Mid-Michigan Atheists and Humanists If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it's still a foolish thing - Bertrand Russell

• Home
• Atheist links
• Essays
• Events
• Humanist
• Letters
• Market
• National
• News
• Photos
• Quotes
• Videos
• Global Warming
• Member links

Mission:

Mid-Michigan Atheists and Humanists is a social, educational, non-profit, proactive organization dedicated to protect the welfare of society by defending the wall of separation of church and state. We monitor ongoing political events and provide information to our membership when we observe a breach forming in that wall. We write letters to the editors and legislators. We hold protests and initiate legal actions when necessary.

Our membership is open to all who share the ideals of our organization. That being defending the wall of separation of church and state and protecting our first amendment rights.

06/19/09 Next meeting posted. Neal 05/28/09 Interesting case. Jim Valentine, who I believe used to be associated with MMAH, is involved in an American Atheist lawsuit in KY. He is looking for any atheists who have the time to take a ride out there and show support for this separation of Church and State issue. Details of the complaint can be found here: http://www.atheists.org/upload/aavky.pdf Neal 05/27/09 Woohoo!! There will be a meeting this month! So late in the month didn't think it was going to happen. =) Anyway, if you haven't made plans for the weekend, be there. I will post in events, you can also find it here: http://atheists.meetup.com/453/ Notice that we have a new venue for the meeting. New blog post if anyone cares: http://mid-michiganatheistshumanists.blogspot.com /2009/05/i-want-fucking-burger-with-my-atheism.html or: http://www.thinkatheist.com/profiles/blogs/ i-want-a-fucking-burger-with Hope everyone has an awesome summer. Neal 05/16/09 Nice to finally have the time to start updating the site. Will be changing the theme of the website over the next few weeks constantly until I get a look that the group enjoys. If anyone is really attached to the old look, not a problem going back to that theme. Have started blogging on atheism, if anyone is interested or would like to be a guest blogger let me know. The blog is at: http://mid-michiganatheistshumanists. blogspot.com/ Have also been experimenting with different social networks, we have a group spot on "Think Atheist" at: http://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/ MidMichiganAtheistsHumanists and my personal one at: http://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Neal Heck, I've been everywhere, grabbed a name for us on twitter: http://twitter.com/MidMiAtheist and my personal one: http://twitter.com/Freethinking09. Those are profiles, you need to start an account with twitter if interested. After you get yourself logged in you can "follow" the MidMiAtheist or Freethinking09. No meeting to post yet, hopefully soon. Hate waiting to the last minute before that data becomes available, especially since I am always in the dog house for not posting the meeting. You all know the drill, it will be the last Sunday of the month. Neal 04/26/2009 Busy guy, my apologies to all as usual. Have been distracted by being pushed into early retirement. Have been meeting with congressmen, lawyers, union and keeping a blog updated while the union was canvassing to represent the workers at my previous work place. Vote is done, union won. A happy guy I am. I will be able to spend more of my time updating our sites and adding more features. Next meeting is tonight at the Nuthouse. I am familiar with the venue, should be nice. Weekend easier to find parking, which is the only problem with this location. Will post in Events on this site, also published on Meetup at http://atheists.meetup.com/453/ Neal 02/20/2009 Well, didn't post the January meeting. We did have one though. February meeting is now posted. Neal 11/25/2008 Last meeting of the year now posted. Neal 10/24/2008 Next meeting posted. Neal 09/24/2008 Next meeting posted. Neal 08/19/2008 Next meeting posted. Neal 07/21/2008 Next meeting posted. Technical difficulties, just back on line. Neal 05/14/2008 Due to popular demand; Meetings will be, once again, posted on this site. Meetings are posted in events. Neal 03/29/2008 Next meeting not posted. Slacker I am. Didn't post last months meeting, just getting to tomorrow's. Meetings published on the Meetup site, not sure if useful to publish here. http://atheists.meetup.com/453/calendar/7536027/ Neal 01/16/2008 Next meeting posted. The Rational Response debate is posted under atheist videos if anyone wants a sneak preview. Another excellent debate on nightline also posted. Neal 01/09/2008 Back from vacation. Removed the rant and replaced it with one of our members thoughts on atheism Atheism means Freedom Free from ancient mythologies Free from fearful superstitions and curses Free from the shackles of repetitious rituals No more antiquated books of fables No sky fairy looking down upon me No wrath of a jealous god watching me Harshly judging me ready to condemn me ready to torture me ready to cast me into the eternal lake of fire I am free from fear Free from the fear of a supernatural world occupied by devils and demons Free from the blindness of faith I hold the power and control This is my destiny my decisions my choice my life Free to think to question to inquire to discover Free to be real Most importantly I am free to be ME! Enjoy the New Year. Neal 10/18/2007 Hello once again, Next meeting posted. Blog site is useable, will start posting as time allows. Also added a page on Global warming, Have the facts before the next meeting. Neal 9/07/2007 Hi all, Next meeting is posted. This is the address of another Mid Michigan Atheists and Humanists site set up by one of our members.(Disregard, doesn't work. Different address, will post). You can sign up for group emails on the yahoo site, the meetup.com site, or both. Neal 08/15/2007 Next meeting posted. 08/12/2007 Back in the saddle again... My apologies for not keeping the site updated, busy guy once in a while. This week will be updating. New content and links will be added. Changing servers in the next couple of weeks. Blogs and podcasts will be added after the switch. Anyone wishing to have their thoughts published, please email me. Neal 05/30/2007 Next meeting posted. Back from Virginia, will be updating the site over the next week, any suggestions you have, send them in. 05/19/2007 Next meeting posted. 04/28/2007 Next meeting posted. 03/23/2007 Next meeting posted. 02/11/2007 Next meeting posted. New letters from our religious friends. 01/10/2007 As you can tell, the site is being updated. Next meeting posted in events. Check out John Bice's blog for updates on his new book. 12/08/2006 Solstice celebration posted Behind in updating the site, hopefully this weekend. 10/13/2006 Meeting time again. Posted in events. New letters from the local yokels. 09/14/2006 Hi all, Next meeting posted, see you all there. 08/21/2006 Next meeting posted. 07/27/2006 Updates, Group photo located on the Photos page Essay page ready for your input Media page deleted Neal 07/20/2006 Updates, Next meeting posted in events. Essay page for those who would like to express their thoughts. Neal

