This week, I found out about a great initiative that is going on in the spring of next year. Rock Beyond Belief is a free festival featuring secular speakers and musicians. It is going to be held at Fort Bragg. and has the backing of various secular and military foundations. The goal is to provide an event for the many ‘atheists in foxholes’ who are serving in the U.S. military to celebrate the separation of church and state, and the freedoms guaranteed by the United States Constitution in this country.
We are not interested in just being a counter-event to the offensive Rock the Fort concert. We are also not interested in putting on an anti-christian, anti-religious, or anti-anything event. Rock Beyond Belief is A Day of Fun and Entertainment for the Rest of Us.
In the spirit of Richard Dawkins’ Out Campaign, we are embracing the fact that just by coming out and saying “we are non-theists, and also we are your firefighters, your military members, and your neighbors†that we help to shed the negative connotations and debunk the myths associated with being a non-believer.
A lot of the details (including the exact date) are still being worked out. But Rebecca and I are going to try to be there and Amy has already signed up to be one of the event vendors. The rest of the tentative line up is pretty fantastic too, including Eugenie Scott, Hemant Mehta, Dale Macgowan and more.
To find out more, “like” their Facebook page and check out the website.
At least some of the people I know are atheists. I couldn’t tell you about the rest, the subject never comes up. Well, almost never. I am not sure what an event like this, effectively advertised as non-Christian, can hope to accomplish. It’s doubtful you will change any minds. Perhaps a get together like this helps people maintain their non-belief?
@cpergiel: “Rock Beyond Belief is A Day of Fun and Entertainment for the Rest of Us.” I think it’s pretty clear that it’s not about any of the things you mentioned.
@cpergiel: I think what it hopes to accomplish is to hold an event at which people are not bludgeoned about the head and shoulders with evangelism. Just as with “the rest” of your friends, the contrast between ‘Rock the Fort’ and this event is that the topic of religion doesn’t have to come up. Not everything has to come with an agenda, sometimes people would like their fun to just be fun.