Tuesday, December 4, 2012



  		• We have decided to schedule our meetings for the second Saturday of every month at the Auburn Public Library. This may change once in a great while, but we expect to be pretty consistent. This will enable members of Downeast Humanists to attend our meeting more regularly.

    For our third meeting we will get together on December 8th at 11:00am-1:00pm. For those unfamiliar with the library, signs are set up to direct people, so it should be easy to find our conference room (plus the librarians will be more than happy to help out).

    On the agenda for next month is setting up a mission statement and the general goals of the group. This will include mapping out our focus, including our concerns about the separation of church and state, as well as the promotion of science.
Auburn Public Library
Auburn, Maine 04210
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  • Jeremy R. Cort
    can i bring my oldest? hes 14!
    Like ·  ·  · Sunday at 9:52pm
    • Rachelle Hartley Cass SERIOUSLY? Are you really that retarded now? You used to be an awesome smart person dont know what happened but OMG
      Sunday at 9:56pm via mobile · Unlike · 1
    • Leila Benoit ...????
    • Jeremy R. Cort rachelle?
    • Jeremy R. Cort wow... its been an age since i talked to you.. kinda surprised THIS is how you choose to say hi :(
    • Jeremy R. Cort how old are you? don't you know better than to use defamatory langue by now? this isn't very "christian" of you...
    • Jocelyn Harrington Wow. I am appalled. Hope to see you there, Jeremy!
      Sunday at 10:14pm via mobile · Unlike · 2
    • Jeremy R. Cort now you definitely will. and ill bring my partner too. - so funny.. i was debating on weather or not to attend...
    • Leila Benoit It's funny because Jeremy and I were thinking of not going to the meeting because we have so much stuff going on. I guess now we'll work a lot harder to get there. It will be so nice to be around like minded people. :D
    • Jeremy R. Cort lol we typed the same thing
    • Leila Benoit and we just typed the same thing basically lol
    • Jeremy R. Cort AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
    • Leila Benoit ... I'm going to bed. lols
    • Jeremy R. Cort we are 3 feet away... we need to coordinate more...
    • Jocelyn Harrington Great! Nothing like hate to bring people together ;)
      Sunday at 10:22pm via mobile · Unlike · 3
    • Jeremy R. Cort woooo! sad part is... rachelle is family..
    • Jocelyn Harrington That is sad. Unfortunately, it happens everyday. They want you to think like them and yet cannot understand why we are upset (what they perceive as intolerance) for their intolerance! Ha. I haven't spoken to 5 members of my family in almost 3 years because of hate speech and ignorance. I am sorry that someone would speak to you this way. It is horrible. I also happen to be a caregiver for developmentally disabled adults.... Soooo.... Yeah.
      Sunday at 10:27pm via mobile · Unlike · 3
    • Jeremy R. Cort i know what you mean.. we are NOT advocates for the "R" word... just yesterday i was picking on my mom for using it in conversation...
    • Jeremy R. Cort so odd tho... "people" have no problem telling me they love jesus.... but when i say i dont they get all bent out of shape... at least we are not being killed anymore (here in the US at least) ah well.. education will win out... as my smart friend says "atheism is the inevitable conclusion of a logical mind"
    • Jocelyn Harrington I live by the motto, "just don't be a Dick"... Haha
      Sunday at 10:39pm via mobile · Unlike · 3
    • Jeremy R. Cort lol.. that reminds me of this :

