Go Attend Rapture Day!

May 11, 2011 By 12 Comments

Atheists are doing some awesome things on college campuses in Kansas.

I’ve spent the past two weekends there. The first was at Kansas State University where I spoke to a large gathering of Christians and atheists. This past weekend, I was at the University of Kansas, where the Society of Open Minded Atheists and Agnostics put on ReasonFest — a student-run conference where attendees could come for free to hear speakers like Dan Barker and Darrel Ray.

Now, Air Capital Skeptics (SkeptICT) at Wichita State University are holding their own conference on the day that some Christians believe Jesus is coming back: It’s called Rapture Day. And if you can find a way to attend, you’ll want to go.

It’s free — though they ask that you pre-register so they can get a headcount — and the speakers include: Blair Scott (Communications Director for American Atheists), Dr. Darrel W. Ray (author of The God Virus), author/philosopher Richard Carrier, JT Eberhard (high school campus organizer for the Secular Student Alliance), and several others.

At ReasonFest, a debate on God’s existence drew in over 600 people. I’d love to see the crowd in Wichita top that.

It’s always tough for a student group to get even one speaker to come to their school, much less several at one time. It takes a lot of dedication to get money from the university, take care of all the logistics, spread word about what they’re doing, etc. The fact that the folks at Wichita State are putting together a freaking conference is simply amazing. I hope these student-run events just get bigger over time.

Filed Under: General, Secular Student Alliance 12 Comments
  • Brian

    I’d love to go, but we nontheistic seniors of Luther College are having an End of the World party on the 21st (we graduate on the 22nd)

  • Larry Meredith

    Let me see if I can fit this in my schedule
    May 20 – Draw Muhammad Day
    May 21 – Rapture

    Yeah, that sounds good.

  • http://blondenonbeliever.blogspot.com/ Kasha D.

    I’m organizing a big party for the Rapture! Someone mentioned that it might be a little tough getting home at the end of the night, because there will inevitably be abandoned cars on the road after the good Christians are swept instantaneously up to heaven, though. Oh well, we’ll manage.

  • http://wwjtd.net JT Eberhard

    These types of events are doubtlessly a huge part of the future of the movement, and I’d encourage all the atheist speakers out there, from Richard Dawkins to Sam Harris, to consider blocking off time to contribute to these free-to-attend student-run conferences.

    Students leave these conferences not just with a desire to contribute to the movement, but also with an augmented belief that they are able to contribute. When the Reason Rally (http://reasonrally.org) comes off next Spring you can bet the student/young persons attendance will be through the roof. You can also bet that the Midwest, where these conferences are blooming, will be disproportionately represented by an army of freshly-inspired activists on account of events like Reasonfest and Rapture Day.

    These events and these students are the future of our movement – and the future is unquestionably now. I am so unbelievably honored to be a part of this.

    JT

  • http://www.correntewire.com chicago dyke

    it’s the only way, H. seriously, out here where there are so few examples of life without belief, openly and not exceptionally? campus is about the only safe place for a passel of nontheists to gather. but yeah, a freaking conference is cool and i’m sorry it’s not in my town; i’d go.

  • e-man

    If we are all gathered and the rapture occurs and only a few people are taken isn’t that going to make god feel bad as we all start crying and feeling sorry for ourselves what with being left out?
    I don’t want to make god feel bad.

  • http://www.laughinginpurgatory.com/ Andrew Hall

    Don’t forget Towel Day is on May 25th.

  • http://notanygods.blogspot.com/ Miss Coconut

    E-man: God? Feel bad? Ahahahahahaha! I think we’d need to burn some clean and approved-of animals so the aroma would calm him down in order for him not to curse us and all of our offspring.

  • Blasphemous_Kansan

    Truly enjoyed your talk at Reasonfest, Hemant, and thanks for the book signing!
    Made our day!

  • Kat

    I actually attend Wichita State University, and I haven’t heard of this yet – I think I’ll make a note of it, and watch for the flyers and events boards. This is so awesome!

  • http://hoverFrog.wordpress.com hoverfrog

    I feel I should be celebrating another embarrassing incident where a religious pronouncement is shown to be false but there are so many of them that I just don’t have the energy. I think I’ll just have a lie in on rapture day. Maybe some tea.

  • Lensman

    Did anyone see the picture of the controversial billboard that was recently put up by another spiritual group near Family Radio’s headquarters? It directly challenges them about May 21. Here is a picture of it:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/62779138@N08/5708063636