seattle, WA 98111-0283
(206) 826-0770
seattleatheists@seattleatheists.org
www.seattleatheists.org

SEATTLE ATHEISTS CELEBRATE DARWIN DAY

SEATTLE — On Saturday February 6th, Seattle Atheists will join other free-thought groups to celebrate the 201st birthday of Charles Darwin, the brilliant scientist whose revolutionary work became the foundation of modern biology.

Seattle Atheists and our fellow organizations in the Northwest Freethought Coalition (NWFC) will come to together to celebrate Darwin, science, humanity and in appreciation of verifiable knowledge that has been acquired solely through human curiosity and ingenuity.

The event is family-friendly and will include speakers, educational evolution-themed games, activities, and food. The public is encouraged to attend.

WHERE:
Juanita Community Club
13027 100th Ave NE
Kirkland, WA 98034

WHEN:
Saturday, Feb. 6, from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m.

Seattle Atheists is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to serving the atheist community in the Seattle area. We strive to promote understanding and respect toward all freethinkers by providing information, creating a sense of fellowship, actively opposing discrimination, and above all, emphasizing reason, critical thinking over supernaturalism, and the separation of church and state.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Mike Gillis, Board Member of Seattle Atheists, (206) 826-0770, seattleatheists@seattleatheists.org

# # #

Keynote speakers

• Dr. David Domke, author of “The God Strategy” and “God Willing? Political Fundamentalism in the White House” will be sharing ideas from his books and current events.
• Dr. Bob Park, author of “Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science” and “Voodoo Science: The Road from foolishness to Fraud”, will share ideas from his research.
• Roy Speckhardt is the Executive Director of the American Humanist Association, and a board member of The Humanist Institute. He’s also an advisory board member of the Secular Student Alliance and the Women’s Law & Public Policy Fellowship Program.

Some of the very interesting workshops and speakers include:

Greenlake Library
7364 E Green Lake Dr N
Seattle, WA 98115

Chris Rauch, former VP of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, will be giving a presentation called Evolution and American Science Education.

This year marks the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of his famous book On the Origin of Species, which made the scientific case for the theory of evolution by natural selection. Despite the scientific success of the theory, the American public does not wholeheartedly accept the theory of evolution. In fact, an anti-evolution movement has a long history in the United States. The presentation will explore the anti-evolution movement and science education in America, including new K-12 science standards for Washington State.

Chris Rauch is a systems engineer with a passion for philosophy and science. He has served as Vice President for local chapters of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and believes religious liberty and the integrity of science are important values worth defending.

Then join us for the Seattle Atheist Town Hall. This month’s subject is “On Becoming an Atheist.” We want you to share your stories on what your transformation from theist to atheist was like.

No admission charge, but if you could bring a (non-peanut product) canned good for our SeasonLESS Food Drive, we would appreciate it. Many thanks!

Please join us as local math professor and philosopher, Michael Aristidou, gives a talk titled:

Michael Aristidou was born in Athens and is a citizen of Cyprus. He received his bachelors in Mathematics from Aristotle University in 1999. After completing his undergraduate studies, Michael entered Louisiana State University to pursue graduate work in mathematics. He received his master’s in Mathematics in 2001 and his master’s in Philosophy in 2004, the latter for his thesis, “Irrationality and Human Reasoning.” He received his doctorate in Math in 2005.

Currently he is an assistant professor at Digipen Institute of Technology, where he teaches linear algebra, multivariable calculus, discrete math, quaternions, fuzzy logic, and philosophy. In his free time he enjoys speed chess, poker, and lively discussions.

Capitol Hill Library
425 Harvard Ave E
Seattle, WA 98102

Small parking lot on grounds. Served by Metro Bus Routes: 8, 9, 43, 49, 60

I’ll start with education in the US.
Since the Scopes trial, there have been ongoing battles regarding origins of humans and the rest of life on earth. The Supreme Court eventually said that creationism isn’t science and can’t be taught in schools, so the same people who pushed creation, changed the tune a little and called it ‘Intelligent Design’. The word ‘God’ is not expressly stated, instead, it was a ‘Higher Power’. Interesting subterfuge, isn’t it?
So, in the early 21st century, we are still seeing fights in local school boards and state school boards trying to either stop teaching evolution, put it out as “only a theory” (you know, kind of like gravity is only a theory), or start teaching ID (in some cases, without the veneer of ID, but directly as ‘creationism’) along side of evolutionary biology as a ‘co-equal’ science.
A few cases of recent note:
Grantsburg, Wisconsin school officials revised their science curriculum to allow creationism teaching. This directly flouts the Supreme Court’s finding that this cannot be done. They are doing it with an eye towards fighting it all the way back to the SC thinking that the current makeup of the Court may overturn the existing law.
In Cobb County, Georgia, stickers were put in the biology textbooks reading “This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered.” I’d bet the people who put that in wouldn’t like a similar sticker placed in bibles saying that you should be open minded and critical. A federal judge found these to be unconstitutional, and they had to be removed. How much money was spent to put them in and then take them out? Do local taxpayers even pay attention?
Texas has been busy lately, with the ‘resignation’ of the science curriculum director on grounds that she forwarded an email announcing that a presentation was being given by Barbara Forrest, a key witness in the Dover, PA case, and author of ‘Inside Creationism’s Trojan Horse’ about the effort to get ID taught in public schools. All she did was forward it as an FYI.
Also in Texas, some current good news (mostly). The State Board of Education members said the theory of ID should be left out of the science curriculum in public schools. 10 of 15 board members felt that ID shouldn’t be taught. Next year, this battle will continue when the board rewrites the science curriculum. Keep an eye on the news.
The Dover case. As was presented in the PBS movie “Judgment Day”, the School District science curriculum was changed to require ID as an alternative. The Pennsylvania judge (appointed by GWB) found in no uncertain terms that ID is not science, is religion, and can not be taught in science class.
Florida (oh, Florida)… The State Education Department is proposing to set a standard with evolution only being taught in public schools, so far, so good. However, those who disagree have been very busy.
An official has been “counseled” for sending an unofficial email message (but invoking her position as an official in the Office of Instructional Materials) to urge fellow Christians to fight the proposal.
Clay County School Board members voted unanimously that evolution be presented as a theory, not a fact in the classroom.
A majority of Pinellas County School Board members support inclusion of ID in the science curriculum.
In Dixie County, the superintendent says evolution is “going to be taught as fact, and everybody knows it’s not a fact. There’s holes you can drive a truck through.”
At least 7 of Florida’s 67 school boards – all north of Ocala – have passed opposition resolutions.
The State board of education voted 4 to 3 on February 19 to add evolution to course work that the public schools must teach. However, it passed only after a last minute change that clearly labels every scientific law and theory as ‘merely a theory’. Looks like an almost win turned on its head.