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0la5DBtOVNI
      It's okay to not like things
      www.youtube.com
      It's okay, but don't be a dick about it
    • Ryan Michael D'Alessandro And to answer your question Jeremy of course you can bring your son. I'll be there with my 5 year old son.
      Yesterday at 5:49am via mobile · Edited · Like · 1
    • Jeremy R. Cort there we go! thanks for the answer ryan! im sure my kid will enjoy chilling out at the library with his dad on the weekend after a long car ride with a room of smart people talking about grownup stuff. XD
    • Jamie M. Franklin Dacyczyn See? This is the reason for our group. An old friend sees that you're part of an atheist group, and now they think, "Atheist = retarded and not awesome or smart". We're trying to change that gut reaction to the A word.
    • Bradie Castonguay Wow. I thought she was joking at first. One of my CATHOLIC family memebers saw that I was going to one of these meetings and called me up to ASK WHAT ITS ABOUT!!!! Nothing like passing judgement about things you know nothing about, Rachel. The only thing Ive seen this group do is organize charitable activities. More than any church I ever intended. Would God be as judgemental of people doing good as you have been??? Disgusted.
      Yesterday at 8:13am via mobile · Like · 1
    • Stacey Blair Ok, I'll bite.. what are you meeting about? what's the conversation: I don't believe in God, I don't beleive in God either! Aren't all those Billions of Christians, Muslims, jews, etc... stupid. If they were enlightened thinkers like us, they would know the truth ! What can we do to save all those poor believers from all the lies that there is a God? Really ?
    • Jamie M. Franklin Dacyczyn No Stacey, we primarily get together to discuss what sort of charitable activities we can do together. Unfortunately, as you've demonstrated, people seem to think that if someone is an atheist, they're arrogant, nasty people. The goal of our group is to show that atheists are regular people like everyone else. Good without God.
    • Stacey Blair Ok,,, but your saying that those conversations do not occur? There is no reference to believers? There is no patting on the back of like thinkers? Really?
    • Jamie M. Franklin Dacyczyn Well, I missed the last meeting, so I can't testify that there are no conversations like that. Of course we talk about believers to some degree, since believers provide the contrast to non-believers. In the first meeting, we each talked about our upbringing and how our friends/families have reacted to us being atheist. Are your religious meetings all about how you all agree that you believe in gods and how stupid those atheists are? Probably not, so why would you assume that's how our conversations go? We're nice people, Stacey, really. We're currently collecting donations for Camp Sunshine through this February's Polar Dip. You're welcome to donate to a good cause.
    • Stacey Blair I just ask because there is no mention of "charity work" in the original meeting posting. By religious meetings I believe you may be refering to religious services? No we do not meet, specifically to disparge the lost, but rather for your Salvation. By we, who are you refering? You might want to check the agenda of your next meeting. i don't doubt ones sincerity in doing good deeds, but ask yourself why your doing it.
    • Jamie M. Franklin Dacyczyn We do good things because it's the right thing to do, not because we hope for an eternal reward.
    • Stacey Blair "On the agenda for next month is setting up a mission statement and the general goals of the group. This will include mapping out our focus, including our concerns about the separation of church and state, as well as the promotion of science." Yeah that sounds very charitable.. What happens if 100 christians show up for the meeting?
    • Jocelyn Harrington Stacey, you are completely ignoring this part: "On the agenda for next month is setting up a mission statement and the general goals of the group. This will include mapping out our focus" (because you are focusing on this part): " including our concerns about the separation of church and state, as well as the promotion of science."
    • Jocelyn Harrington You should come to the meeting. Anyone is welcome, 100 Christians included. We would love to have you.
    • Nancy Glista Funny how threatened "people of faith" seem to feel by a few atheists getting together. Maybe they aren't so sure of their beliefs after all. I think what bothers me most about the major religions is the indoctrination of children before they can reason, and the suppression of the asking of questions. Why should faith--belief without, or in spite of evidence-- be considered a badge of honor? (Good for you for inviting your 14 yr. old).
    • Jeremy R. Cort i would imagine that 100 christians would be welcome! - so long as they were willing to be respectful - 

      i missed the first couple meetings but we will be sure to attend this one! maybe a room full of free thinkers will be able to do some good here in       maine. instead of congratulating each other on how much they love jesus. 

      lastly.. Jamie M. Franklin Dacyczyn i am sad to say yes rachelle was an old friend, at least i considered her to be one, but now she is family. when talking to all my new thinking friends i have heard too many stories about how they are being ostracized for thinking... that's it! JUST THINKING! 

