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.

The goal of the C.I.C. is to cultivate opportunities for PAN members to become, as a unified group, contributors to the well-being and betterment of our communities. Although in its infancy, the C.I.C.  is looking to actively seek out other organizations, groups or non-profits that could use a little extra help from the coordinated efforts of some good atheists, agnostics and non-believers. We will attempt to schedule regular meetings that will consist of sharing ideas, collaborating on projects, delegating responsibilities and strengthening friendships.

Who is the C.I.C. for?

Really for anyone who wants to join. While we are expected to coordinate and implement the outreach projects, we would gladly accept the opportunity for any of our PAN members to get involved. The more people we have the more we can do!  We would also appreciate any great ideas that any members have in regards to charity. We want your input! The only thing required is to take this commitment seriously and above all, have fun!

In closing, I,would like to thank those who have helped bringing this very important program to fruition. More than that I, on behalf of the C.I.C., want to thank all of those who are going to help in the future. This takes valuable time away from friends and family. But remember, the greatest gift to ourselves is giving to others.

Thanks,

The Community Involvement Committee.

Click here to see the new page…

We ask that you make an effort to arrive by 6:45pm so that we can complete meal ordering by 7pm when we hope to promptly start the meeting. As usual, dress is casual. Seating is limited, but overflow seating, if needed, may be offered.

Sen. Vance will speak about current issues in state government. Her special area of interest is health care, having been a registered nurse prior to entering politics. She serves as chair of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, and is also a member of the Appropriations, Banking and Insurance, Communications and Technology, and Finance committees. [It should be noted that Sen. Vance is not up for re-election until 2012. PA Nonbelievers does not involve itself in elections or partisan politics.]

We encourage you to prepare some questions to ask Sen. Vance at the meeting. If you care to submit any questions in advance (and in anonymity), please send them to us and we will forward them to Sen. Vance’s office this Thursday. It would be very helpful (but not absolutely necessary) if you would let us know if you will definitely be attending, so that we can set up sufficient seating.

For directions, please contact us here.

PAN Member faces hidden as we didn’t obtain their permission to be photographed.

Apparently this is a well-known area team who protest anything they find to be anti-Christian, and the community is well aware of these people. In the midst of this meeting, we noticed a gentleman outside arguing with the Jarboes, and when he came into the restaurant, he started to vent a bit inside about the inanity of the protesters. He assumed that there was some kind of Christian meeting going on inside, he didn’t realize they were protesting US. When we explained who we were, he calmed down tremendously, and chatted with us a bit while waiting for his food – Turns out he was just a random non-believer just like the rest of us, and stumbled onto our meeting! The look on his face was great, it was almost out of a situational comedy script!

If anyone in the Lebanon area would like to join us at our next meeting, please contact us here.

Our Harrisburg meetings are located in Lemoyne, PA on the second Thursday of the month at a local restaurant, from 7pm to 9pm. For specific location, please contact us here.

Our Chambersburg meetings are located in Chambersburg, PA on the third Monday of the month at a local restaurant, from 7pm to 9:30pm. For specific location, please contact us here.

Our Reading meetings are located in Wyomissing, PA at a local coffee shop, from 1pm to 3pm. We are still nailing down the specifics as to when they will be normally happening. Our next meeting is on February 21st. For specific location, please contact us here.

Our Lebanon meetings are located in Lebanon, PA at a local restaurant, from 7pm to 9pm. We are still nailing down the specifics as to when they will be normally happening. Our next meeting is on January 21st. For specific location, please contact us here.

Religion
Section 4.

No person who acknowledges the being of a God and a future state of rewards and punishments shall, on account of his religious sentiments, be disqualified to hold any office or place of trust or profit under this Commonwealth.

From: http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Constitution.html

Anyone want to try this law out? We could use some fine, moral folks in the Capital these days…

The thing that mystifies me the most about the Chambersburg debacle is that Christians are acting the same way that they accuse atheists of acting, but are totally oblivious to that fact. I am sure that every person that has expressed a wish for harm to befall Carl and the other members of PAN, can justify the sentiment by what they perceive as a non-forgivable crime against them, God, Jesus and heaven itself.

Not once do they ever reflect on if any “sin” has actually, even been committed. The Christians have a lynch mob mentality that blinds them to facts, forgiveness, love or what they would have considered Christian virtues and morals before they got so damn riled up.

Christian philosophy dictates that to be a true Christian, you must have Jesus in your heart and mind at all times.  It seems to me that the Chambersburg Christians have substituted a cold hard plaster doll for what they should have inside them. Note how easy it was for the Borough Council to Pick-Pocket Jesus from the steadfast people and replace it with a lifeless figurine.

So much for the strength of Christianity, that can be felled by a plaster doll.

The residents of Chambersburg, and for that matter everyone that has responded with such vitriol, to examine what is beating inside their chest and note the hollow empty sound their ticker is making.

Doug.