Dan Barker at OU!

Maces are for sissies. I suggest a morningstar.

Y'all did remember to invite the entire state legislature, didn'tcha?

Thanks for the compliments and for publicizing the event, Abbie! The new CFI officers have been busy with school and such and haven't really had the time to schedule regular meetings. But I've spoken to them and they do really have some interesting, ambitious plans! The topic for Dan Barker's talk is 'How to be good without God' and it is going to be followed by a sale and signing of his book 'Godless: How An Evangelical Preacher Became One Of America's Leading Atheists'. I request everybody in and around Oklahoma that is reading this blog to spread word about the event to your fellow skeptics and rationalists. And do join us on Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2251735287&ref=ts ) or send us email at ou@secularstudents.org. We ARE a lot of fun! :)

Waitaminnit: you have *traffic*....in *Oklahoma*???

Pierce-- Well, the TARD Brigade was at the IDC events, Im sure theyll be at the non-theist events, right? Want to represent and learn about all their constituents? lol.

Aseem-- I edited your link a bit for simplicity :)

clamboy-- Only 7-9, 4.30-6.30 on weekdays. And then on game days.

Barker will also be at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha, on Thursday, November 19, in the Davis Hall Amphitheater. PLEASE consider coming to show your support! USAO Secular Student Alliance faculty advisor Shelley Rees says Charles Jackson was there a few weeks ago & they'd love to have a bigger crowd than he got! For more info contact Shelley at reesshelley@gmail.com.

I absolutely can't see what you're alluding to...

Ha, and i was just commenting on another blog about how i never hear about CFI on campus here at OU! Foot in mouth! They chalked up the sidewalk pretty well! Cant wait!

No traffic in Chickasha! Tiny campus = easy parking!

There are so many things that I miss about Chicago after settling down in OKC. Traffic is surely not one of them.

See you guys in Norman!

OT, but anyone read this? http://www.oudaily.com/news/2009/nov/17/okla-senator-propose-bill-count… Disgusting!

Abbie's Post

"Too bad that wont happen, cause OUs CFI is made up of some fun, open-minded kids, and its not a troupe of morons."

Fun and a troupe of morons are not mutually exclusive propositions.

Aseem's Comment @ 11

"OT, but anyone read this?"

Steve Russell has a huge gaggle of kids I wonder if anyone has pointed out the odds of at least one being gay. If you start a pool I'm betting on one his wife home skoold.

Steve's district primarily consists of the lovely hamlet of Del City which, for those who do not know, is supported entirely by an air-force base, Russell's "God does not hear the prayer of a Jew." mega-church and a brisk trade in shake and bake meth.

Geez, I'm jealous. We've got Ralph Nader coming sometime in the near future, and I'd way much rather see Dan and Annie.

Of course, the faithheads here would probably organize a lynching, and I wouldn't want to see them in harm's way so I guess I'll have to wait until they come to the nearest safe place and hope I can get the time free to go.

Wish I could be there. A bout of swine flu in the family has jacked up my schedule.

I wish I could ask Dan this:
There are many moral systems which "moral atheists" like you reject. Christianity, Odinist ethics, Aztec ethics, Kant's categorical imperative, Hindu ethics, etc. I just believe in one less moral system than you do. The reasons that you might give for your rejection of those other moral systems are likely the same reasons I would give for not accepting yours, that "human nature and pain" is the objective basis for morality. Now, without blatantly sidestepping the question by rejoicing that you have the law on your side (for now) and can put me in jail for acting on my beliefs that there is no morality and I can do what I want, please show why your morality is right.

by rejoicing that you have the law on your side (for now) and can put me in jail for acting on my beliefs that there is no morality and I can do what I want, please show why your morality is right.

Morality is simply a word game for a type of behaviour. It is obviously relative to a degree and as you mentioned culture to culture. It is also clear that a morality that emphasizes peace as opposed to violent acts benefits a larger number of societies members. This is enough to state that a certain set of behaviours(morality) is superior to another.

Of course outliers and individuals may work against the group but in general the group(law) brings them into the fold or removes them from poisoning the well.

Way to show that Dan-Barker-in-your-head, Rhobot! I'm sure he was suitably abashed. Fell to his knees and converted on the spot, I'll bet. Then Jesus came down from heaven and gave you a million bucks.

Can you try to make the next local event? This empty bravado of how your hackneyed questions would TOTALLY have stumped them if only you'd been there is getting really tiresome.

Um, that's hardly Dan-Barker-in-my-head, minimalist. I've listened to him make precisely that argument no less than 5 times, probably more.

Anyway, yes, I try to make local events when I can. I'll do you one better, though - would you be interested in getting together some time? I would be, so ball's in your court. Email me at my blogger profile page.