Atheists, Agnostics, and Rationalists at UCI

Last week’s meeting went really well, and we learned how to jump to conclusions. This week we shall continue building our debate skills. We’ll be covering some of the typical issues seen in debates with our religious brethren. We’ll cover the questions quickly and focus more on the quality of our answers. Through this practice we should learn where the religious side is coming from, and how we can best explain our worldview.

After the meeting, our usual hangout at Jack-in-the-Box has been cancelled in favor attending OC Atheists. We will be providing carpooling to their 6:30 meeting at El Torito (by John Wayne Airport) for discussion, snacks and beverages. At 7:30 we’ll walk across the street to IHOP for the formal meeting. More information can be found at the OC Atheists website. http://www.ocatheists.com/archives/000090.shtml

Our meeting this week will begin in SSTR 103 at 5pm, where we’ll first take care of some administration and assembly, after which we’ll head to Aldrich Park for some exciting physical activities. Make sure that you are of sound mind and body, so that you can waffle in the face of daunting moral questions, run rings around circular arguments, and end it all by jumping to conclusions!

September 30th, which has been named International Blasphemy day, marks the anniversary of the publication of the Danish cartoons depicting Muhammad that started riots around the world.

You couldn’t pick a better day to have our first meeting.

The topic of AAR’s first meeting was coming up with ideas for events this quarter.

Here is what we came up with:

Hold events such as
An anti-superstition fair (break a mirror, go under a ladder, open an umbrella indoors…)
Ask an atheist booth
an Atheist Bake Sale

Doing things in response to the soon to be campus invasion by Ray Comfort & Kirk Cameron minions: (if you haven’t heard about it, read about it here)
-Creating warning stickers for bibles and handing them out
-Handing out flyers to debunk the claims made in their introduction

Having social events such as
Going on hikes
…and perhaps geocaching http://www.geocaching.com/
Having a Flying Spaghetti Monster inspired spaghetti cookout complete with a marinara baptism
Creating an atheist book club
Going to see movies in theatres:
-Creation:

-Lord Save Us From Your Followers

Having movie nights:
-Religulous

Giving back to the community with things like:
Either hosting a blood drive here on campus or making a trip to the Red Cross
Volunteering at soup kitchens and other such places

Hosting speakers (UCI professors and people from the community)

Doing publicity through Fundie Action Committee counter protesting

Handing out ramen and cup o’ noodles with club information on it.

Based off these excellent ideas and the enthuasiasm from members, this year looks like it’s going to be great!