Update: Watch the video of Ms. Castle's talk on YouTube
Monday, May 13, 2013, 7 pm
St. Cloud Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (map)
Long-time Minnesota activist and atheist Marie Alena Castle will be introducing her newly released book, "Culture Wars: The Threat to Your Family and Your Freedom", at a special program sponsored by the Central Minnesota Freethinkers on Monday, May 13th. The program will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall, 3226 Maine Prairie Rd., St. Cloud at 7:00 pm and is free and open to everyone who wishes to attend.
Her new book looks at the Constitutional ideal of the Separation of Church and State and the reality of the many laws in our Country that are based on clearly religious concepts. These include things like laws prohibiting both contraception and abortions, limits on reality-based sex education in schools and bans against stem-cell research. Suicides are prohibited no matter how horribly a person may be suffering. There are Bible readings and prayers sessions held in public schools and Creationism is taught in many places as a legitimate alternative to Evolution. There are laws against same-sex marriage and laws actually criminalizing homosexuality. Books are banned, religious organizations are given special tax preferences and in some places atheists are not allowed to run for political office. There are even still laws on the books prohibiting liquor sales on Sundays.
When in her 30's, Marie Alena went back to school and, while still raising five children, managed to earn a degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota. Over the years she has been actively involved in labor union issues, the anti-Vietnam War movement, was a charter member of the National Organization of Women when it formed in Minneapolis and worked for the Abortion Rights movement both before and after Roe v Wade was passed. She has been very active in the Hemlock Society working for death with dignity and, when the Twin Cities Chapter of American Atheists disbanded, she helped form the Minnesota Atheists and served as its president for 10 years. She is currently the communications director for Atheists For Human Rights and is the editor of their magazine "The Moral Atheist".
She will have copies of her new book for purchase and signing at the presentation.