December 2, 2001: meeting of Salt Lake Valley Atheists featured Atheist and First Amendment activist Chris Allen looking back on more than two decades of constitutional activism. Mr. Allen serves on the Board of Directors of the national organization. He has been involved with numerous lawsuits throughout Utah on behalf of the separation of State and church.

Jan 8, 2005: Kent Griffiths - "Intelligent Falling": A Theological Alternative To The Theory Of  Gravity. Kent joined our group in 1988. At that time, he worked with Chris Allen and Rich Andrews to get the churches in all of Utah to stop using their buildings as polling places. They were successful in this very important work to separate religion from political activities. In the mid-nineties he met his wife Sarah at one of our brunches.

January 11th, 7pm.  Main Topic For Discussion: The Christian crosses which the Utah Dept of Transportation has allowed the Utah Highway Patrol Association to install on public property (at the sides of Utah highways and roads). We will discuss the pros and cons of this decision. Three members of our group, as well as the national office of American Atheist, are litigants in a lawsuit to require the govt. to remove Christian memorials from government property. We feel it is a violation of the principle of separation of State and church.  How do you feel about this issue? Some members of our group think that we atheists should focus on more important issues, and that this lawsuit
will make us more unpopular with the public than we already are.

April 9, 2006: Professor Deen K. Chatterjee : "The Rhetoric and Substance of Human Rights".  Our speaker teaches philosophy at the University of Utah and is the Editor-in-Chief of the forthcoming, multi-volume Encyclopedia of Global Justice...  Keeping in focus the role of rights at the normative foundations of justice and democracy, the forum will explore some of the myriad problems and challenges of human rights through an examination of such topics as individual and group rights, rights and culture, sovereignty and international law,  humanitarian intervention, and terrorism.
Speaker-Suggested reading: Amartya Sen, Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny (2006)

May 2, 2010  Melissa Bird -- Vice President of Public Policy for Planned Parenthood Association of Utah and Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Action Council.

June  6,2010 Susan Harrington, Idaho Director of American Atheists -- We found out if praying works! Her topic: How I took the Idaho Capitol steps from the religious right on the National Day of Prayer and held an Atheist rally.

Jul 4,2010  Atheists know that god doesn't bless America. The Pulitzer Prize winning author Jared Diamond of GUNS, GERMS AND STEEL examines what caused some great civilizations and cultures like Polynesian Easter Island, Anasazi, Maya and the Viking colony on Greenland to collapse. What part did religion play? Diamond traces the patterns of environmental damage, climate change, population growth and unwise political choices. He also tells how other societies found solutions and persisted. So on this 4th of July lets reflect on what America needs to do to avoid committing ecological suicide. The video is an hour and 19 minutes long.

 Pulitzer Prize Winner! 
Guns, Germs, and Steel:
The Fates of Human Societies
by Jared Diamond

Aug 1,2010  Richard Dawkins --Video: Dawkins discusses Darwinism, creationism, and the controversy over the "African Eve" hypothesis in which Dawkins shows that Homo Sapiens evolved in Africa over 100,000 years ago and that our ancestors' genes survive in us today.  This lecture is part of the Skeptics Society distinguished lecture series and based on his 1995 book RIVER OUT OF EDEN. Dawkins new book is THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH.  Discussion to follow...

Sep 5,2010  Brain Barnard  VICTORY -

State of the Church-State address: The case of American Atheists vs. the Utah Highway Patrol Christian crosses case has been decided by the Denver-based 10th Circuit IN OUR FAVOR! Brian Barnard, who carried the water for this cause will speak at the Salt Lake Valley Atheist brunch to tell us about this important victory. See the sad-sack article in the Salt Lake City Tribune here.

Brian has earned his "tuition"!

The state of the unholy union of church and state was given at the SLVA Sunday brunch on Sept 5 2001.  Brian Barnard explains his recent victory in the Tenth Circuit Court: The Utah Highway Patrolmen's cross case. 
Listen to the speech here. YouTube here.

Oct 14,2010 In the Utah Highway patrol case:
Our response to the rehearing petition by the state
Our response to the rehearing petition by UHPA

Oct 3,2010  Jared Diamond --

DVD: Great Leap Forward. Humans and Chimpanzees share 98% of genes. How is it that we developed complex verbal skills, writing. art, science, and culture and our cousins did not? Further, Why is it that Cro-Magnons succeeded and not Neanderthals? Diamond's theory is that 30,000 to 40,000 years ago Cro-Magnons developed language and an advantage while Neanderthals had only tools. Dr. Jared Diamond is Professor of Physiology at UCLA Medical School and the author of THE THIRD CHIMPANZEE, and GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL, and Collapse.