Welcome! For those who know that the separation of church and state is constitutional, that science is not faith, that reason does prevail in moral debate - you’ve found friends. Video of the week. Places to explore.

Carl Sagan The following are suggested as tools for testing arguments and detecting fallacious or fraudulent arguments: * Wherever possible there must be independent confirmation of the facts * Encourage substantive debate on the evidence by knowledgeable proponents of all points of view. * Arguments from authority carry little weight (in science there are no "authorities"). * Spin more than one hypothesis - don't simply run with the first idea that caught your fancy. * Try not to get overly attached to a hypothesis just because it's yours. * Quantify, wherever possible. * If there is a chain of argument every link in the chain must work. * "Occam's razor" - if there are two hypothesis that explain the data equally well choose the simpler. * Ask whether the hypothesis can, at least in principle, be falsified (shown to be false by some unambiguous test). In other words, it is testable? Can others duplicate the experiment and get the same result? Additional issues are * Conduct control experiments - especially "double blind" experiments where the person taking measurements is not aware of the test and control subjects. * Check for confounding factors - separate the variables. Common fallacies of logic and rhetoric * Ad hominem - attacking the arguer and not the argument. * Argument from "authority". * Argument from adverse consequences (putting pressure on the decision maker by pointing out dire consequences of an "unfavourable" decision). * Appeal to ignorance (absence of evidence is not evidence of absence). * Special pleading (typically referring to god's will). * Begging the question (assuming an answer in the way the question is phrased). * Observational selection (counting the hits and forgetting the misses). * Statistics of small numbers (such as drawing conclusions from inadequate sample sizes). * Misunderstanding the nature of statistics (President Eisenhower expressing astonishment and alarm on discovering that fully half of all Americans have below average intelligence!) * Inconsistency (e.g. military expenditures based on worst case scenarios but scientific projections on environmental dangers thriftily ignored because they are not "proved"). * Non sequitur - "it does not follow" - the logic falls down. * Post hoc, ergo propter hoc - "it happened after so it was caused by" - confusion of cause and effect. * Meaningless question ("what happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object?). * Excluded middle - considering only the two extremes in a range of possibilities (making the "other side" look worse than it really is). * Short-term v. long-term - a subset of excluded middle ("why pursue fundamental science when we have so huge a budget deficit?"). * Slippery slope - a subset of excluded middle - unwarranted extrapolation of the effects (give an inch and they will take a mile). * Confusion of correlation and causation. * Straw man - caricaturing (or stereotyping) a position to make it easier to attack.. * Suppressed evidence or half-truths. * Weasel words - for example, use of euphemisms for war such as "police action" to get around limitations on Presidential powers. "An important art of politicians is to find new names for institutions which under old names have become odious to the public"