Your organizer for this event has been doing a deep dive into ancient Biblical history, first century and its aftermath through the creation of the Bible. It is really crazy stuff.
It is any crazier than real life in our Project 2025 universe? Perhaps not. I imaging us having a comedy challenge. All the members would agree to surround the chair they are sitting on with pillows. Each member that wants to join the challenge would share some ludicrous fact about grown men (and women) are saying or doing something absolutely ludicrous. The winner would be the one who causes the maximum number to fall off their chairs from laughter. The rules would be that it could not be a joke. Just state the ludicrous fact. Well we might not do that contest but I will most certainly allow those in our meeting to laugh at the absurdities that are asserted to be rational thought or governance.
The posting of this announcement (5/22/2025) has the passing of the House budget bill, slashing science and Medicaid funding, will have a dinner for 220 who most contributed to the Trump meme coin, and the Defense Department accepted the luxury 747 plan from Qatar with the crazy notion that it will be a new Air Force One. These are each insane, ludicrous facts in the news in just this one day. Will ending over 30% of cancer research funding actually make things better?
Clyde organized an excellent session on the bizarre gay conversion therapy scam.
I have also become fond of going to religious gatherings and announcing that I am a hard atheist who sees a zero probability of there being a God. So far that has worked out OK. It might make for interesting tales.
Let us not to forget to have fun. Our community is here to both acknowledge the chaos and somehow remain sane in spite of insanity. We can connect and share our thought on how to remain positive.
This meeting will be closed in that only vetted secular members will be allowed to join in our discussions. That has worked perfectly so, please see directions below for new members who wish to attend.
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Our meetings have become a target for organized zoom bombing. Our major topic of discussion has been Christian nationalism and its hideous impacts across America. They have good reason to try to force us to stop our meetings. This requires us to work to preclude militant religious extremists from wrecking our meetings.
We will not post the zoom link for our meeting. The zoom link information will be delivered by email or direct personal messaging to trusted attendees only. I am now comfortable that this procedure works well enough so that a zoom waiting room will not be required.
I have a Google Voice phone number, (202) 643-4366. I do not answer calls to that number. But it does and excellent job of transcribing messages. People can use this number to verbally describe items requested in a possible email below.
I use the email: don1wharton (at) outlook (dot) com for social media, including Meetup. Please email the following:
Name:
Zoom ID if different than name:
your email to receive zoom info:
Specify that you are RSVPing for this meeting only if you
do not want to receive future zoom invites.
--People can UNSUBSCRIBE by replying to a future zoom invite with UNSUB in the subject line.
If you are a first time attendee, please share prior secular activities or cite your prior secular meetup attendance (making sure it is visible for us to confirm it) or arrange for a brief phone or zoom interview at a time of your convenience. This should insure enjoyable meetings.
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