I got my pic in the local paper!  hehe!  Yup, I'm in this pic.  My head is directly in front of the white-headed guy near the middle right.


Bob Gathany / The Huntsville Times
Sean Faircloth, executive director of Secular Coalition for America speaks at the Southeast Regional Meeting for American Atheists Saturday afternoon at the Holiday Inn Express.

Secular Coalition for America: Legislate for common good -- and mind your own business!

Faircloth was addressing those gathered for this weekend's Southeast Regional Atheists Meet, a regional meeting of American Atheists, which continues today, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Holiday Inn downtown.

He warned that laws based on attempts to regulate one religious view, such as limiting birth control or outlawing gay relationships, not only violate the U.S. Constitution, which was designed to be secular, but also cause harm.

"Our theme is that someone is being hurt; someone's rights are being violated," said Faircloth, drawing the first of several interrupting moments of applause during his talk Saturday.

Faircloth will host a workshop today at 1:30 p.m. about how those forming the Secular Coalition for Alabama, the second state affiliate of the national organization, can become active in influencing laws in Alabama to become religion-neutral.

When religion becomes part of law, everyone loses, Faircloth said. In Alabama, for instance, state laws regulating child care centers are exempted for centers run by religious organizations. Justice, he said, is a moral value those laws trample.

"We want one law for everybody," Faircloth said before his talk Saturday.

On Saturday, he spoke on "Moral Eunuchs: Sex, Morality, Women and Law." Faircloth, who prosecuted child abusers as a former assistant attorney general of Maine. In his 10 years in the Maine legislature, he also championed several bills affecting child welfare and protection. "But those at the top often want to focus on sexual regulation rather than the common good."

The meet, which has drawn 202 registered participants from around the Southeast and other states, included entertainment from actor Paul Provenza, who has written "Satiristas!" Psychologist Dr. Darrel Ray, author of "God Virus: How Religion Infects our Lives and Culture" and "The Performance Culture: Maximizing the Power of Teams," spoke on cultivating teamwork and overcoming leadership "blindspots."

Blair Scott, now communications director for American Atheists and former president of Alabama Atheists, formally handed over leadership of North Alabama Freethought Association to Christie Swords. Scott recalled how the group has grown from his wife and himself in 2003 to about 500 members now.

"A lot of people are coming out of the closet now," said Scott Savage, director of Alabama Atheists and a longtime member of NAFA.

A few Christians from Mississippi gathered across the street from the hotel Saturday morning to hand out Bibles to those attending the conference.

Savage, who spoke with the group for a while, said he was glad to get a copy because he hadn't had one that printed Jesus' words in red.

"From our point of view, the Bible is the best tool we have to convert people to atheism," Savage said.

Today's program includes panel discussions on several issues, Paul Provenza's stand-up routine at 2:30 p.m. Dave Silverman, president of American Atheists is to speak at 3:15 p.m.