A new film which encapsulates the facts available in the context of a triangle of rivalry between Judaism, Christianity and Paganism and also a struggle between the State and church.

Set in ancient Egypt under Roman rule, AGORA follows the brilliant and beautiful astronomer Hypatia (Weisz) who leads a group of disciples fighting to save the wisdom of the Ancient World, as violent religious upheaval spills into the streets of Alexandria. Among these disciples are two men competing for her heart: the witty, privileged Orestes (Isaac) and Davus (Minghella), Hypatia’s young slave, who is torn between his secret love for her and the freedom he knows can be his if he chooses to join the unstoppable surge of the Christians.

Dec 5,2010 Troy Williams spoke on "Can Gays Save the World from God?"

Troy holds bachelor degrees in Film Studies and in Anthropology from the University of Utah. He is currently the public affairs director of KRCL and the executive producer of RadioActive. Troy's activism has been featured in The Nation Magazine, Interview Magazine, Huffington Post, The Gay Times and OUT Magazine. Troy is the co-writer of the one-woman show, The Passion of Sister Dottie S. Dixon. In 2011, Troy will be appearing in the new Errol Morris documentary, Tabloid.

Troy Williams' to speech on YouTube:  Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

February 6, 2011
Melissa Bird, CSW is the Vice President of Public Policy for Planned Parenthood Association of Utah and Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Action Council. Melissa received her Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Utah in 2003. After working as a therapist with abused children and women who were victims of domestic violence, she transitioned into political activism as the former program coordinator at Equality Utah, Utah’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender political action group.

A lifetime political junkie, Melissa is dedicated to enriching the lives of women and children in her community through grassroots activism. In 2003, she conducted research regarding homeless youth and as a result drafted Emancipation Legislation that was signed into law in 2006.

Melissa is a member of the Junior League of Salt Lake City and the League of Women Voters. She enjoys gardening, is an avid reader and is the proud author of “Because We Chose To Love You” a children’s book for all families.

Sunday, March 6, 11:30am - 2:00pm
Video: Why do half of Americans reject evolution? Dr. Michael Shermer discusses science, theory and the method of testing evolution.  Dr. Shermer is a columnist for Scientific American magazine, the publisher of Skeptic magazine and oft-recurring speaker at the Amazing Randi's TAM conventions[2006], [2005], [...2010].

April 2, 2011:  DVD: Dr. Daniel C. Dennett, one of the great thinkers of our time asks how belief in god shapes our lives. Is religion a blind compulsion or a rational choice? History, philosophy and psychology explore how folk beliefs evolved into a potent force.

Dennett at the Amaz!ng Meeting-4 in Las Vegas

You Tube - Daniel Dennett and Robert Wright discuss direction and "purpose" in evolution...
(Not for the faint of heart:)

May 1,2011 --  Jared Diamond --

DVD: Natural Experiments of History --
Can the scientific method be applied to the social sciences? The author of GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL and COLLAPSE has a new book. Diamond presents eight studies drawn form history, archeology, economics, geography, and political science. The studies range from a simple two way comparison of Haiti and the Dominican Republic to a comparison of 81 Pacific islands and 233 areas of India. He also talks about the effects of religion.

June 5, 2011 --
In his role as a highly sought after professional hypnotist, Jake routinely mesmerizes his clients, and as host of Mental Self Defense Radio (630 AM Monday thru Wednesday 1 PM to 3 PM) he breaks listeners free of the trance of helplessness foisted upon by big government and big business.

Jake is currently the Vice-Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Utah and the author of 'Anomaly: Revolutionary Knowledge in Everyday Life', 'TEA-O-CONNED: The Hijacking of Liberty in America', 'Say Uncle! Catch-As-Catch-Can Wrestling & Roots of Ultimate Fighting, Pro-Wrestling, and Modern Grappling', and 'The Hypnotist: Healer, Head Hacker, & Headliner'.

Summer Solstice Party   Map
Saturday, June 25 · 7:00pm - 11:30pm

Solstice Party, joint with SLVA and A of U will take place on Saturday, June 25th. BYOB and please bring a snack to share. AofU will provide pizza.

