Pennsylvania Nonbelievers » Brian http://www.panonbelievers.org Atheists, agnostics, nontheists, humanists and freethinkers Sat, 24 Jul 2010 12:57:48 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 PAN 2010 Atheist/Humanist Riverboat Service Video http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/07/24/pan-2010-atheisthumanist-riverboat-service-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pan-2010-atheisthumanist-riverboat-service-video http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/07/24/pan-2010-atheisthumanist-riverboat-service-video/#comments Sat, 24 Jul 2010 12:57:48 +0000 Brian http://www.panonbelievers.org/?p=1891 Here you all are! The entire, 48 minute PAN 2010 Riverboat Service Video, featuring Doug Diggens and Ernest Perce. Enjoy!

Yes, sometimes just ask, and ye shall receive. When PA Nonbelievers noticed that the nonprofit Pride of the Susquehanna offered a free one-hour cruise each Sunday morning during the summer to a consortium of local Christian churches, we asked for a similar privilege, and the boat operators said yes! Watch the video below!

PAN 2010 Atheist/Humanist Riverboat Service from Brian Fields on Vimeo.

]]> http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/07/24/pan-2010-atheisthumanist-riverboat-service-video/feed/ 1 Photos from the PAN Riverboat Service http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/07/18/photos-from-the-pan-riverboat-service/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=photos-from-the-pan-riverboat-service http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/07/18/photos-from-the-pan-riverboat-service/#comments Mon, 19 Jul 2010 02:36:32 +0000 Brian http://www.panonbelievers.org/?p=1892 Here you go everyone, Photos from the 2010 First Annual PAN Riverboat Service. Thanks to everyone who came out, and thanks to the Riverboat committee and everyone else who made this day happen!

The Pride of the Susquehanna View from the front of the boat Some nonbelievers start queing for the ride... Jane Kelly and Brian Fields start setting up and getting the lay of the land - The Captain comes up to let Carl Silverman on the boat. Eric Wolfe waits patiently for the Boat to load. Brian Fields and Carl Silverman test the sound system. PAN members and guests start filing into their seats A few at a time, at first... Brian Fields takes a program back from a Christian who decided not to join us. He looks unfazed as she condemns him to Hell. View of the Walnut Street Bridge from the boat. Brian welcomes more guests on board and hands out programs. George Zerba also hands out programs and helps to explain who we are to potential guests. George and Brian greet a smiling stranger, who decides not to join us. Another couple decide to join us for the boat ride and see what our service is like. George and Brian talk to some last minute arrivals, who for the most part, also decide not to join us. The lady with the blond hair decides to stay. Mikki Wideman gives the camera a big smile. Rev. Ernest Perce is amongst the last to arrive. Ernest talks with the Captain and George Ernest and Brian pose for a picture just before we are to get under way. The last of the nonbelievers take their seats. 190 - DSC06868 200 - DSC06869 Brian, who played Master of Ceremonies for the day, welcomes everyone and gives some last minute announcements. And then introduces our own "Dastardly" Doug Diggens for the first talk. Doug takes the podium Doug tells us all about his recent hospital trip, and how, like Atheists in Foxholes, he didn't need to rely on a God to get through it. 241 - IMG_5048 Picture of Lori Marrinar and her guest From the top of the boat, things got a little windy and Doug needed to hold onto his notes for dear life. Finally he decided to just wing it and not worry about his notes. :) Rev. Ernest tells us about his background in the Christian Ministry. And continues with a sermon on the importance of activism. 270 - DSC06893 From left to Right, the PAN "choir": Paul Haggard, Jane Kelly (Who wrote the song), Mikki Wideman, Ernest Perce, Doug Diggens, Brian Fields 291 - IMG_5074 Several people sang along with us, as best as you can when the choir has trouble carrying a tune. :) Ernest invited everyone up who wanted to declare their nonbelief to get a certificate. 295 - IMG_5078 The responding line was quite long, as Ernest pronounced as apostate all comers 297 - IMG_5082 300 - DSC06908 301 - IMG_5083 302 - IMG_5084 303 - IMG_5085v 310 - DSC06911 311 - IMG_5086 Sarah Silverman really gets into the spirit of things! 321 - IMG_5089 322 - IMG_5090 330 - DSC06914 Carl takes the shot as Ernest lays hands on him. Paul gets ready to be.. Touched... 333 - IMG_5094 And last, Doug, Jane and Brian rededicate themselves to the cause. 350 - DSC06916 Godless heathens wait for their certificates to get signed. After the ceremonies, we all retreated downstairs to the air conditioning for drinks and conversation. We helped out by carrying chairs down for the riverboat crew. 390 - DSC06921 Ernest signs more certificates for anyone who wants them. 410 - DSC06923 We finally arrive back at the dock. 412 - IMG_5097 Sarah poses for a photo. Brian hunts for people to join us for drinks and lunch after the boat trip. Many of us head over to Flinchey's, a local watering hole. Here's the shot from the other end of the table. A panoramic view towards the rear of the boat. A panoramic view towards the front of the boat.

