FLASH!

Should Atheists Have Bar Mitzvahs, Communion,
Baptisms or Circumcisions?

What Does Natty Think?
Find Out at NYCA Meetup!

Ahoy, Natty fans! Our charismatic Meetup leader, Natty Adams, will, on March 10th consider a solemn and portentous question:

“Should we,” Natty will throw out to the group, “as a growing community in America, seek to emulate certain social and ritualistic functions formerly performed by churches—or should we Atheists distance ourselves from the trappings and methods of religious communities?”

True, opinions on this topic have been bandied about before, but aside from an actual Un-Bar-Mitzvah and De-Communion conducted last year by American Atheists’ legal counsel, Edwin Kagin, who exorcized religion from individuals in Ohio with a hair blow-dryer (“I can see!” shouted one little girl after the hair dryer blew religion out of her head), little progress has been made on this issue.

A Need for Circumcision?

OK, say we Atheists can dispense with Bar Mitzvahs, Communions and Baptisms—which are supposed to symbolize the entrance of the person into a particular religious community—but what about circumcision? Could it possibly have a value to an atheist? Can it be a fun thing like tattooing? Or what about funeral rites? Do we simply dispose of our departed by flinging their ashes into the cement mixture for our driveway or should we engage in that other secular extreme, fashionable memorial assemblies of the This Was Your Life caliber with videotapes, readings and orations attesting to the worthiness of the deceased?

Or how about weddings? Do we need all that nuptial claptrap or is it enough to send out a card to friends and family saying “Tom Smith and John Jones are now the Smith-Joneses?”

Give Up Religion for Lent

To give your opinion on this vital, all-consuming question, come to the Stone Creek Bar on Tuesday, March 10, at 7 o’clock or so, imbibe a bit, admire Natty’s style and haberdashery (Note to self: inform Tom Wolfe that Natty is taking over his niche as Best Dressed in the literary world), enjoy Natty’s wit and commentary, scrutinize his latest moustache landscaping, and together, let us change the world. Afterwards, feel free to mingle with your fellow atheists and get phone numbers.

As preparation for this momentous discourse on Tuesday, NattyAdams has just one request: That you give up religion for Lent. We know, it’s a strange thing to ask of atheists, but we promised Natty we would announce this link to his campaign to get people to give up religion for Lent: http://www.facebook.c...

EVENT SUMMARY

WHAT: “Should Atheists Emulate Social and Ritualistic
Functions of the Church?” –a query for discussion posed by Nathaniel (“Natty”) Adams, leader of the New York City Atheists’ Meetup

WHEN: Tuesday, March 10, at 7 p.m. or thereabouts.

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

COST: Free. But we like to give the Stone Creek some business in exchange for them letting us use their space. Drinks and munchies available, reasonably priced.
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