      we aren't out burning bibles, renouncing whole groups based on how they were born or committing violence because our ideas are more righteous than theirs... we are good because we CAN be, because we WANT to be... not because we are threatened to be...
    • Jeremy R. Cort since no one knows this... my son, 14, self converted from pentecostal to universalist unitarianism. we allow him to think for himself and come to his own realizations... you cannot force knowledge on someone no more than you can make a horse drink when it isn't thirsty... we do NOT stride about a fire in the nude shrieking on how god is not real. in fact, we go to church with him. they are a fantastic bunch of people. we aren't even the only atheists there! the head of the sandwich program is an atheist, her husband was a teacher of mine in school, and they have been in attendance there for 20+ years... a whole building full of people that are not bigoted and LIVE the concept of "live and let live."

      "people" look down their nose at me because we choose to raise our kids without hatred, fear, bigotry, lies and distortions... and im the one who is wrong?
    • Jamie M. Franklin Dacyczyn @Cristine Thornton, I do put your god in the same category as other gods because there is equal evidence for all of them: none. I am not replacing gods with science because they are completely different things. Gods require faith because there is no evidence. Scientific study needs no faith because there is evidence. What happens when I die? I don't know that any more than you know that, but I imagine that, yes, it's nothing. I've already been not-alive, and so have you. 100 years after I am dead will feel exactly like it was 100 years before I was born. This doesn't bother me at all, but it does make me value this life all the more for it. Doesn't it cheapen your time here on Earth if you say it's just the stepping stone to the "real" life in Heaven? I cannot imagine why you were sad and lonely during your supposed time as an atheist, as I'm not at all sad or lonely (unless there is something specifically sad or lonely to think about...like thinking about homeless puppies). I find plenty of joy in life, and it is made all the sweeter because I know that this is the only life that we are given.
    • Jocelyn Harrington Jeremy, don't you know that you can't be good without god? People cannot POSSIBLY have morals without being religious. Obviously. I mean, look at me! I am an atheist, I have denounced my faith and what do I have to live for? I have two amazingly well-behaved kids, a husband who fights for this country and would give his life for it, a full-time job in which I support developmentally disabled adults in ALL aspects of their lives, I give to charities and food banks even though I have very little to give, I participate in charity fundraisers and I help out my family whenever I can. It is very apparent, or should be, that I am a corrupt and immoral human being. Because I don't believe in ONE of the many gods that humans created.
    • Jeremy R. Cort jocelyn.... you should be drawn and quartered for these abhorrent socialist atrocities.. are you even american anymore?

      lol i can spell abhorrent correctly but not drwn, er drawn! hahahah
    • Jeremy R. Cort damnit Jamie M. Franklin Dacyczyn.. homeless puppies.. now im all weepy over here... i like what you wrote tho. you hit the nail on the head.
    • Bradie Castonguay I too am raising my child not to believe there is a "higher being". He is encouraged to THINK for himself. When he asks questions I answer them and offer to take him to church. If more people were open to learning about other cultures, without judgement, maybe we could all get along better. Lets look towards the future. Think globally. Our children NEED to be accepting in order to succeed in a diverse world. 