I find it interesting that Texas and Florida should be having these issues and be home to major NASA headquarters and launch sites. Do they want only out of state people to be working in local science programs? This boggles the mind.
Not much of a shock, though when you look at the National Geographic study of “Western” countries that asked to respond to the statement: “Human beings, as we know them, developed from earlier species of animals.” Possible answers were, true, false, and not sure.
The US was more accepting of evolution than Turkey! However, we were less accepting than all other countries polled. 40% Found the statement to be true, 40% false, and 20% are up in the air over it (let’s hope they land soon).
A CBS poll found that just 13% say God was not involved in the process of creating humans. 55% said God created humans in their present form, and two thirds want creationism taught alongside evolution. It just gets scarier.
Interestingly, in Brittan, Charles Darwin is just a dead, white Victorian male. But in the US, he’s the rebel with a theory. When the Darwin Fish started showing up as a parody of the Jesus fish, car rear-ends became a bit of a battleground. Now there are; Jesus fish eating a Darwin fish, Darwin fish eating a Jesus fish, a plump Buddha fish, Freudian fish in the shape of… never mind, a Science fish as a rocket, and even some rude ones involving copulation with a Jesus fish.

Another odd happening regarding evolution is about a creationist attempting to work as an evolutionary biologist. It’s been done more than once now. People of the creationist bent actually attending and getting degrees in the field and then announcing their belief that the world is 6000 years old. They usually get shown the door once it is discovered that they aren’t working towards increasing knowledge, but to prevent it. What a weird way to waste your time.
Now to finish on an up note; how about some current research?
Everyone with blue eyes, raise your hands! Look around at each other. You are seeing your somewhat close relatives. A team from the University of Copenhagen has tracked down a genetic mutation which took place 6,000-10,000 years ago and is the cause of all blue-eyed humans alive today. The mutation in question is of the OCA2 gene which is involved in production of melanin, the pigment that gives us skin, hair, and eye color. A major mutation to this gene gives us albinism (no color), but this change just affected eye color. This variation does not affect survivability. It is just a side note on the path of evolution.
It looks like the field of evo-devo (evolution and development {from egg to adult}) is gaining ground in that they are finding that not many genes are required to make major changes to life. It is just requiring little tweaks of existing genes instead of whole new genes or lots of genes for each mutation. No, I don’t understand it exactly either.

So, even though there is constant anti-evolution activity in this country, the science is still being expanded. If they manage to get ID in, or evolution out of our public schools, what will be the state of evolution in 20 years? We have to keep our eyes open for the next ‘wedge’ they try.

Feb. 16th, Michael Weinstein, author of “With God on Our Side”

Michael Weinstein is a proud graduate of the Air Force Academy and father of two graduates and a current cadet. His book is an expose of a systematic program of indoctrination sanctioned, coordinated, and carried out by fundamentalist Christians within the U.S. military. Weinstein will speak about current church-state issues and current court cases regarding religious liberty in the U.S. military. Presented by the Seattle chapter of AU.

Feb. 20th, Charles Darwin: Live and in Concert!

A noted anthropologist at the American Museum of Natural History, Richard Milner performs a unique blend of witty songs, history, science, and madness. His one-man musical about the life and times of Charles Darwin delights audiences of all ages.

Mar. 10th, E.J. Dionne, author of “Souled Out”

Award-winning commentator and journalist e.j.dionne explains why the era of the “religious right” is over. Profiling contemporary religious figures such as Rich Warren and Richard Cizik to John Paul II and Benedict XVI, Dionne shows that our great religious traditions have always preached a broad message of hope and have refused to be mere props for the powers that be. He also argues that atheist writers such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens should be seen as a gift to believers, by demanding that they live up to their proclaimed values and embrace scientific and philosophical inquiry.