They will be conducting a bit of AofU business. There will be voting for a new board member. All paid members as of May 25th who are also in attendance are eligible to vote. If you are interested in running for the open board position..., please contact Lizel Allen or Tracey Snarr.

*PRIZE DRAWING* We will have fabulous PRIZES to be won. Bring a bottle or six pack of your favorite libation to donate to the BUCKET O' BOOZE, the GRAND PRIZE. Free ticket to those who donate booze. Addtional tickets available at $1 each or 7 for $5. Join or renew your AoU membership that night and get 30 additional tickets!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

If you're not going out of town on the 4th of July weekend, please join us at the Salt Lake Valley Atheist Brunch. We have purchased a copy of the new BOOK OF MORMON Broadway Musical CD and will be playing some of the songs at the brunch. The songs contain frank language (swearing) and sexual content. If that offends you, DO NOT COME!

Sep 4,2011 Jason Cooperrider

Savant Syndrome: Neuroscience Behind It & Relationship with Autism

A link to the .pdf for this talk

Jason is a research fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Janet Lainhart, his advisor, studying the developmental neuroscience of autism and the brain basis of exceptional abilities in autism, which is his dissertation topic. In May 2009, Jason co-founded the University of Utah student group SHIFT (Secular Humanism, Inquiry and Freethought), first serving as its vice-president (May 2009-December 2009), later as its president (January 2010-December 2010), and currently as its treasurer (January 2011-present). Jason has also served as a founding board member of the Utah Freethought Society (June 2010-present), founding board member of the Utah Coalition of Reason (July 2010-present), and secretary and board member of the Humanists of Utah (January 2011-present). In the future, Jason hopes to become a research professor at a university, studying the brain basis of exceptional abilities in both developmentally disabled and typically developing populations.

 Lecture: Saturday, September 10 · 2011
Dr. Victor Stenger, physicist and author of God: The Failed Hypothesis, The New Atheism, and several other books, will be giving a talk for SHIFT on the UU campus, partly based on his latest book, The Fallacy of Fine-Tuning. His talk will be followed by interaction with the audience and a book signing, at which SHIFT will be selling a few copies of the 3 aforementioned books. The event will be free and open to the public, with free parking available in the visitor parking lot just east of the Union building, which is adjacent to (just north of) Orson Spencer Hall. Seating will be first-come-first-served. The doors to the auditorium will be opened 30 minutes before the event.

Created By Jason Cooperrider for SHIFT - Secular Humanism, Inquiry and Freethought

Sunday, November 6 · 2011
What Darwin Never Knew (DVD)
NOVA presents stunning new breakthroughs about evolution based on scientific research at the the genetic level. This new science, nicknamed "evo devo", is unraveling one of nature's great mysteries, the development of embryos. This program goes beyond Darwin's "natural selection" to explain other factors that drive evolution.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Stephen Clark, board member and President from '04 to '08 , moderated a lively  discussion of 2 questions:
    A. Should the State of Utah legally pursue individual families that practice polygamy - including Kody Brown & his 4 wives of "Sister Wives" fame?
    B. Should the State of Utah legally pursue the leaders of polygamous institutions such as the Fundamentalist Latter-day Saints (FLDS)?

It was worth noting a few facts in this controversy:
  (1) Bigamy is still against the law in the United States.
  (2) The Attorney General of Utah has stated that he will not pursue those who practice polygamy, but only those who marry underage girls or otherwise commit sexual abuse of children.
  (3) Canada's Supreme Court ruled last month that polygamy will remain against the law throughout Canada.

Sunday, Feb 5, 2012
The Evolution of Non-Theism in Utah –
Atheists, and Unitarians, and Free-Thinkers! Oh, My!

Elaine Ball is the Executive Director of the burgeoning Utah Coalition of Reason, the group which put up the billboard on I-215 this past year that reads, Don't Believe In God? You Are Not Alone – reasonutah.org. She was certified in May 2011 as a Humanist Minister, enabled to officiate at non-religious and inter-religious weddings, commitment ceremonies, child welcoming celebrations, memorial services, and more. In May 2009 she co-founded the University of Utah student group, SHIFT – Secular Humanism, Inquiry, and Freethought. She is also on local Steering and Planning Committees for the Human Rights Campaign and the American Civil Liberties Union. Elaine holds a BA in French from the University of Utah, and teaches Beginning French at Salt Lake Arts Academy. She lives in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Salt Lake with her partner of nearly three years, and their two cats, Colonel Pendleton and Thai.