      And please, I know you mean well, but don't pray for me. I am a good person who doesn't need a God to behave. Save your prayers for pedophiles, rapists, and murderers. It kind of irritates me when people pray for non-believers. I dont go home at night and hope that you lose your faith so please dont pray that I start to think like you.
      Yesterday at 9:58am via mobile · Like · 4
    • Bradie Castonguay Omg! Homeless puppies are no where near as sad as old dogs that nobody will take home. :( I volunteer at our area Humane Society almost daily. Because Im a heathebn
    • Jamie M. Franklin Dacyczyn Someday when I am a billionaire, I will have a retirement home for old dogs. :(
    • Stacey Blair "Free thinkers, J; you stated; "we primarily get together to discuss what sort of charitable activities we can do together". That is the "primary" intent of the meeting? You might want to share that with the rest of the group, surely if that was the "primary purpose" of forming the group, it would have been specified as the seperation and Science was.
    • Jocelyn Harrington Attend the meetings. It's very obvious to those who attend or bother to ask what we do. However, if someone asks, "hey- what goes on at these meetings?" And we tell them, they don't continue to display doubt, as though we have some underlying agenda. This isn't church. We aren't trying to convert or indoctrinate people.
      22 hours ago via mobile · Like · 2
    • Stacey Blair My beliefs are not threatened by any of you who choose not to believe. I, as a Christian, am charged with spreading the word of Jesus Christ (Go God !) I do not beleive that if 100 Christians showed up at your meeting and together as a group we sat down to "set the agenda or focus" that many of you would stay.
    • Atheists of Maine Actually let me clear things up. No. 100 Christians would not be welcome. What!? How can that be! Well, 100 people in general wouldn't be welcome because the room we're using is only fit to hold 20 or so folks. BUT. Kidding aside, anyone is welcome to sit in to see what we talk about, what our goals are, why we are the way we are and how we view the world. 

      Sure we bring up believers and the negativity they cast on me and people like me. But we also bring up other believers that are accepting of who we are (My grandmother for example) and really only want the world to fit us in to the vast equation that is the human population. We're not about killing off religions. We're about living peacefully among them. We're about charity. We're about altruism. We're about amicable coexistence. 

      I created this group in the first place because I realized how alone some atheists may feel. Since "believing in God" seems to be the norm, anyone who doesn't feel the same way may be uncomfortable or alienated from the rest of society because it just doesn't make sense to them. 

      I do not care who you whisper to in private. I do not care how you live your life. All I ask is that you do the same for me. Respect my rights as a human and I'll respect yours. That's all it really boils down to. We'll show you that we can be trusted and are more plentiful than you think. I hold doors for people frequently. I donate time and money often. I'm a kind and loving father. I work hard and own my own business. I'm atheist. But really, atheist is just a silly label. Do we name people who don't have mustaches? Nope. We want to be loved and accepted by society. Don't force us to abide by your religion and your rules. that's silly and unfair. 

      I rambled. But we're being good because we can. We have the resources to do so, so we are. We don't raise funds for profit; I don't make a dime off of this. I'll never make a living (and don't want to) by helping run this organization. I'll spend (and have spent) hundreds of man hours for the soul purpose of helping human kind move forward. It's up to the religious to accept that and help the same cause, or to fight against change to the detriment of society.
      22 hours ago · Like · 5
    • Jeremy R. Cort well said. and fyi stacey. all the thinkers i know would NOT get up in a huff and leave if a bunch of christians showed up to the meeting. as far as i know we are all more grown up and mature than that.
      22 hours ago · Like · 1
    • Stacey Blair See Ryan, we are very much he same.... But here is the diference, I do not bring legal action, after legal action, against you to stop you from showing your lack of faith. I do not pick out certain days of the year which you may hold important to your...See More
    • Stacey Blair You espouse all the good about human nature while accepting your retarded thinking about what drives humans to do good. I am certain, that each and everyone of you has or will, at some point in your lives, asked for and receive God's help. You mention that "I created this group in the first place because I realized how alone some atheists may feel. Since "believing in God" seems to be the norm, anyone who doesn't feel the same way may be uncomfortable or alienated from the rest of society because it just doesn't make sense to them." That being the case, would you not first look inward as to why it was not making sense to you? You fail to understand the concept so you abandon it, in search of something easier to understand or abide by?
    • 21 hours ago · Like · 1
    • Jeremy R. Cort anyone else notice only the "christians" are resorting to defamation?
    • Jeremy R. Cort please educate yourselves... 

