Past list view

When: Tuesday - December 18, 2007
Time: 7:00 PM

Location: Stone Creek Bar and Lounge
140 East 27th St. (3rd/Lex)

What: Meet with other freethinkers in casual conversation and discussion.
Lots of time to socialize.

(Note: For some reason there are two other events listed here for the same day, Dec. 18th. Don't worry, all three are the same, so you can RSVP for any of them.)

NOVEMBER 29, 2007 (Thursday) - 6:30 P.M.
NYCA MONTHLY MEETING

Speaker: A. J. Jacobs

Subject: The Year of Living Biblically
(NYT best seller list - 10/24/2007)

Location: KENNEDY'S RESTAURANT
327 WEST 57th St, (8/9 Ave.)

Cost: Individual Checks
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For Immediate Release
Web: nyc-atheists.org

Press contact: 212-879-2687

Is It Possible To Live Strictly According to The Bible?

Author Tells How He Did It for a Year
And Didn't Go Crazy Exactly.

New York, Nov. 26, 2007 Some Fundamentalist religious sects claim they follow the precepts of the Bible literally. Is this truly possible in this day and age? One man, author A.J. Jacobs, decided to try to live his life strictly according to the Bible for a whole year. The result is a hilarious, profound and intensely interesting book about his experiences, THE YEAR OF LIVING BIBLICALLY: One Man?s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible.

The New York Times ran a photo of Jacobs in his Biblical white robe, carrying a shepherd?s crook and leading a sheep, in full-page review of the book in the Times. Sunday Book Review section (an overwhelmingly positive report). Despite the costume, Jacobs, 38, who is also an editor at Esquire magazine, took his project quite seriously. He decided, he says, to follow every rule in the Bible as literally as possible. That meant not only the famous ones, such as the Ten Commandments, Love Thy Neighbor and Be Fruitful and Multiply, but also the hundreds of oft-ignored ones such as Do Not Shave Your Beard, Do Not Wear Clothes of Mixed Fibers and Stone Adulterers.

The stoning of adulterers was a problem, of course, (are there enough stones in the world?) but Jacobs gamely tried to follow the Biblical injunction when one man openly admitted to him that he was an adulterer. What Jacobs didn't count on was that the adulterer would pick up a pebble and stone him back, something the Bible doesn't deal with.

Nevertheless, Jacobs, who says he was raised in a non-religious household, made a list of some 700 Biblical rules to follow, wore white every day, didn't shave, wore sandals, ate Ezekiel bread, carried a staff, drank goat's milk, burned myrrh, ate some crickets (though, admittedly, Kosher crickets) and was embarrassingly truthful.

I wanted the project to be a way to explore the huge and fascinating topic of Biblical literalism. Millions of Americans say they take the Bible literally a Newsweek poll puts it at 55 percent, says Jacobs. I wanted to peel away the layers of interpretation and find the true Bible underneath. I'd be fearless, I'd do exactly what the Bible said, I would be the ultimate fundamentalist and in so doing, I'd discover what?s timeless in the Bible and what is outdated.

Come hear A.J. Jacobs on November 29 tell New York City Atheists how his experiment turned out, what he learned and whether the Bible proved in any way relevant to 2007. (Note: movie rights to the book have already been sold.)

EVENT SUMMARY

WHAT: Living the Biblical Life in 2007. Can You Do It and Why Would You Want To. A talk by A.J. Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible.
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NOVEMBER 11, 2007 (Sunday)
12:00 PM
NYCA Brunch, Book Club, Library

Location: Kennedy's Restaurant
327 West 57th St. (8th/9th Ave.) - Rear Room

Cost: $20.00 tax and gratuity included.
Choice of Bloody Mary, Screwdriver, Mimosa or a Glass of Wine.

Select one below.

Eggs Benedict.......................................................
Poached Eggs on English Muffin w/Canadian Bacon & Hollandaise Sauce.

Omelette of Choice...............................................
Includes two fillings of your choice - cheese, ham, onion etc.

Corned Beef Hash & Eggs.............................. ......
Chef?s Home Style Hash & two Poached Eggs w/ home fries.

Hamburger Platter Deluxe....................................
Giant burger with all the trimmings.

Jumbo Chef?s Salad..............................................
Iceberg lettuce w/ ham, cheese, turkey, tomato & egg.

Quiche Lorraine with Salad..................................
Traditional wedge of Quiche w/ seasonal salad.

Baked Shepherd?s Pie...........................................
Savory meat filling topped with ?our real? mashed potato.

Chicken Pot Pie.....................................................
Chunks of chicken in cream sauce covered w/ flaky pastry.

Irish Farmhouse Breakfast.....................................
Eggs, Bacon, Irish style sauasages, Black Pudding & Tomato.

All the above served w/ Irish Soda Bread, Rolls
Soda, Tea, Coffee or Decaffeinated
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Brunch Speaker: Jennifer Lange
Institute of Humanist Studies Legislative Liason

Subject: Stop NYS Religious Freedom Restoration Act

After brunch, we go to the NYC Atheists library located on East 79TH street. (new location)

Christopher Hitchens' "god is not Great - How Religion Poisons Everything" is our November Book Club selection. (First three chapters - 43 pages).

===================================
THE SCHEDULED NYC ATHEISTS (OCT 25) MONTHLY MEETING HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO THE OCTOBER 22ND D'SOUZA / HITCHENS DEBATE.

Debate between Dinesh D'Souza and Christopher Hitchens. (DEBATE BEGINS AT 7:30 PM - SHOULD ARRIVE TO GET SEAT ON OR BEFOE 6:30 PM).

(previously scheduled October 25th monthly meeting replaced by this debate event - I would suggest getting there early - seating is first come / first served)

Location: New York Society for Ethical Culture, 64th Street and CPW

Cost:This event is free and open to the public.

The King?s College will sponsor a debate between cultural critics Dinesh D?Souza and Christopher Hitchens at the The debate will address the question, ?Is Christianity the problem??

Hitchens, a staunch critic of Christianity, has recently gained much attention for his bestselling 2007 book, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. Known for his sharp wit and fiery atheism, Hitchens is a columnist for Vanity Fair and a former columnist for The Nation. His writings have also appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, Slate, Newsweek, Harper?s, The Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and The Weekly Standard. While possessing a deep disdain for Christianity (and Catholicism, in particular), Hitchens is an equal-opportunity critic of religious faith, claiming that ?all religious belief is sinister and infantile.?

In contrast to Hitchens, D'Souza believes Christianity to be the ultimate hope of mankind. Referred to as one of the ?top young public-policy makers in the country? by Investor?s Business Daily, he has taken on today?s leading critics of the faith in his new book, What?s So Great about Christianity. His 1991 book, Illiberal Education, was one of the first studies to publicize the phenomenon of political correctness, and his writings and bestselling book, What?s So Great about America, are recognized for their influence on public opinion and policy.

The debate, sponsored by The King?s College, in conjunction with the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) and tothesource.org, will be moderated by The King?s College Provost and World magazine Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Marvin Olasky.
The King's College is a liberal arts college located in the Empire State Building in New York City.

October 14, Sunday 12:00 P.M.
NYCA Brunch, Book Club, Library

Location: Press Box Restaurant & Pub
932 Second Ave. (49/50th) 2nd Floor

Cost: Buffet - $20 includes juice, coffee, soda, tax and tip. (Alcohol drinks extra)

After brunch, we move to the NYC Atheists? library located on West 48th street.

The October book selection is: Bertram Russell's
"Why I am not a Christian."