]]> http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/07/18/photos-from-the-pan-riverboat-service/feed/ 0 World’s First Riverboat Atheist/Humanist Service http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/07/16/worlds-first-riverboat-atheist-service/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=worlds-first-riverboat-atheist-service http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/07/16/worlds-first-riverboat-atheist-service/#comments Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:27:16 +0000 Brian http://www.panonbelievers.org/?p=1888 Pride of the Susquehanna Dock TIME: 10:15am (Ride from 10:30am to 11:30am) Yes, sometimes just ask, and ye shall receive. When PA Nonbelievers noticed that the nonprofit Pride of the Susquehanna offered a free one-hour cruise each Sunday morning during the summer to a consortium of local Christian churches, [...]]]> LOCATION: City Island, Harrisburg, PA -> Pride of the Susquehanna Dock
TIME: 10:15am (Ride from 10:30am to 11:30am)

Yes, sometimes just ask, and ye shall receive. When PA Nonbelievers noticed that the nonprofit Pride of the Susquehanna offered a free one-hour cruise each Sunday morning during the summer to a consortium of local Christian churches, we asked for a similar privilege, and the boat operators said yes!

COME EARLY. The boat leaves at exactly 10:30am, and there are no reservations, so please arrive by 10:15 in order to ensure a seat. Additionally, space on the boat is first come, first serve.

If the weather is nice, pack a lunch (but leave it in your car for later…no outside food or drink allowed on the boat) and we’ll eat on City Island. If the weather is rainy, we’ll go to a nearby sub shop for eats.

Anyone interested in baseball is welcome to stay for a 2pm game between the Harrisburg Senators and the Altoona Curve at the City Island stadium.

]]> http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/07/16/worlds-first-riverboat-atheist-service/feed/ 0 The Free Thought Forum (June 22, 2010) http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/07/06/the-free-thought-forum-june-22-2010/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-free-thought-forum-june-22-2010 http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/07/06/the-free-thought-forum-june-22-2010/#comments Tue, 06 Jul 2010 20:39:08 +0000 Brian http://www.panonbelievers.org/?p=1879 FTF_20100622

Pennsylvania Nonbelievers presents the June 22, 2010 episode of “The Free Thought Forum”, our monthly cable-access TV show. Featuring Steve Neubauer and Liz Burcin.


]]> http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/07/06/the-free-thought-forum-june-22-2010/feed/ 0 Photos from the 2010 PAN Lancaster Pride Day Booth http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/06/23/photos-from-the-2010-pan-lancaster-pride-day-booth/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=photos-from-the-2010-pan-lancaster-pride-day-booth http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/06/23/photos-from-the-2010-pan-lancaster-pride-day-booth/#comments Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:12:12 +0000 Brian http://www.panonbelievers.org/?p=1839 Here’s some of our pictures from the 2010 Pride Day Event in Lancaster. Thanks to Katie Haas for taking these photos!

Doug and Jane sorting through our materials Wandering crowd starts coming by to check us out Our 2010 Booth Crew: Left to right - Matt Juba, Li, Jane Kelly, Don Zook, Not Shown - Katie Haas, Doug Diggens Li and Jane "de-god" the money Don stands with the crowd looking at our stickers Jane peeks through the gathering of people to give us a smile Don and Matt pose for the camera ]]> http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/06/23/photos-from-the-2010-pan-lancaster-pride-day-booth/feed/ 0 Photos from the 2010 PAN Jubilee Day Booth http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/06/18/photos-from-the-2010-pan-jubilee-day-booth/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=photos-from-the-2010-pan-jubilee-day-booth http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/06/18/photos-from-the-2010-pan-jubilee-day-booth/#comments Sat, 19 Jun 2010 02:49:41 +0000 Brian http://www.panonbelievers.org/?p=1814 Here’s some of our pictures from the 2010 Jubilee Day in Mechanicsburg. We all had a fantastic time, thanks to everyone who stopped by to show their support, and especially those who stayed to work at the booth.

