THE COWTOWN HUMANIST
A chapter of the American Humanist Association and The Alliance of Secular Humanist Societies.
http://www.freeyellow.com/members6/aha-fw/
http://www.webalias.com/humanism
January 2002 Volume 3, No. 10
Holiday Disclaimer
The writers, editors and photographers of the Cowtown Humanist all are on vacation this month in observance of the holiday break. As a result, this month's newsletter will be shorter -- and more boring -- than usual. Season's greetings to all of you, from all of me.
Next Meeting
This month's meeting will be held at a new venue: the Border's Bookstore on South Hulen, opposite of Hulen Mall. We will meet at the usual time, 7 p.m., on Wednesday, January 9. The speaker is Professor Earl Martin, from the Texas Wesleyan Univ. School of Law. See below for details.
Last month
Linda Foley of the Tarrant County Peace Action group gave an intriguing talk on the peace movement, the military state and the war on terrorism. Thanks to all who attended -- and if you missed it, you missed a lot!
Did ya miss this, too?
The annual Infidels Bash was held December 16 at Dick Hogan's in Weatherford. All reports indicate it was another jolly good time -- I hope you were there for it.
Forum . . . and against 'em
As you may recall, we have agreed to be one of the partner organizations in the upcoming forum on anti-terrorism laws and civil rights. Planning meetings have started, and here's a quick update: The name of the forum is "How anti-terrorist laws and regulations will affect our civil rights." It will be held Saturday, March 16, at the TWU main campus. The expected panelists include U.S. Rep Martin Frost; Don Jackson, ACLU, and Lynn Rambo, TWU Law Professor. Also, a representative from the Anti-Discrimination Council will talk about Muslim culture and why the laws will or will not prevent terrorist acts.
We will need some volunteers to assist with putting this event together; if you can donate even a little bit of time and energy (or a really large sum of money), please let us know. Thanks!
Unholy alliance
Another big event coming in March is the Atheist Alliance International convention. It will be held March 29-31, 2002, right here in the Metroplex. They have an excellent lineup of speakers, and no doubt many of you will want to attend. For detailed information, check out the Metroplex Atheists website, http://www.metroplexatheists.org
Word of mouth
Remember, we're always on the prowl for potential candidates. If you have an idea for someone who might make an interesting speaker for the group, be sure to let us know. (Sorry, no mime acts will be permitted).
"The Governor's New Wardrobe"
When Governor Rick Perry appeared at a public prayer rally in Palestine, it generated a lot of discussion from all sides. Was the governor right? Or was he out of line? Earl Martin, a professor of law at Texas Wesleyan University, will discuss public official, public prayer and the Constitution. This is certain to be a thought-provoking evening, with the added incentive of holding the meeting at the bookstore. We hope you plan on attending!
Saved by the Dinner Bell
Don't forget that everyone is welcome to join us for dinner before the meeting. This month, we'll be meeting at Benito's Mexican Restaurant, 1450 W. Magnolia (near 8th Avenue). We had a great turnout at last month's meal -- so good, in fact, that it made it hard to get to the meeting on time. So this month, we will convene at 5:15. Hopefully, that will give us enough time to eat and shuttle down to the bookstore, without anyone having to stuff a leftover fajita in their pocket.
Next month
Our very own Russell Elleven, former organization chairman, ordained Humanist minister and TCU professor erroneous (or something like that) will be presenting the program. And speaking of college . . .
Just for fun
5 Ways the the Bible Would Have Been Different If It Had Been Written By College Students:
1. The Last Supper would have been eaten the next morning -- cold.
2. There would have been only five Commandments instead of 10, which were double-spaced and typed in a large font.
3. Paul's letter to the Romans would become Paul's e-mail to abuse@romans.gov.
4. The reason why Cain killed Abel: They were roommates.
5. Instead of God creating the world in six days and resting on the seventh, he would have put it off until the day before it was due and then pulled an all-nighter.
Hope to see you Wednesday,
Jeff
How to reach us
Jeff Rodriguez, Chairman
817-732-4235
Mike Haney,
Vice Chairman
mhaneyinfw@hotmail.com
Bruce Berggren, Treasurer