Atheists Anonymous Monthly • Group discussions / New member welcome

At "Atheists Anonymous Monthly", we gather and engage in full group discussion in the comfort of a private room on the second Saturday of each month. Spoofing on "Alcoholics Anonymous", we come together partly in the spirit of a support group, welcoming new members and contemplating life as rationalists in a delusional and superstitious society. But really, we're just getting together to chat as a large group of godless humans.

This is a departure from our other monthly events in that it is a structured meeting with some ground rules for group discussion. The motivation is to connect with more of each other, which is difficult to accomplish if we're fractured into several small conversations. New members: You'll hear a brief overview of the meetup and then have an opportunity to introduce yourself and meet other active members, so please join us and share your thoughts and experiences. Shy members: Just come and spectate. You don't have to speak if you're not comfortable.

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Meeting outline:

• BRIEF WELCOME

• INTROS/OPENING RANTS
Please share with us a little bit about yourself and what brings you to the group. What's life like for you identifying as an atheist? What have your experiences with the meetup group been like thus far? Atheism & religion don't have to dominate-- what are your hobbies and interests? What do you do for a living? How'd you end up in Vegas?

• DISCUSSION TOPIC OF THE MONTH
When you lose religion, you lose the rituals (weddings, holidays, funerals, etc). Or do you? How do you acknowledge or celebrate the significant moments in life? Would atheism appeal to the masses better if rituals were prescribed and agreed upon by all atheists, as suggested in this article (http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/27/why-non-believers-need-rituals-atheists)?

• CLOSE

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At the conclusion of the meeting, attendees are encouraged to migrate to the pub area for continued discussions and drinks.

~ Brian