[Imc-atlanta-audio] Fwd: Rise of the Faithless. Atlanta May 1, 2005

[Scott Eustis]

(in case i accidentally deleted it)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Universist Movement" <info at universist.org>
To: currentsofresistance at wrek.org
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 20:18:01 -0800
Subject: Rise of the Faithless. Atlanta May 1, 2005
We have several representatives available for live or recorded interview
should Currents of Resistance be interested in covering The Universist
Movement and our upcoming announcement in Atlanta.

Recently the Universist Movement ignited huge caller response on Fox
News Live for one hour, and jammed the phone lines on Westwood One's The
Lars Larson Show with a two-hour interview. We have been the subject of
a The New York Times Op-Ed and a BBC story while engaging Focus on the
Family in the culture wars debate.

We would like to discuss our movement and its mission with you. On May
1, 2005 the Universist Movement will hold an event in Atlanta, GA
ordaining its radical new mission: we will end the influence of faith in
civil society by the year 2100. Communities centered on religious Truth
will be understood as a crime against humanity before the twenty-first
century is out. Religious views, faithful or faithless, must be a matter
relative to the individual without societal or community imposition as a
matter of social justice and species survival.

Milestones we will achieve on the road to 2100 include the elimination
of public morality laws, gay marriage, legal suicide, legal drug use,
legal prostitution, revocation of tax exempt status for religious
organizations, biotech research unhindered by stem cell regulations, the
social consensus that it is unethical to raise a child under a religious
faith, and a proudly atheist President of the United States. Regarding
the child issue, just last Sunday The Universist Movement hosted a
public forum with Richard Dawkins in which he declared "Nobody should
ever be allowed to get away with a phrase like 'Catholic child' or
'Muslim Child'. There is no such thing as a Christian child. Only a
child of Christian parents." The attitudes our Movement represents are
growing. We champion the religious philosophy behind this progressive
worldview - Universism.

The language and actions of adherents to faith-based religion has a
destructive effect on society and the planet. These negative effects
include discrimination, ignorance, hatred, and violence. Universism
teaches and challenges by elevating the individually generated vision of
meaning and purpose within society. The Universist attitude is a
positive religious alternative to faith. Religion is but an idea, and
surveying humanity's history and our own personal experiences,
Universists have determined religions based on faith are dangerous.
Faith systems impact all our lives through detrimental alterations in
the course of history and shaping society's mores. Universists recognize
that virtually no person of faith is intentionally trying to harm the
world. Many may genuinely believe their faith is necessary for their own
survival or happiness and that sharing it is vital to the salvation of
others. Regardless of the benign spirit often motivating people of
faith, Universists do not value, respect, or honor any faith beyond the
right of individuals to hold it.

Universists recognize that one's religious (metaphysical) views directly
influence one's political views no matter what. Indeed Universists are
people who apply their Universist worldview, religious though it is, to
political questions as much as metaphysical questions. This reality
heightens the intensity and importance of our ideological battle.
Universists stand in opposition to the direct involvement of faith
organizations in government, because we decry faith, not because faith
has any less of a "right" to influence government than any other crazy
idea in a democracy. We fight faith by arguing that fair government must
be based on facts rational people can agree on - those facts come from
science. That our government is influenced by faith-based religious
values is to be expected - government is made up of and elected by
humans, most of whom who have faith-based religious views. Religious
attitudes shape one's entire worldview. This is simply a matter of fact,
it's the way the human brain works. We can do little if anything about
it in a democracy. Thus Universists do not direct our battle at getting
faith out of government. Whether government officials can hold prayer
services in government offices or hang the Ten Commandments on the walls
are important symbolic battles that the Universist Movement endorses and
aids civil rights organizations in fighting. However we believe the
ultimate fight is over religion itself.

This is one of the last great struggles of human history, political or
otherwise. We will end the power of faith in the twenty-first century.
Faith, adherence to a particular understanding of the most important
issues of existence and purpose, by necessity determines how we perceive
the world and how we want the world to be. This means the Universist
Mission of eradicating faith as an ethical, respectable, academically
legitimate worldview takes on dire importance. We are engaged in battle
of religious ideologies because of the real world impact of those
ideologies as much as forming community born of philosophical affinity.
In terms of politics, the Universist Movement is countercultural,
radical, and determined. We are driven, carrying the banner of a
powerful philosophy that represents the coming end of faith, and the
beginning of a new age of secular government and a flourishing, complex,
and beautiful culture.

For the future,
Ford Vox
vox at universist.com
ph: 205-246-1048

Director, The Universist Movement
http://universist.org & http://faithless.org