Up@dawn 2.0

Friday, February 16, 2018

Quizzes Feb 20, 22

Reporters, remember to post your quizzes.

AA 21-23
1. What's the name of Pam's atheist group, and what do they do?

2. What did Pam think she needed, as a child, in order to understand religion?

3. Who was the first openly-atheist person Pam met?

4. What kind of a person does Pam say it makes you, if you're openly an atheist?

5. Why does Pam think it important for atheists to come out?

6. What "murky line" makes it hard to identify religious harassment?

7. What does Sam wonder about theists who are offended by atheists?

8. What pseudonym provided cover for the Amarillo Atheists Society?

9. What have the courts said about withholding medical treatment from children on religious grounds?

10. What is the Bible passage that Jehovah's Witnesses invoke to justify refusing blood transfusions?

11. What book changed Camilo's life?

12. What line do clinical psychology students straddle?

Hemant Mehta (@hemantmehta)
Newt Gingrich: “Atheist Philosophy” More Dangerous to Christianity Than Terrorists dlvr.it/QGssyg pic.twitter.com/wLXvNlBcqU

Conatus News (@ConatusNews)
An in-depth look into what US laws and constitutional history actually say about the separation of church and state! An important reminder in these times. #secularism #FreedomFromReligion with @AndrewLSeidelconatusnews.com/religion-secul…

Brian D. Earp (@briandavidearp)
Tennessee GOP Unleashes Attack on “Radical Atheist” Running for State Senate buff.ly/2FdTwHY pic.twitter.com/jBy4mjotcj

DQ
  • Do you have (or want) an "atheist group"?
  • Do you consider arguing about religion "fun"?
  • Do you understand or can you explain what it means to have a "personal relationship with Jesus"?
  • Can you suggest any metaphors ("glasses" etc.) that might help nonreligious people better understand the religious mindset, or vice versa?
  • Is there a big difference, in your mind, between not wanting to go to church and not believing in God?
  • Have churches become more like interest groups or clubs? 187
  • Does the word Atheist still sound "ugly and harsh" to you? Is Humanist better? Freethinker? SkepticBright? ...
  • Should your career choice determine your willingness to be open and honest about your (dis)beliefs? 188
  • Are you often asked what church you go to, or if you worship Satan? What's your reply?
  • Is it rude or offensive to compare God to Santa Claus?
  • Do you always refrain from discussing politics and religion with coworkers and friends? Or do you "bring your whole identity with you to work" and everywhere else?
  • Why do you think so many theists feel threatened by nonbelievers? 198
  • Does the Bible Belt really welcome Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims? 200
  • Do pluralists patronize too much nonsense in the name of tolerance? 201
  • Is there a single book that's had the greatest impact in forming your present state of (dis)belief?
  • Would you ever attend an atheist convention?




Quiz Feb 22
1. How does John think it's possible to talk about his opinions openly without getting into a big fight?

2. What's a good icebreaker?

3. How many millennials are disenchanted with religion?

4. Comparisons of theists and atheists demonstrate what?

5. What puzzled Ulla about God, as a kid?

6. What's Ulla's reaction to pictures from the Hubble telescope?

7. How does Ulla react to "I will pray for you"?

8. What did Betty think the Presbyterian choir in her childhood church was doing?

9. What's Betty's view of people praying for her husband's dementia?

10. What did Margaret's Congregationalist-Universalist father believe about an afterlife?

11. What misconception was perpetrated by House and Bones?

12. Why isn't Margaret afraid of death?

DQ
  • Do you always refrain from discussing politics and religion with coworkers and friends? Or do you "bring your whole identity with you to work" and everywhere else?
  • COMMENT: "God never gives you more than you can handle."
  • What's your favorite example of atheist humor?
  • What puzzled you about God, as a kid?
  • Do you agree that it's intellectually "easier to be a nonbeliever"? 219
  • How do you react to "I will pray for you"?
  • Does Ulla's life in retirement sound appealing to you? 222-3
  • What do you think of Ulla's statement about exiting life "on my own terms"? 223
  • Were you afraid, as a child, that God was watching your every move?
  • What would your heaven be like? 237
Image result for atheism cartoon


