Freethinking Happy Hour

Join our merry band of skeptics.

See Calendar for more information.

August 2010 - NOSHA's 11th Anniversary Dinner, Our special guest speaker will be Ellen Johnson

Ellen Johnson is the past president of American Atheists. She has twice testified before the United States Commission on Civil Rights. In 2002 she organized the Godless Americans March On Washington and she was the organizer of the November 11, 2005 "Atheists In Foxholes" March On Washington . In 2003, she established the Godless Americans Political Action Committee now called EnlightenTheVote.com and serves as its Executive Director.

In 1998, she met with the Office of Public Liaison for the Clinton White House to discuss the subject of giving Atheists a "place at the table" in the discussion of issues of concern to our nation's Atheists.

She is also a frequent guest on national radio and TV shows including the Fox Network's Hannity & Colmes, The O'Reilly Factor, Larry King Live, The CBS Early Show, Glen Beck on Headline News, CBS Sunday Morning, a Barbara Walters Special and C-SPAN's prestigious public affairs program "Washington Journal."

Get your seat! Price per guest, $40.00 for NOSHA Members, $45.00 for Non-Member. Seating is limited, so make your reservations. See Calendar for more information, and to pay online.

Freethinking Happy Hours

Join our merry band of skeptics. We're looking for a little variety to take our mind of this August heat, so we've decided to move our "Third Tuesday" happy hour to an interesting little place in Mid-City.

Wine has been the catalyst of great conversations throughout time. For centuries, a vital social component. It enhances meals and friendly exchanges, causing thoughts to flow, livening the senses.

See Calendar for more information.

Freethinking Happy Hours

Join our merry band of skeptics.

See Calendar for more information.

Anointing Oil

Pandering for religious votes, the Louisiana Senate voted unanimously to declare Sunday, June 20, a "state-designated day of prayer" to seek divine intervention in the BP oil spill crisis. Aside from the reso1ution's being unconstitutional (as the National Day of Prayer was recently ruled to be by a U.S. District Court), it is an acknowledgment that if the "divine" can end the spill, he (she) could have prevented it in the first place. Must Louisiana's elected officials continue to display their ignorance to the rest ofthe countiy? - Harry Greenberger

Video by youtuber, VoodooSixxx.

NOSHA July 2010 - "A Capitalist Oil Catastrophe"

Our speaker for July will be author and activist Larry Everest who will present "A Capitalist Oil Catastrophe - System Not A Fit Caretaker of the Planet."

Larry Everest is a correspondent for Revolution newspaper (revcom.us), reporting from Iran, Iraq, Palestine and India, and the author of "Oil, Power & Empire: Iraq and the U.S. Global Agenda" (Common Courage, 2004), which former United States military analyst and Pentagon Papers author Dan Ellsberg calls "remarkable, horrifying, brilliantly illuminating," and from which director Oliver Stone drew in making "W," his film about George W. Bush.

See Calendar for more information.

July's Freethinking Happy Hours

Join our merry band of skeptics on the FIRST Wednesday and the THIRD Tuesday of the month.

See Calendar for more information.

We're Doing it Again!

The NOSHA billboard has returned to I-10, seen coming from downtown going toward Metairie on the left side between Broad Street and the Carrollton overpass. It will remain through July 4.

This billboard is a part of nationwide effort by the United Coalition of Reason to raise the visibility and sense of unity among local groups in the community of reason. Created by FreeThoughtAction, billboards like this have appeared in communities across the country, letting humanists, atheists, freethinkers and nontheists of all stripes know that they are not alone, and that there are millions of Americans who think like they do.

June's Metting - "Toward a Consilient Approach to Ethics"

Our guest speaker will be Michael Cavanaugh of Baton Rouge, author of the book "Biotheology - A New Synthesis of Science & Religion" (1996, University Press of America). The title of his talk will be "Toward a Consilient Approach to Ethics."

See Calendar for more information.

June's Freethinking Happy Hours

We are adding another secular happy hour to our calendar. Now you can join our merry band of skeptics.

See Calendar for more information.

You can't know which books to burn, unless you read them first.

Uptown Free Readers is a reading club emphasizing substantive literature that has been banned, challenged, or censored.

Why read banned books? To stay informed about the kinds of materials being challenged, so we are better prepared to raise others' awareness of the problem.

"I think it is good that books still exist, but they do make me sleepy." - Frank Zappa

Challenging and Banning Books

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. Visit The American Library Association for current news and information.

"Where they burn books, so too will they in the end burn human beings." ("Dort, wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man auch am Ende Menschen.") - German writer Heinrich Heine, his 1821 play, Almansor. Wikipedia has a great article on the history of book burning.

"Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together and burned them before all men and they counted the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed." - Acts 19:19-20

If you are not familiar with Landover Baptist Church, you should check them out. Book Burning: A True Christian® Tradition. Ceremony and tradition is such a wonderful thing. I love reading the bible by the light of a good book burning.

June's Freethinking Happy Hours

We are adding another secular happy hour to our calendar. Now you can join our merry band of skeptics on the FIRST and/or THIRD Wednesdays of the month.

See Calendar for more information.

Naughty Marshall

In another sign of the end times, Marshall is out to redefine the definition of "live naughty comedy". So, hide the children, buy gold, and move into the bunker, Glen Beck was right.

Marshall Harris, with special guest star Becky Allen, featuring piano man Jim Walpole. Live music, and naughty comedy in the style of old New Orleans. Come join the fun.

Looking for something to do? Checkout what's going on around town, on our local page.

