SAIU wins “Best Affiliate” award from SSA!
Posted on July 7th, 2009 by SarahThe Secular Student Alliance has awarded SAIU with their 2009 Best Affiliate award. In the announcement on their website, they describe why our group was given this honor:
The Secular Alliance at Indiana University started just over a year ago, but you’d never guess it from their numbers. They started their semester with a visit from atheist author John Loftus. They then organized a group field trip to the Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY, and collaborated to make a video of their trip, which you can see on Vimeo. This semester they met with other freethought groups in Indiana and have spearheaded the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign, which already has “You can be good without God” ads on buses in several cities across the state. They have garnered 200 members in just one school year, have built an effective and eye-catching website, and have applied for office space for their group in the fall! We’d like to congratulate the Secular Alliance for their accomplishments this far and hope to see more great work from them in the years to come!
The award for SAIU should look something like this, except with Secular Alliance of IU where Tufts' group name is listed.
SAIU will receive a very shiny plaque that looks something like this one, in addition to a $500 cash award to spend on our group.
How should we plan on spending the money?
You might be one of those who are abandoning Christianity; one for whom religious beliefs are not just irrelevant, but baseless. You might be right, at least to some extent. Some traditional beliefs are not true, and the “God” of main line traditions simply does not exist. Most people don’t dare to confront their religious beliefs, and opt for the status quo, afraid of abandoning the “certainty” of their convictions. Most have become marginalized from the institutional Church, and try to find an environment in which they may fill a vacuum in their lives.
An illuminating book gives hope to you! The author accepted the challenge of finding the One who is recognized, even by Gnostics and atheists—the Existence. “Christianity Reformed From its Roots – A Life Centered in God” is perhaps a generation ahead of the current mentality, but you might find that there is something for you, too!
Bishop John Shelby Spong says of this book that it “rightly points out that those who seek to defend Christianity’s past are also killing Christianity’s future.” I am attaching two reviews of the book by eminent philosophers and thinkers that might give you an idea if this book is an insightful reading for you. You might look also at excerpts of the book at this link of Amazon.com.
Sincerely,
Jairo Mejia, M. Psych., Santa Clara University
Author – Retired Episcopal Priest
Carmel Valley, California
http://www.mbay.net/~jmejia/Grudzen.htm
http://www.mbay.net/~jmejia/Churcher.htm
Great job, SAIU. As an IU-Bloomington alumnus, I am deeply appreciative and quite proud of the extremely important work you are doing. Congratuations on this well-deserved recognition.