8 comments:

  1. Alternative Quiz Questions AA 21-23

    1. What kind of reactions does Pam's atheist group receive at their booths at fairs and festivals?

    2. Why did Pam hesitate to be openly atheist?

    3. Why did Pam's parents insist that she go to a Catholic college?

    4. What stereotype was broken when Pam met her future husband?

    5. What does Pam consider her intellectual home?

    6. Why did Sam's nurse state was her reason for resigning? Does Sam think this is the real reason?

    7. Which book, when read by the appropriate religious authorities, supposedly has the power of miraculous healing?

    8. What book did Camilo compare The End of Faith to? Why?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Discussion Question Answers:

    Were you afraid, as a child, that God was watching your every move?

    As a child I was terrified that God was watching me, especially once I began to question my faith. I used to work overtime to try to get on God's good side, so as a young kid (like 5 or 6) I would sing bible songs before bed. When I went to the beach at 7 or 8 I would write "I love Jesus" and "Jesus Saves" in the sand in the hopes that it might save somebody and that God would like me. Even today, when I do something that is "sinful" I get a nagging feeling in the back of my mind. Years of conditioning that God is watching and that you might go to Hell is hard to get out of your mind.

    What would your heaven be like?

    My heaven would be a calm, quiet place where I could relive my happy moment on Earth. Also: cats. Lots of cats would be in my heaven. Going off of this idea, if I had to pick a traditional religion's heaven to go to, I would want to go to Valhalla. Food. Mead. Huge, viking parties all the time. It sounds great.

    How do you react to "I will pray for you"?

    While I do not think it does any good, I take it as a compliment. To a theist, asking their creator to help me is the greatest thing they can do to help me in my time of trouble. They, in their worldview, are a tiny mortal going before the creator everything and asking him to help me out. That's really sweet in my opinion.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My heaven would also include lots of cats! (Especially the ones I've loved here.) :)

      Delete
    2. Well... if your heaven ever comes to fruition (and I ever get there) I hope it'll have a separate space for me and my dogs. 9 lives with cats would be bad enough, eternity is just way too much fur and attitude for me.

      Delete
  3. DQ- Do you have (or want) an "atheist group"?
    I do not currently have a group, however, this part of the book was probably my favorite because I have thought about finding a group. I have talked with my husband about checking out the Unitarian church in Nashville, but we never got around to checking it out. So, I was very glad to read the descriptions of the Unitarian churches that some of these people visited. I'm very glad to know that so many atheists have gone to these churches, and have felt welcomed and at home there.
    I have never really been part of a church, nor have I wanted to be. But, since I started college a few years ago, I have thought about finding somewhere to congregate with like-minded people many times. I felt like a Unitarian church would have a more open-minded and intellectual congregation. However, I did not know there would be non-believers as well. And, honestly, that makes it sound even better.
    I think the fact that my family and most of my former close friends have all pulled away from me since I started college has a lot to do with why I even want a community to join when I never have before. I am the first in my family on my mother's side, and only the second on my father's side, to go for a college degree. So, I think that they feel as though we no longer relate, and that may be true unfortunately. I didn't want everyone to pull away. But, after seeing their thoughts and feelings throughout the last year and a half, I don't think we do have much in common anymore. Maybe, we never did. I just didn't know or see it until now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You should definitely check out the Unitarians, there's a nice congregation on Woodmont Blvd in Nashville. It's been awhile since I visited, I've come to realize that I'm really not a very churchable person. Also consider the Sunday Assembly, that meets at Scarritt-Bennett near Vandy: a very warm and welcoming congregation of humanists to whom I had the honor of speaking last year.

      Delete
    2. Thank you for the insight. We will definately try to get to one, or both, as soon as we can.

      Delete
  4. Alternative Quiz Questions:

    1. What guests did Betty's dad bring home to dinner?

    2. What age did Margaret begin questioning her faith?

    3. What Christian actions did Ulla find bizarre?

    4. What has atheism allowed Chris, Betty, and Margaret to do?

    ReplyDelete