May's Metting "Getting to know you"

"♪Getting to know you, getting to know all about you...♫" as the tune goes is the subject of this monthly NOSHA gathering.

Every year or two, Lanny Goldfinch, NOSHA board member and retired psychotherapist, leads a discussion with audience participation to discover what our opinions are about a wide variety of topics.

See Calendar for more information.

May's Freethinking Happy Hour

NOTE: The day has been changed to Thursday, to coincide with the National Day of Reason

Located in historic uptown New Orleans, just three blocks from Audubon Zoo and Park, Monkey Hill Bar offers a wide selection of martinis, wines and beers. They have large couches to relax on and a free pool table as well as a shuffleboard table. Also, this area of Magazine Street has a lot of unique restaurants in the vicinity, so it makes for easy dining if you wish to grab a bite after a quick drink with your secular friends.

As always, we will continue to encourage stimulating conversation and to provide a welcoming place for our freethinking friends to stop by and say hello!

An Atheist, Theist Dialog

Is Religion More a Force for Good or for Evil in the World Today?

Sponsored by UNO Campus Freethought Alliance, there will be a two panel discussion, with the dialog ending with an audience question & answer session. For details contact: Paul Hebert at prhebert@uno.edu, (504) 232-1376.

April's Meeting "Moral Excellence in the Teachings of Jesus"

Dr. David E. Crosby, pastor of First Baptist Church of New Orleans, will be our featured speaker for our April meeting.

"I have admired many of his columns in the Times Picayune and I think we can have a good dialog with him about relationships between secularists & Christians," says Harry Greenberger.

See Calendar for more information on Dr. David E. Crosby.

April's Freethinking Happy Hour

We've been hosting our casual happy hours for over a year now on the first Wednesday of every month, we are settling on one location for this ongoing social hour!

See Calendar for more information.

A Streetcar Named Enlightened, Rides Again.

Just when you thought you could ride the streetcar in theistic comfort. Those darn atheists are at it again! As Maurice O'Sullivan of the Wall Street Journal puts it, in an article from last year, "...Just in time for this year's Lenten season, an ad in gaudy Mardi Gras colors on the side of a New Orleans streetcar proclaims, "Don't Believe in God? You Are Not Alone."..."

Louisiana Coalition for Science

Our guest speaker in February was Barbara Forrest, professor of philosophy at Southeastern Louisiana University and co-author of "Creationism's Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent Design." The topic of discussion was The Louisiana Science Education Act of 2008.

To keep up with the current developments, Barbara Forrest has a wonderful on-line resource, the Louisiana Coalition for Science website. Louisiana Coalition for Science (LCFS) is a group of concerned Louisiana residents working to protect the teaching of science in Louisiana.

Secular Social to Welcome OSU Students for Freethought

The OSU Students for Freethought are in town again on their spring break to do good works and they want to meet up with freethinkers (especially students!) in New Orleans this week for a quick chat and a drink or two.

See Calendar for more information.

Coming in March "The Truth About the Bible"

Believers claim that the Bible is the revealed word of God, and as such is an unimpeachable source of morality and history. As secular humanists, we should be prepared to challenge this assumption. A knowledge of the history and contents of the Bible is a powerful tool in any debate with those who wish to give it a privileged role in the American system of ethics and government.

For Professor Peter J. Brancazio, author of The Bible From Cover to Cover, an excoriating book that strips bare the inconsistencies and fabrications of the bible, there is no doubt that someone like Jesus historically existed, though he admits there's very little written evidence for it.

See Calendar for more information.

Potluck Supper & Movie Night

We're hosting a potluck supper and social at Harry's house on Bayou St. John followed by the viewing of Julia Sweeny video, "Letting Go of God."

As usual, bring salads, main dishes, vegetables, desserts, beverages and snacks to share.

March's Freethinking Happy Hour

Because we all have a little Irish in us, we wanted to pick a place that will usher in the season. We're going to the Garden District this month, so all you locals can get your green on.

See Calendar for more information.

February Meeting "Back to the Future"

Barbara Forrest, professor of philosophy at Southeastern Louisiana University and co-author of "Creationism's Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent Design," will be our guest speaker in February.

The topic is "Back to the Future: The Louisiana Science Education Act of 2008" and will include a slide presentation about developments since the law passed 18 months ago.

See Calendar for more information.

Happy Hour Meetup for February

We're planning our next happy hour at an iconic Marigny bar....atmosphere, coolness and location. Mimi's in the Marigny has it all!

We've heard something about a very unique bathroom design that is sure to cause some discussion. And they have a fantastic tapas menu.

See Calendar for more information.

January NOSHA Potluck Meeting

Since our regular third Saturday meeting date coincides with the NFL playoffs, we've opted for bringing Saints fans together this month.

Instead we will have a potluck lunch at President Harry Greenberger's home beginning at 2 PM to eat and be ready for the game at 3:30. (Those who aren't football nuts can still socialize and get better acquainted.) See Calendar for more information.

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Reactions to May's meeting.

"What a kick this meeting was! It's good to see people so passionate about life's concerns. It shows we've got spirit---in the secular sense, of course. ha!..." - Ben Gunn

"This discussion was a real participatory sport!" - Glen Sandberg

"I enjoyed learning of the diverse opinions within the group. It was thought-provoking as well as entertaining. The moderator did an excellent job." - Rose

See the 2010 Archive Event Calendar for May's description.

10th Aniversary Banquet Photos

Better late than never. Photos from the banquet are here.

NOSHA on Flickr

Reception to Honor Ellen Johnson

atheistneworleans posted a photo:

Dave, Ricky and Beth.