Mary Schultz received an award from the NAACP on behalf of herself and her husband, Bill.

The video Inside The Milky Way will be screened. It's excellent. National Geographic uses a 3-D state-of - the - art CGI model of our galaxy to look at its amazing features and its history. Other galaxies are also looked at, and its all done in fantastic color. Most of the scenes are photographs taken by the Hubble Telescope, but "special effects" are also used to enhance this scientific adventure. The DVD was produced in 2010, so it's up to date information. 

Susan Harrington was the founding president of Idaho Atheists, Inc.and has served on the board for 14 years. She has also served as American Atheists, Inc. Idaho State Director, national board member, and Youth and Family Program co-director. Susan was raised in a non-religious family and pursued a career in mathematics and science education, both as a classroom teacher and as a Idaho state department administrator. Her major interests have always included state/church separation and atheist civil rights. Her topic: Atheism in your sister state of Idaho.

Joe Andrade's Citizen Candidate site - for Utah's Second Congressional District. I am running as an independent, unaffiliated candidate.   Contact Joe at:   2012andrade@gmail.com     801-706-6747

Joe Andrade is an engineering professor and a scientist at the University of Utah in The Department of Bioengineering, who has also served in several administrative positions, including Dean of Engineering. He has books, patents, and scientific publications in his name and is also interested in science education and literacy. Joe is one of the major drivers and planners for The Leonardo. A fuller bio is at: www.joeandrade.org.  Joe is an unaffiliated candidate running for Congress in District 2. He'll be speaking on his dissatisfaction with the political process on science education and literacy.

Joanne Hanks isn’t your average ex-Mormon, ex-polygamist, ex-wife.
She’s an accomplished portrait and landscape artist (view her work at JoHanks.com), an expert interior designer (she earned her design degree at Mormon Church-owned Brigham Young University), and a woman who learned the hard way to stand on her own feet after being raised to let others make her life decisions.

Most recently, Joanne has written “It’s Not About the Sex” My Ass, a riveting account of her experiences as a “First Wife” in the Mormon-based polygamist cult that she and her husband joined after seven years of marriage.

In “It’s Not About the Sex” My Ass, Joanne tells her crazy story with humor, satire and insight. She levels about husband-sharing, “sister wives,” the TLC “prophet” James Dee Harmston (who called himself a “celestial stud service” and sought divine guidance on threesomes), racism, sexual abuse, fraud and manipulation. And she reveals how Harmston wiggled out of his failed prophecy that the Second Coming of Jesus would take place on March 26, 2000.

What does it feel like to suddenly understand everything? God's Debris isn’t the final answer to the Big Questions -- it might be the most compelling vision of reality you will ever read...  Still, God's Debris is emphatically not for everyone.

Lonely religionists demonstrating at the Mormon temple in SLC, UT in 2005.

SLVA Supports GAY Protest @ LDS Temple Oct 2010
 

"We know of no spectacle more ridiculous - or more contemptible - than that of the religious reactionaries who dare to re-write the history of our republic. Or who try to do so. Is it possible that in their vanity and stupidity they suppose that they can erase the name of
Thomas Jefferson..." continued

 You can tell it's a genuine
 guarantee because of the
 gold seal.

  New     Idaho's National Day of Prayer Counter-Demonstration 2011  May 5, 2011 --
IDAHO ATHEISTS STAGE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER PROTEST MAY 5, 2011
Idaho Atheists held a peaceful protest against another National Day of Prayer activities on May 5, 2011. American Atheists State Director Susan Harrington invited state-church separation activist to attend. They gathered across from the capitol steps ar 12 noon -- there was a pre-event meeting at the nearby Flying M Coffee House, 500 West Idaho St. in Boise.

The WHY: To protest government officials endorsing the National Day of Prayer and the entanglement of government and religion.

 See the EVOLUTION of this page

Cover of American Atheist Magazine celebrating its 1981 Annual Convention in Salt Lake City, UT.
 Links -   Gays 2012  |  Westboro 2011  |  Idaho 2011  |  Gays 2010  |  Animals  |  Pope 1995  |   ERA  1982  |  Islam