Hey folks,

The new site, saiu.org, is finally up. The old IU-hosted site now redirects here. This is your official source for information about the Secular Alliance, especially our current events and what we’re all about.

So far the new site has been tested on Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Chrome and Opera, but if you notice any glitches in your browser, let us know!

Event: Russell’s Tea Party
Date: 9/21/08
Time: 12pm (noon)
Location: Indiana Memorial Union (IMU) Charter Room

Discussion topic: How do you feel about the “new atheist” movement, and how does this fit into your desires for the SAIU? We’ll also discuss the possibility of a 21+ Skeptics in the Pub night for of-age members, and go over upcoming events for those who are interested.
Description/explanation: Bertrand Russell coined the analogy of a celestial teapot, now dubbed “Russell’s Teapot,” which is now one of the first examples of a parody religion. These parody religions include the Flying Spaghetti Monster (www.venganza.org), the Invisible Pink Unicorn (Wikipedia page), and the Church of Google(www.thechurchofgoogle.org), among others. Following is Russell’s original description of the flying teapot analogy:

If I were to suggest that between the Earth and Mars there is a china teapot revolving about the sun in an elliptical orbit, nobody would be able to disprove my assertion provided I were careful to add that the teapot is too small to be revealed even by our most powerful telescopes. But if I were to go on to say that, since my assertion cannot be disproved, it is an intolerable presumption on the part of human reason to doubt it, I should rightly be thought to be talking nonsense. If, however, the existence of such a teapot were affirmed in ancient books, taught as the sacred truth every Sunday, and instilled into the minds of children at school, hesitation to believe in its existence would become a mark of eccentricity and entitle the doubter to the attentions of the psychiatrist in an enlightened age or of the Inquisitor in an earlier time.

The Russell’s Tea Party is, for SAIU, a time for discussion. Dry tea is provided, but we’ll borrow hot water from the IMU Starbucks or food court, or purchase other desired drinks or food there.

Event: Administrative meeting for SAIU
Date: 9/21
Time: 11am (before Tea Party discussion)
Location: IMU Charter Room
Description: Before the Russell’s Tea Party this Sunday, we’ll be having an executive meeting at 11am. This is for those interested in becoming officers, or simply being more actively involved with the group’s activities.

More specifically, we’ll be discussing the upcoming Cardboard Boat Regatta! We need to set up some dates for making the boat, figure out where we’re going to get cardboard and duct tape in mass amounts, and decide on boat decorations and themes, so we could use all the creativity and different brains that are available!