ACA Lecture SeriesDr. James Dee: The Second Wave of Secular Humanism: How Scholarship Undermines Religion2010-09-12A provocative exploration of ways in which the initial thrust of the "New Atheists" can be expanded and multiplied, using the research of fully competent scholars in a range of disciplines. His talk will focus on the ways in which secular humanism can and should enlist "allies" in the perpetual conflict with irrational religious beliefs - allies whose academic and scholarly credentials are beyond dispute and whose opinions, not always widely publicized, offer powerful support for "our side." James H. Dee received an AB in Comparative Literature from the University of Rochester and a PhD in Classical Languages and Literature from the University of Texas; he retired in 1999 after a quarter-century in the Classics Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago and has a non-monetary appointment as Visiting Scholar in the Classics Department of the University of Texas. He's written 9 books in the field of Classics (all tedious reference works), has held 2 National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowships, and--more relevant to our concerns--has had 30 op-eds published in the Austin American-Statesman, 18 of which were outspokenly secular humanist in nature. An essay on (i.e. against) The Resurrection, which ran during Easter Week in 2005, is among the most controversial pieces ever printed in that paper. The ACA Lecture Series is a monthly event in Austin, Texas geared at a non-atheist audience. Lectures are generally free and open to the public.. The ACA Lecture Series is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.
The Atheist Experience is a weekly cable access television show in Austin, Texas geared at a non-atheist audience. The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals. DVDs of the Atheist Experience can be purchased via atheist-community.org/products. More shows and media types can be found in our archive and our fan page.
