The Freethought Alliance–a coalition of 28 Orange County secular organizations–on May 4 hosts the county's first Sunday Assembly, ” a godless congregation that celebrates life.”
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Sunday Assemblies are held around the country and have received much press. (Visit Sundayassembly.com for proof, heathens!) Orange County's first ever takes place from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the Howard Johnson, 222 W. Houston Ave., Fullerton (off the 91 freeway and Harbor Boulevard).
Here's how the Freethought Alliance describes the Sunday Assembly, which is based on the events founded in London in January 2013:
Our aim is to live better, help often and wonder more. Our mission is to help everyone first discover, and then achieve their full potential. We meet because we know we are stronger together than on our own. Each service contains great songs,inspiring talks, interesting readings which, together, refresh the secular soul and nourish the mind. Come on down to sing great songs, hear inspiring talks, listen to interesting readings and, everyone's favorite, have a cup of tea and slice of cake at the end.
Sounds oddly familiar. Will they be passing a collection plate?
Ian Dodd is the scheduled emcee, and guest speakers include Heina Dadabhoy and Jerry DeWitt (a Southern Baptist minister turned atheist!). Ian Harris entertains.
Many Freethought Alliance members will already be familiar with the HoJo's by the time of the Sunday Assembly because it's where the day before they are scheduled to hold the fifth annual Orange County Freethought Alliance Conference. (Pray they got a discounted rate!)
World-renowned skeptic and founding Skeptic magazine publisher Michael Shermer is scheduled to be the first speaker at 10:15 a.m. Saturday. Registration is $135 in advance, $145 at the door. “We are fully tax-deductible 501C3 organization,” notes Bruce Gleason of Freethought Alliance. Learn more at freethoughtalliance.org.
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OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.