Morning Setup Crew - Left to right: Bob Young, Paul Duryea Afternoon crew - Left to right: Carl Silverman, Shannon Fields (rear), Brian Fields, Doug Diggens, Li Waiting for Jubilee Day to start! Li just showed up, welcoming him to the booth. Taking advantage of a break in the crowd to get a full booth shot. A shot of our lovely bumperstickers - Correction: Bumper Magnets! Closeup Around 1pm or so, the crowd was still gathering. A few Christians drop by to "discuss" our bumperstickers. Former Charismatic Minister Ernest Perce drops by our booth to chat with believers. Crowds started to gather. We ran out of stock of our magnets by the end of the day. Christian lays hands on Rev. Perce Crowds REALLY start getting thick Starts getting hard to see through the gathered bystanders... Shannon Fields uses a megaphone to draw in people. Her brother Ian helps with finding stickers for people. More bystanders - We had quite a few supporters drop by. If I recall correctly, this gentleman wasn't too happy with us. Nor was this one, but didn't have much to contribute other than condeming us to hell. All in a day's work! However, he was outnumbered by our supporters. This is the guy who covered his face, finally allowing us to take his picture. We feel sorry for these children, who apparently were taught to minister to nonbelievers with scripted lines. We took some time to chat with them and countered all of their arguments, however, our arguments fell on deaf ears.

]]> http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/06/18/photos-from-the-2010-pan-jubilee-day-booth/feed/ 1 Correction http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/06/12/correction/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=correction http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/06/12/correction/#comments Sat, 12 Jun 2010 23:33:34 +0000 Brian http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/06/12/correction/ Our PAN Solstice Picnic is on June 26, not June 19. Apologies, my fault.

Your friendly neighborhood webmaster

]]> http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/06/12/correction/feed/ 0 June/July PANViews is now in the Library http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/06/11/junejuly-panviews-is-now-in-the-library/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=junejuly-panviews-is-now-in-the-library http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/06/11/junejuly-panviews-is-now-in-the-library/#comments Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:09:35 +0000 Brian http://www.panonbelievers.org/?p=1806 Priscilla Oppenheimer reports on her own history in Why was God So Silent, So Absent?, Clifford Crain, Jr., reviews Decoding the Language of God: Can a Scientist Really Be a Believer?. We reprint letters to the editor from Steve Neubauer and Carl Silverman. Also: PAN Summer Solstice Party: June 26 – Contact us for more information!

You can download and read more here.

]]> http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/06/11/junejuly-panviews-is-now-in-the-library/feed/ 0 Please Help! http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/06/04/please-help/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=please-help http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/06/04/please-help/#comments Fri, 04 Jun 2010 17:12:24 +0000 Brian http://www.panonbelievers.org/?p=1793 As an organization, we’ve had several people contribute time and money to running our various events. Our participation in parade and street fair events, educational and organizational meetings, our involvement in various charity events, and our annual group parties, picnics and other fund raisers, have all been huge successes because of these contributions by our members.

However, running a growing organization sometimes takes more. Over the next few months, we will be starting up various committees to assist the board in some of the more routine, but necessary, tasks that don’t get a lot of press. Things like organizing the budget, doing the legwork to organize our events, composing our newsletter, producing our TV programs, maintaining membership and mailing lists, taking inventory and ordering our sale items, banners, tents and other equipment all require a large amount of time, and our board needs help from our membership to make these things work. If you have the time and/or ability to work in these areas, please let us know. You can approach any of our board members privately if you like, or contact us through the website here.

If you don’t have ready access to a board member, please let us know here:

http://www.panonbelievers.org/contact

Thanks, once again, to all of you who have put in your own time and money to help us with our projects we’ve done so far, and thank you to all of those who continue to make our organization what it is!

Brian Fields
Webmaster/Cumberland Valley Director
PA Nonbelievers, Inc.
http://www.panonbelievers.org

]]> http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/06/04/please-help/feed/ 0 The Free Thought Forum (May 25, 2010) http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/06/03/the-free-thought-forum-may-25-2010/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-free-thought-forum-may-25-2010 http://www.panonbelievers.org/2010/06/03/the-free-thought-forum-may-25-2010/#comments Thu, 03 Jun 2010 19:28:05 +0000 Brian http://www.panonbelievers.org/?p=1784 FTF_20100525

Pennsylvania Nonbelievers presents the May 25, 2010 episode of “The Free Thought Forum”, our monthly cable-access TV show. Featuring Doug Diggens and Liz Burcin.


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