      http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2010/10/obama_signs_rosas_law_mental_r.html
      Obama signs "Rosa's Law;" "mental retardation" out, "intellectual disability" in - Lynn Sweet
      blogs.suntimes.com
      WASHINGTON--President Obama signed a law Tuesday mandating Federal statutes will no longer use the term
    • Stacey Blair It is what is refered to as "being lost". Don't worry, we have all been lost at some point in our lives, it is a purely a human condition. Religion is not science, it is much more than when this happened or that happened. Its premise does not change with every new scientific discovery or abandonment of scientific theory. I will not convince you to accept God into your heart. However, I have fufilled my tenant as a Christian to let you know that he his there and will listen for you. May God bless you.
    • Stacey Blair Ok, Jeremy, you talk with your girlfriend on facebook whild she is sitting beside you, that's pathetic ! Secondly, if you actually knew what retarded meant, you would note that the term was used correctly. Third, at no time did I resort to "defamation". There is a difference between stating and opposing opinion and simply defaming a person because of theirs.
    • Atheists of Maine Alright, Stacey. Calling anyone "retarded" or name calling in general won't be tolerated. Do it again and you'll be banned from posting.
      21 hours ago · Like · 1
    • Leila Benoit 1) No one chooses atheism because it is easy; it's not easy. 2) Using the word "retarded" to defame people is incredibly offensive and hurtful to people who actually are mentally handicapped in some way. A couple people in this post have already mentioned that and yet here you are, still using a very hurtful word. Please stop. 3) Yes, Christians have in the past and continue to make life hard for atheists. Um, look at history. Atheists have been tortured and executed for their lack of belief until fairly recently. Also, it is still illegal in some states for atheists to hold public office of any kind. So, yeah. Those are just a couple of offenses Christians have committed against atheists. There are thousands more but I need to leave soon to buy groceries. :) 4) Your last three or four sentences. Wow. There is so much there to pick apart but again, I don't have the time right now. Let's see, believing in God is "the norm," yes... in THIS country. Look around the world and you see religion is dying out and societies are becoming more responsible and healthy as a result. There is a lot of evidence to support my statements on this so before you respond you may want to do some research. The US is one of the last countries to cling so hard to religion. Furthermore, it is completely appropriate to form communities to get together and support each other when our larger communities are so combative toward us. And by the way, no one is an atheist because they "don't understand the concept" of God or religion. We didn't "abandon" God in search of something easier. I have been a Christian, and it was lots easier than being an atheist. As a Christian, I had validation and support everywhere I turned. As an atheist, people call me "retarded" and "lost" and "evil" and "demented" and even the antichrist. They tell me I'm going to hell. They tell me I will damn children to hell if I have any influence over them. Trust me; being an atheist is hard and can be lonely; but it's not lonely because of itself; it's lonely because of the way religious people treat us. I shouldn't have to "look inward" and change because of the way someone else treats me. It's their problem, not mine. They should be the ones to change how they treat others. I'm not obligated to mold myself into whatever makes you comfy. But ya know what? All the thoughtless assumptions you make about atheism don't bother me. Your arguments are so naive and childish that they don't hurt my feelings, and they shouldn't. I shouldn't be offended by your comments anymore than I should be offended if a child screamed "I HATE YOU!" at me. Because you can't expect someone on that childish level to have a meaningful grasp of any of this. What is offensive though, is your use of the word "retarded" and I would hope that you would think about how using that word (the original meaning of the word notwithstanding) looks to other people and how it can be quite hurtful. I thought about it and it's not a word I use anymore. Oh, and lol - I think it's funny that you insist you have not defamed anyone while calling my boyfriend "pathetic." lol
      21 hours ago · Like · 1
    • Jeremy R. Cort would you care to share anymore of "gods love" with us?
      21 hours ago · Like · 2
    • Jeremy R. Cort also.. i have a few family members that are intellectually disabled...
      21 hours ago · Like · 2
    • Jamie M. Franklin Dacyczyn Whoa whoa, got easy on this guy. He's one of my sergeants. :)
    • Atheists of Maine (And legal action is only brought when our 1st amendment rights are being encroached. The government and government run/sponsored programs should not in any way endorse religion. It needs to be secular.)
      21 hours ago · Like · 2
    • Leila Benoit Ok off to buy groceries and do some Christmas shopping with my life partner. :D Because ohhhh noooooes we still celebrate Christmas but if we run into you on the street we say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas," because we have to undermine it every chance we get, you know, because of the war. On Christmas. I didn't know we atheists were at war with Christmas but Fox News said it so it must be true.
      21 hours ago · Like · 1
    • Atheists of Maine Way to go Jeremy. Look at what you did. Ask to bring your 14 year old to a simple meeting next thing you know people are trying to "save" us! But like Leila I am also off to do immoral things like, pick my son up from school and pay my bills on time.
      20 hours ago · Like · 2
    • Jeremy R. Cort jamie i meant no disrespect. stacey volunteered their criticisms... and we responded.
    • Jamie M. Franklin Dacyczyn Haha, I know. I've gotten into plenty of religious debates with him Facebook, and we still work together fine. :)
      20 hours ago · Like · 1
    • Jeremy R. Cort lol.. well i will bring all 3 of our craven minds to the meeting for sure. I MAY EVEN DONATE NOW!!! lastly.... can any of the "christians" here explain why there is no mention of other climates in the bible? i mean... where is the snow? or the rain forest? yeesh.
    • Jeremy R. Cort .... for a god who wants me to love him so much ... he / it goes through a lot of trouble to keep himself hidden...
    • Jocelyn Harrington My husband is also a foxhole atheist. He deals with this nonsense all the time.
    • Victoria Watkins Retarded - "the act of delaying." Praise be to God.
    • Michael Hawkins And, lo, the Lord did say, "He who hath doubted me is not only a fool, but too is he retarded." And, hail, Jesus did that thing kids do with their hands against their chests to indicate retardation. Later, some bears attacked a bald guy for some reason, but the Lord doth digress.

