The Group On SE Foster Road
[Portland, Oregon]
John
From:
To: <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Subject: Re: Positive_Atheism_Letters_Section
Date: Saturday, March 11, 2000 5:08 PM
Are you the group that has the meeting off of Foster and 82nd [in Portland, Oregon]? I am interested in attending but have a few questions first.
Let me know if I am barking up the wrong tree.
Thanks
John
PS. I have had AOL for over 5 years, I ve just gotten better finding my way around the Internet and don't need the training wheels anymore.
From: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
To:
Subject: Re: Positive_Atheism_Letters_Section
Date: Sunday, March 12, 2000 2:49 AM
I left that group for two reasons: (1) the current leadership pulled a vicious stunt against me which included deliberately tarnishing my good name (so one woman could gain political advantage within the group) and stealing over $200 from me; (2) I am trying to avoid (and I go out of my way to denounce) this group's favored style of atheistic activism, which is so fundamentalistic that it resembles (or is) bigotry (see the latest issue of their newsletter, "Critical Thinker," for many, many examples of what I see as blatant anti-theist bigotry). We atheists will get nowhere fast by continuing to act this way.
Since I left I have caught the leadership in several acts of dishonesty -- particularly, lying for the purpose of furthering the cause of atheism. It is for this behavior that I reserve my fiercest malediction.
You can read my documentation of the communications surrounding my departure from that group.
You can also read my view on fundamentalist atheists. It was a leader of the group on SE Foster Road that I used as my model for a fundamentalist atheist. The letter mentioned in the column is posted (with comments) in our Letters Section.
After this, I doubt I will ever join another local group again -- and in
this case, will likely never again darken the doors of the group on Foster.
I do endorse the following:
Freedom
From Religion Foundation
Americans
United for the Separation of Church and State
People
For the American Way Foundation
The American
Civil Liberties Union
and
American
Atheists
and in some cases support them financially.
Cliff Walker
"Positive Atheism" Magazine
Material by Cliff Walker (including unsigned editorial commentary) is copyright ©1995-2006 by Cliff Walker. Each submission is copyrighted by its writer, who retains control of the work except that by submitting it to Positive Atheism, permission has been granted to use the material or an edited version: (1) on the Positive Atheism web site; (2) in Positive Atheism Magazine; (3) in subsequent works controlled by Cliff Walker or Positive Atheism Magazine (including published or posted compilations). Excerpts not exceeding 500 words are allowed provided the proper copyright notice is affixed. Other use requires permission; Positive Atheism will work to protect the rights of all who submit their writings to us.