Secular convocation news, again

It’s been a few weeks since the secular convocation at the UofA issue was in the news, but now we’ve got some more recent hits.

U of A committee recommends change to convocation ceremony – Edmonton
God keeps spot in U of A grad address – Edmonton
God may get smaller role in U of A ceremony – National
God may get smaller role in U of A ceremony – Saskatoon
God may get smaller role in U of A ceremony – Regina
University may have found a divine solution – Edmonton
Atheist students want God out of speech – International
Atheist students want God out of speech – Internet
Atheist students want God out of speech – International/Internet?
The Getaway – Campus, joke issue of the Gateway, we have inspired satirical numerous articles
Atheist Students Want God Out Of Speech – Internet
University may have found a divine solution – Lloydminster
Proposed change would keep God in university’s convocation address – Waterloo
God good bet to remain in University of Alberta convocations – St. Catherine’s
Group loses bid to oust God from convocation – Sault St. Marie, ON

The American ‘left’ to cut spending?

Again, showing that neo-cons have no economic knowledge, Obama has announced that to try to afford these giant bailouts, he will be instituting a series of spending cuts across the board.

Want something that doesn’t really need funding in the USA?

The White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives eats a whopping $2 billion for prostylization of the disadvantaged.

It’s not on the order of the $1 trillion dollar deficit he’s faced with, but every little bit counts.

Actually, my serious hope is that research, education, and health care don’t feel any pressure in the USA (except perhaps the school voucher scam). It’s not easy to inherit the worst economic situation the US has seen in decades, but hopefully the right action is taken.

The majority can’t decide

I agree completely with Sarah Stead from last week’s Gateway.

Specifically, I appreciated this quote:

Any time you ask a majority of people to vote on the rights of a minority, especially when religion is involved, the minority doesn’t stand a chance.

Continue reading The majority can’t decide

Still not getting it…

So this letter came out in the Journal on Saturday, but I still feel the need to address it as it mirrors some of the the responses I’ve gotten.

Any old God will do in ‘tolerant’ society

As I watched the ceremonies for Remembrance Day I was suddenly struck by the closing statement of the main speech from the podium. “Please pray this to the God of your understanding and according to your belief system.”

Continue reading Still not getting it…

War on Christmas

Atheists shouldn’t be celebrating Christmas they tell me.

Well guess what, neither should Christians.

Remember those Ten Commandments that so proclaim the fundamental basis of Christian morality? Well numbers one and/or two (depending how you count them) are pretty specific about no idols. Hell, the whole story about the Golden Cow sums up the Old Testament God’s feelings on other idols.

So in modern incarnations of Christmas, where celebrators are pseudo-worshipping Santa Claus, the Grinch, Rudolph, Mary, a tree, or even Wal-Mart, perhaps the Christians telling me not to have a Christmas vacation ought to reexamine their own belief systems.

But further than that, what parts of Christmas are even Christian?
Continue reading War on Christmas

I get more mail

This one ranks among my favourite “fan” mail pieces:
Continue reading I get more mail

A letter you likely missed today…

There’s still letters and media hits for the secular convocation issue. But today I wanted to highlight one letter that appeared on the Edmonton Journal’s Online Extras (since the Journal apparently wants to bury the issue).

This letter comes from the Provost himself, Dr. Carl Amrhein:
Continue reading A letter you likely missed today…

‘Fan’ mail

On Friday, two letters (old fashioned snail-mail) arrived for me and the Universit of Alberta Atheists and Agnostics on campus. One ended up successfully in Student Groups Services, the other made it to ECERF somehow and was luckily retrieved for me before the mail staff there could return to sender.

I haven’t drafted responses for them yet, but will do so soon. Regardless, for your reading pleasure, I am transcribing the letters here (I’m going to remove their names, since although they disagree with me, they are polite and tactful, so I respect that).
Continue reading ‘Fan’ mail

My secular convocation speech

I’ve had a few requests to post my GFC Executive Committee speech from the Oct. 27 meeting, so here it is (included is the addendum I submitted to Garry Bodnar after the meeting).
Continue reading My secular convocation speech

Slow and steady progress

First, you can continue to follow any new media hits on my main listing.

Today’s General Faculties Council Executive Committee meeting was encouraging for those of us awaiting an inclusive and secular convocation.

The committee was unanimous in favour of changing the wording of the current charge to something that maintained the idea that degrees should be used to some greater good while recognizing the current charge is “exclusive” and “out dated.”

Their move was to create a subcommittee which is tasked with drafting one or more new charges, gathering opinions on those charges from the University community, and then reporting back the the Executive Committee on Monday, December 1 (likely also at 2:00 PM in a public meeting in University Hall).

GFC Exec will likely then debate the suggestions and pass them to main GFC for January with the suggestion of adopting an alternate wording.
Continue reading Slow and steady progress