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Michigan Atheists |
Michigan Atheists was organized in 1975 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan, social and educational organization dedicated to the complete and absolute separation of state and church.
Michigan Atheists is a statewide, open invitation organization with no membership application or dues required to participate. Over the years several thousand Atheists have added their names to our mailing list and support our efforts with donations and/or regularly attend our events if they are in the area.
Arlene Marie
State Director
arlenemarie@michiganatheists.org
Phone: (313) 938-5960
P.O. Box 0025
Allen Park, MI 48101
Monthly Events
1) Meet the First Sunday of every month at Denny's in Plymouth Township for food, friendship, reports and announcements
2) Meet the Third Sunday of most months for dinner, friendship, reports, announcements and a speaker program.
Annual Events
Charles Darwin Day (February 12): Field Trip (usually to a museum featuring evolution)
Spring Equinox: Guest Speaker
Madalyn Murray O'Hair Day (April 13): Birthday Party (complete with a birthday cake)
Summer Solstice: Statewide Atheist Picnic
Autumn Equinox: Guest Speaker
State Convention (early December)
Winter Solstice: Hilarious ‘White Elephant’ Auction
Event Calendar
The event calendar is located at MichiganAtheists on Meetup.
Michigan Atheists State Convention
Michigan Atheists has held an annual state convention since 1984 and is the only state to do so.
Travel
Michigan Atheists are part of the larger secular community and participate in events hosted by many secular organizations near and far. Events Coordinator, Howard Flake, helps Atheists coordinate travel arrangements.
Movie Outings
Michigan Atheists get together to view movies on subjects of interest to Atheists followed by food, friendship and discussion.
Cable TV
Since 2005, Michigan Atheists has produced a monthly cable TV series, Atheists Speak Up! The production team with Executive Producer, Marty Maier, won Second Place, 2009 Philo T. Farnsworth Awards For Excellence in Community Programming, Talk Show Nonprofessional Category. Episodes of Atheists Speek Up! are being posted at the Michigan Atheists Channel on YouTube.
Publication
Michigan Atheists Speak Out: A Collection of Essays was published and entered into distribution on March 31, 2010. Twenty-three essays were submitted by seventeen Atheists and edited by Dee Crowe. The result of their work offers readers a glimpse into the thoughts and experiences of Michigan Atheists.
Michigan Atheists also publishes a number of pamphlets. Official publications are approved by Communications Director, Lee Helms. Contributors should download and review Michigan Atheists' Writers' Guidelines.
Street Table
Michigan Atheists participate in two of the largest art fairs in the state of Michigan, the Michigan Art Fair in Ann Arbor and the Wyandotte Art Fair. Atheists dispense books, literature and information to help residents better understand the value of state and church separation to theists and atheists alike.
Volunteers will be needed for the Wyandotte Street Art Fair from July 13th thru 16th and the Original Ann Arbor Street Art Fair from July 19th thru 23rd.
Hundreds of fair goers stop at the Michigan Atheists' table. Atheists at the table sell nothing, all of the products dispensed are free to the visitor. Most visitors are secular residents who are pleased to see us; they take picture, shake our hands and thank us for being there. Many theistic visitors are curious about atheism. Booth workers provide information about atheism and separation of state and church issues but are NOT encouraged to try and persuade visitors to abandon their theistic beliefs.
Working at the table is fun and volunteers get together for dinner at the conclusion of the two fairs.
Court Cases
Michigan Atheists, Anonka and Tammra Jocham, where the plaintiffs in Jocham v. Tuscola County, 239 F. Supp. 2nd 714 (E.D.. Mich. 2003). The case arose from the seasonal display that appeared each December on the lawn of the Tuscola County Courthouse, and which included a nativity scene commemorating the Christmas holiday.
Counsel for Anonka and Tammra Jocham drafted a letter dated December 8, 2001 to the Tuscola County Board of Commissioners demanding that the offending display be dismantled no later than December 15, 2001. The plaintiffs were later denied an opportunity to present their full complaint during the public comment period of a December 11, 2001 meeting of the County Board of Commissioners when their complaint offended some of the Christian board members who responded angrily and stated that they had no intention of ordering the nativity scene to be dismantled.
At issue in the case, among other things, was the the plaintiff's right to equal protection in freedom of speech. This case appears to be the first such case involving an infringement upon an Atheist's freedom of speech by Christians.
On June 28, 2003, Michigan Atheists traveled to Anonka's Witch Museum in Caro to protest in support of Anonka Jocham and her daughter Tammra. The case was settled on February 25, 2004. Parties in the case are prohibited from discussing the monetary settlement, however an apology ordered by the court was released by the Tuscola Board of Commissioners on March 23, 2004.
Michigan Atheists was instrumental in bringing American Atheists, Inc. v. City of Detroit Downtown Development Authority (E.D.. Mich 2007). The case arose from the payment of money by the City of Detroit Downtown Development Authority to three churches for the improvement of their facades. At issue in the case, among other things, was a violation of the Establishment Clause.
The opinion of the court went against Atheists, but led to an impressive level of cooperation between the secular and sectarian community in opposition to the opinion. The American Jewish Committee; Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty; Hadassah, Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc.; Hindu American Foundation; The Interfaith Alliance Foundation; Americans for Religious Liberty; Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and American Jewish Congress joined together with a brief of Amicus Curiae.
Community Watch Dog Program
Michigan Atheists are quick to respond to any action intruding on separation of state and church. To that end we write letters to the editor, stage protests, speak in public forums and testify at all levels of government to defend the First Amendment.
Media
Michigan Atheists have a long history of responding positively to media requests made by television, radio and the press.
Contact us
Arlene-Marie: Director arlenemarie@michiganatheists.org
George Shiffer: Treasurer georgeshiffer@michiganatheists.org
Lee Helms: Communications Director leehelms@michiganatheists.org
Marty Maier: Executive Producer "Atheists Speak Up" martymaier@michiganatheists.org
Howard Flake: Event Coordinator howardflake@michiganatheists.org
Tracey Martin: Legislative DIrector traceymartin@michiganatheists.org
Ernie Whiteside: Webmaster erniewhiteside@michiganatheists.org
CRITIQUE OF DAVID BARTON'S BID TO 'RECLAIM' AMERICA
Fake Quotes are Falsely Attributed to the Founding Fathers
Read how Christian fundamentalist zealots printed lies about the Founding Fathers, admitted their lies, but nevertheless the Christian community continues to accept them as true.
Most pro-separation activists see David Barton, as one of the most dangerous Christian fundamentalists in the county. Barton's books and videos are laced with exaggerations, half-truths, and misstatements of fact. He peddles the idea that America is a Christian Nation, legally and historically. During the past decade his bogus quotes from our founding fathers and his false claims about constitutional history have become familiar vocabulary, often viewed by the media, our legislative body and the general public as factual. Through the efforts of American Atheists, the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs and others, Barton was ordered to create a pamphlet that listed all his bogus quotes - a pamphlet that goes unnoticed.
Greg Reich lectured on David Barton's infamous history and current power, while providing us with a 'tool kit' on how to respond to Barton's popular, yet distorted claims about separation of church and state.