News and Notes
By George Kane
When I drive my car I often listen to Christian radio station KKMS, because I like to hear what the opponents of church/state separation are up to. In early October, I heard their drive-time host, Pastor Brad Brandon, announce his plan to challenge the tax code regulation that forbids tax-exempt organizations from endorsing candidates for election. Under the 501(c) regulations, churches as well as educational organizations such as Minnesota Atheists are permitted to argue for positions on political issues, but not to engage in electoral politics by directly endorsing or donating to any candidate.
When I drive my car I often listen to Christian radio station KKMS, because I like to hear what the opponents of church/state separation are up to. In early October, I heard their drive-time host, Pastor Brad Brandon, announce his plan to challenge the tax code regulation that forbids tax-exempt organizations from endorsing candidates for election. Under the 501(c) regulations, churches as well as educational organizations such as Minnesota Atheists are permitted to argue for positions on political issues, but not to engage in electoral politics by directly endorsing or donating to any candidate.
In part one of the two-part show, host James Zimmerman interviewed Eric Jayne. Eric organizes and heads up the south-of-the-metro bookclub (a.k.a. Burnsville Book Club). Eric gave details on where and when the bookclub meets and how many people usually attend. Eric then discussed some of the books the club has discussed in recent months, include Sam Harris' The End of Faith and John Allen Paulos' Irreligion.
I want to make it clear that I do not hold ill will toward the United States Army, or any branch of the military for that matter. I enjoy being a part of something larger than myself, and hopefully having the opportunity to make a difference. I have never regretted my decision to enlist, or to start my commissioning program in the Army National Guard. That being said, any organization a person can be a part of may reflect ideals that are contradictory to one's own values. The military is no different.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! We received such a large increase in members and other financial supporters last month that, had any of us prayed for it, it would have caused us to rethink the power of prayer. Instead, as Dan Barker would say, we tried not praying – and it worked!
Tom Flynn has been recounting the history of the year-end holidays – and offering his rollicking rationale for why secular humanists should just sit the merriment out – since his book The Trouble with Christmas came out in 1993. But 2010 is the first year that his presentation is fully illustrated in a lavish PowerPoint show containing more than 200 slides. (Fear not, as the angel never really said; some of those slides go by really, really fast.)