      ~KJV, somewhere in the back
      20 hours ago · Like · 3
    • Jocelyn Harrington The Supreme Leader has spoken. Amen.
      19 hours ago via mobile · Like · 2
    • Jeremy R. Cort Victoria, 

      http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retarded
      Retarded - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary
      www.merriam-webster.com
      Definition of retarded from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary with audio pronunciations, thesaurus, Word of the Day, and word games.
    • Jeremy R. Cort regardless of the definition it is not appropriate to use. no more than the "n" word...
    • Andrew Baca Wow. I came in late to this thread. It looks like Stacey has a lot of anger directed at Atheism. I guess this means it's a really good idea we belong to this club.
    • Rachelle Hartley Cass FYI Jeremy R. Cort we aren't family... we were never family. As for saying hi, well when I said hi to you at the church supper a while back you couldn't be bothered to answer hi, so here is as good a place as any. Marry someone who is related doesn't make us family, we used to be friends then life moved on and you were to busy being you to be my friend. As for how old I am gee let me see 38, any other weird questions. And I was using the word "Retard" as a slang for "Queer" do you need a definition on that?
    • Jeremy R. Cort yeesh... where to begin... rachelle, sorry you feel that way. I, well... wow..... 

      1) im sorry you are so angry at me.
      2) im sorry i ignored you at the thanksgiving dinner at the church last year. i don't do well with huge crowds anymore... a lot has changed since my time in the service.
      3) you can keep the "christian love" you are showing me by calling me "retard" and "queer" you use of the "r" word is offensive to the people who have intellectual disabilities. many intellectually disabled people cannot defend themselves against defamation. when you use those words you are bullying... that's bad... and if you want to think of me as queer that's cool. because there is nothing wrong with it.
      4) as for me not making strides to keep in touch or forge a strong friendship with you, it takes two to forge a bond. you could have called or visited.
      5) last thing here. if you had called or visited, you would have seen the while i was "too busy being me" i was dealing with a host of problems in my life. problems that "being a christian" amplified 100 fold.

      take your misplaced anger toward me and please direct it at someone else. you never made an effort to get to know me so don't pop up here to ridicule and belittle me over choices i have made that hurt no one.
Posted by at 8:52 AM

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