"Don't believe in God?" billboardInstallment 2

The ECS/Bergen Board gave me the okay to speak on behalf of The Society. So I emailed Freethought Action and the AHA.

Roy Speckhardt of the AHA, and Jan Meshon and Joseph Stewart of FTA were very receptive to the idea of referring and linking to us. Roy's comment was that they would be happy to mention us to reporters who contact them. Joseph, who runs the FTA blog, put a link to this blog and to the Society's webpage on the FTA blog (click the link and search for "ethical culture" to see it).

That's good. Hopefully some folks with humanistic leanings will see the billboard, surf to the FTA website, click through to us from FTA blog and walk through our door.

"Don't Believe in God? You are not alone."Bergen County billboard

Page 1 of today's Bergen Record trumpets God's Skeptics Get Comfort from Above and features the roadside billboard seen to the left. It's located on the NJ Turnpike in Ridgefield, about five miles away from the Ethical Culture Meeting House. Cool!

The Ethical Culture Society is a nontheistic organization (ref. AEU article, Wikipedia) and as such we do not explicitly espouse atheism or the denial of the existence of God or gods. I've always told friends who asked that our brand of nontheism means that we simply do not address the issue of god and that some of our members are, in fact, God-believers. If asked further, I say that we base our thinking and action on moral and ethical values that stem from humanity itself, as well as the natural world around us (an interesting reference in today's NY Times: The Moral Instinct by Steven Pinker).

Despite the self-applied nontheistic label, however, the fact is that the majority of our membership is atheistic or agnostic, or lean strongly in that direction. As a result, the freethoughtaction.org billboard on the NJ Turnpike in Ridgefield will appeal strongly to most of our membership. By the same token, many Turnpike drivers who view the billboard favorably would be sympathetic to Ethical Culture.

That is, if only they knew about it. If only those unsuspecting, God-questioning drivers knew that a humanistic society is a mere five miles from the billboard. How do we make the connection? One way is for the Ethical Culture Society to reach out to FTA and let them know we're here. That way, supportive inquiries coming to them as a result of the billboard can, in appropriate cases, be directed to us.

For example, say someone sends a supportive message to FTA that the billboard resonates with them but they need to keep going to church because they want their children in a Sunday school. Do they know that The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County has a humanistic Sunday school? Maybe ... maybe not. If FTA is willing to refer such emails to us, a few of them might contact us and voila ... connection.

So I'm on a mission. I've volunteered to contact the FTA on behalf of The Society and discuss the matter to see if they can help those Turnpike drivers make a connection with Ethical Culture. Check back in this space to see how it goes. And in the meantime, honk for free thought.

(Click for Google map of billboard location.)

How Might We Use This Blog?

Here's a first stab at a list of the ways that we might use this blog:

1. Transcripts of Joe Chuman's Platform Addresses and Essays.

While the society website already posts transcripts of Joe's platform addresses, it might make sense to also post them on the blog as the comments section could be used as a way for members and friends to comment on and discuss the topic raised in the address. Here's an example.

2. Announcements of Upcoming Society Events.

This blog provides an easy online way for members to announce upcoming events without always having to go through the webmaster.

3. Announcements of Upcoming Local Events of Interest to Members and Friends.

This blog can also be used to announce upcoming local events that might be of interest to members and friends such as concerts, films, lectures, sit-ins, protests, etc.

4. Discussion of Issues Relevant to the Society.

Society members could use this blog as a venue to highlight issues that are relevant to the work of the Society in order to engage in a meaningful dialogue with members and friends.

5. Postmortems on Recent Society Events.

Another use of the blog might be for members to provide a recap of past events so that those who were unable to participate can find out what they missed. Here's an example.

Any other ideas or thoughts?