Friday, May 24, 2013

Welcome, freethinkers!

Central Minnesota Freethinkers is a nonprofit charitable, social, and educational organization created to foster a community of reason. We are atheists, agnostics, humanists, secularists, and freethinkers in and around St. Cloud. We live our lives happily free of dogma and the constraints of religion.

Central Minnesota Freethinkers is a member of the Atheist Alliance and the Minnesota Secular Council. Learn more...

coffee We get together for coffee on the first Sunday morning of each month. Please join us at the Good Earth Co-op in St. Cloud's Centennial Plaza. (map)

Freethinkers Night Out happens the second Tuesday after each coffee social. Join us for an evening of freethinking conversation, dinner if you like, and drinks. Watch the events calendar for location.

Newsletter subscribers receive email reminders. Sign up in the menu above.

meeting General membership meetings are held at 7:00 p.m. on third Mondays in February, April, and October at either the public library or the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall in St. Cloud. We often host guest speakers on a range of interesting topics.

In June and December we get together around the Solstices for a potluck celebration. Watch the events calendar for time and location.

Central Minnesota Freethinkers doesn't have an office or a postal address.

Please contact us at info@cmfreethinkers.org or simply show up at a meeting or social gathering.

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Guest Speaker: Marie Alena Castle, atheism activist

Central Minnesota Freethinkers

Monday, May 13, 2013, 7 pm
St. Cloud Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (map)

Long-time Minnesota activist and atheist Marie Alena Castle will be introducing her newly released book, "Culture Wars: The Threat to Your Family and Your Freedom", at a special program sponsored by the Central Minnesota Freethinkers on Monday, May 13th. The program will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall, 3226 Maine Prairie Rd., St. Cloud at 7:00 pm and is free and open to everyone who wishes to attend.

Her new book looks at the Constitutional ideal of the Separation of Church and State and the reality of the many laws in our Country that are based on clearly religious concepts. These include things like laws prohibiting both contraception and abortions, limits on reality-based sex education in schools and bans against stem-cell research. Suicides are prohibited no matter how horribly a person may be suffering. There are Bible readings and prayers sessions held in public schools and Creationism is taught in many places as a legitimate alternative to Evolution. There are laws against same-sex marriage and laws actually criminalizing homosexuality. Books are banned, religious organizations are given special tax preferences and in some places atheists are not allowed to run for political office. There are even still laws on the books prohibiting liquor sales on Sundays.

Grant Steves: How Religion Influences Worldviews

Central Minnesota Freethinkers

Central Minnesota Freethinkers hosted Grant Steves, who gave a talk entitled "How Religion Influences Worldviews". Grant is a former Board member of Minnesota Atheists and a past chairperson. He served as host for the Minnesota Atheists television show Atheists Talk and has been interviewed on the Minnesota Atheists radio show. He has contributed articles and reviewed books for the Minnesota Atheists newsletter.

In the past, he has lectured on cults and fundamentalism. Grant has also delivered speeches at the Day of Reason. Grant holds a Doctorate in Theology, is a retired public school educator, debate coach.

Introducing Freethinkers Night Out!

Central Minnesota Freethinkers

After the great success of our coffee socials, we've decided to bring a new event into the mix. The second Tuesday evening after each coffee social is Freethinkers Night Out!

The April event will be held at La Casita in Waite Park on Tuesday the 23rd from 6-7:30. Of course, you're free to come earlier or stay later. We expect the same fun, invigorating conversation and laughter we always have. Plus beer.

See you then!