New York City Atheists Meetings May Meetup

FLASH!

Why Don’t We, As Secularists, Question Other Things
in Our Society?
Let’s Apply Our Skepticism to Politics & Economics,
Says New Discussion Leader Jo Bernard

Tuesday’s NYCA Meetup/discussion leader, Jo Bernard, acknowledges that we secularists are pretty smart: We’ve already dissected religion and found it wanting. Then why, she wants to know, don’t we apply the same kind of scrutiny to other ideologies in our society, especially in politics and economics ?

Bernard points to the following conundrums in our society:

1) After a career spent as a staunch promoter of deregulation of financial markets, Alan Greenspan recently appeared before Congress to discuss the financial meltdown facing us today and stated that “…those of us who have looked to the self-interest of lending institutions to protect them...are in a state of shocked disbelief.” (“Shocked?” says Bernard. “Someone who is blinded by an ideology of free markets and nonregulation is shocked? I’m shocked that he is shocked.”)

2) Lynndi England, in discussing her treatment of prisoners in Abu Ghraib: “You’re in a war and you’re the good guys and they’re the bad guys, and that’s how most Americans see the world. And those were the bad guys.”

3) The Earth Liberation Front (ELF) is the name for anonymous individuals or covert cells who, according to the ELF Press Office, use “economic sabotage and guerilla warfare to stop exploitation and destruction of the environment.”

Why aren’t we questioning the ideologies that brought these circumstances about, Bernard wants to know. Does our sense of justice and humanity stop at the church door? Why aren’t we carrying our secular reality checks into society and questioning things like torture, economic misjudgments or overzealousness in marginal groups?

International Outlook

New York City Atheist’s member Jo Bernard is well qualified to fill in for our erstwhile discussion leader Natty Adams (who is on a two-month trip to India and then plans to enter graduate school.) Bernard, a graduate in economics and political science from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, has lived in Italy and France. She speaks three languages besides English—French, Spanish and Italian—and is now studying German and Japanese.

Bernard, a dynamic, engaging and eloquent bronze beauty (our New York answer to Michelle Obama?) is known for her depth of thought and her courage in exploring topics that bring on strong reactions. “I want people to start thinking about things that are done in the name of religion, things that are done in the name of democracy and things that are done in the name of free enterprise,” she says with passion.

Come, join NYC Atheists on Tuesday night at 7 pm when this intrepid and spirited young woman leads our Meetup discussion into new vistas. Keep in mind that we will be going into areas where people have strong opinions—but rest assured that Bernard will give, she promises, equal weight and consideration to all participants.

EVENT SUMMARY

WHAT: “Applying Secular Reality Checks to Other Aspects of Our Society,”
a discussion led by Jo Bernard.

WHEN: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 7 p.m.

WHERE: The Stone Creek Bar & Lounge
Back room
140 East 27th Street (bet. 3rd & Lex)

COST: Free. But we would appreciate your ordering at least one drink
and/or food because the Stone Creek allows us to use their space
without cost. FEEL FREE TO MINGLE AFTERWARDS WITH
JO BERNARD AND FELLOW ATHEISTS!