Atheists protest by donating blood
Lindsey Thomas
Issue date: 4/30/08 Section: City/State
While New York's worshippers are filling churches, mosques and synagogues to pray tomorrow on the National Day of Prayer, atheists in the city will be gathering to protest.
The Center for Atheism, a national group of atheists based in New York City, will be holding its annual Gift to Life Day as an alternative to the National Day of Prayer on May 1. Atheists - as well as anyone else wishing to participate - will visit their local blood banks to donate blood and sign up for organ donation programs, said Ken Bronstein, president of both the CFA and New York City Atheists.
Each year, the U.S. president proclaims an official day of prayer and encourages citizens to participate. "As Atheists, we don't think this is right," Bronstein said.
He said the blood drive is a positive reaction and it "reflects how an atheist would approach a problem."
Over 1,000 pints of blood were donated in last year's efforts by the CFA. This year, nationwide atheist conventions will also offer blood programs, Bronstein said.
Not all atheists were supportive of the Gift to Life blood drive, however. Some opposed it because other groups run blood programs; others opposed it because the blood donation centers prohibited homosexual males from donating blood, and still others were concerned about the bias against atheists.
"We're pushing to get that changed," Bronstein said.
As an affiliate of the CFA, New York City Atheists will be holding its own blood drive tomorrow from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Citigroup Center blood bank on 54th Street.
New York City Atheists, which draws most of its members from the metropolitan area, has brought together hundreds of atheists over the past few years. But membership is open to both nonbelievers and believers - including humanists, skeptics and advocates of the separation between church and state.
"There's a variety of people [who are members] because atheists aren't all the same. Atheism itself is a disagreement," said Greg Benson, a member of New York City Atheists from Brooklyn.
Separation of church and state is one issue that unites many of the groups' members.
Neither the CFA nor New York City Atheists has physical headquarters, but they host monthly and weekly meetings, go on trips and sponsor street tabling, newsletters and cable television shows.
"It provides the social interaction people get from churches for people who don't go to churches," said Jay, a member of New York City Atheists from the Los Angeles area.
New York City Atheists works with the Albany-based Secular Student Alliance as well, Bronstein said.
Seth Pollack, campus organizer of the SSA and a freshman at CUNY Queens, said it promotes "skeptical thought as well as the defense and organization of students who don't subscribe to a theistic ideology."
Lindsey Thomas is a staff writer. E-mail her at citystate@nyunews.com.
The Center for Atheism, a national group of atheists based in New York City, will be holding its annual Gift to Life Day as an alternative to the National Day of Prayer on May 1. Atheists - as well as anyone else wishing to participate - will visit their local blood banks to donate blood and sign up for organ donation programs, said Ken Bronstein, president of both the CFA and New York City Atheists.
Each year, the U.S. president proclaims an official day of prayer and encourages citizens to participate. "As Atheists, we don't think this is right," Bronstein said.
He said the blood drive is a positive reaction and it "reflects how an atheist would approach a problem."
Over 1,000 pints of blood were donated in last year's efforts by the CFA. This year, nationwide atheist conventions will also offer blood programs, Bronstein said.
Not all atheists were supportive of the Gift to Life blood drive, however. Some opposed it because other groups run blood programs; others opposed it because the blood donation centers prohibited homosexual males from donating blood, and still others were concerned about the bias against atheists.
"We're pushing to get that changed," Bronstein said.
As an affiliate of the CFA, New York City Atheists will be holding its own blood drive tomorrow from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Citigroup Center blood bank on 54th Street.
New York City Atheists, which draws most of its members from the metropolitan area, has brought together hundreds of atheists over the past few years. But membership is open to both nonbelievers and believers - including humanists, skeptics and advocates of the separation between church and state.
"There's a variety of people [who are members] because atheists aren't all the same. Atheism itself is a disagreement," said Greg Benson, a member of New York City Atheists from Brooklyn.
Separation of church and state is one issue that unites many of the groups' members.
Neither the CFA nor New York City Atheists has physical headquarters, but they host monthly and weekly meetings, go on trips and sponsor street tabling, newsletters and cable television shows.
"It provides the social interaction people get from churches for people who don't go to churches," said Jay, a member of New York City Atheists from the Los Angeles area.
New York City Atheists works with the Albany-based Secular Student Alliance as well, Bronstein said.
Seth Pollack, campus organizer of the SSA and a freshman at CUNY Queens, said it promotes "skeptical thought as well as the defense and organization of students who don't subscribe to a theistic ideology."
Lindsey Thomas is a staff writer. E-mail her at citystate@nyunews.com.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 11
Morse
posted 4/30/08 @ 10:14 AM EST
Brilliant! I would encourage any believers to also forgo or postpone their praying tomorrow and give blood as well. Or better yet, pray while you're giving blood. (Continued…)
Caitlin
posted 4/30/08 @ 6:46 PM EST
This is a really stupid article. I really don't care what the atheists are doing. I consider myself an atheist, but I don't appreciate an atheist club trying to make the beliefs of others seem silly. (Continued…)
Sasha
posted 4/30/08 @ 9:58 PM EST
Caitlin...
Your comment is really stupid. Are you actually saying it's a bad idea for atheists to donate blood and advertising about it? So what if it's on National Prayer day, they are free to donate blood WHENEVER they wish. (Continued…)
Meg
posted 4/30/08 @ 10:37 PM EST
This is great...National Day of Prayer really needs to be abolished. It is such a ridiculous and close-minded idea, and by no means follows the separation of church and state. (Continued…)
David Marjanovi?
posted 5/01/08 @ 2:13 PM EST
Now, could someone please explain to me how National Prayer Day is constitutional???
Besides, it's International Labor Day anyway. Only the USA and Canada don't celebrate it. (Continued…)
Candice Lee
posted 5/01/08 @ 5:41 PM EST
National Prayer Day is not a constitutional law that must be obeyed. If so, that would indeed violate our rights as free citizens. However, National Prayer Day is on par with any national holiday, which are suggested and encouraged but most certainly not enforced, including those with religious and/or spiritual connotations. (Continued…)
David
posted 5/01/08 @ 6:02 PM EST
Re: Caitlin
If you don't consider the dogmas of today's modern religions to be silly (virgin birth, etc.) then you should not consider yourself to be an atheist. (Continued…)
Caitlin
posted 5/02/08 @ 3:12 PM EST
Re: David
being an atheist does not mean that you have to hate all religions and stop people from being religous.
that makes you worse than those "silly" virgin-birth believers. (Continued…)
David
posted 5/10/08 @ 12:46 PM EST
The National Day of Prayer is by far one of the most rediculous holidays the neocons have ever created.Nothing absolutely nothing fails like begging or praying to an imaginary diety. (Continued…)
Leo
posted 5/10/08 @ 11:35 PM EST
Plenty of atheists, such as Michael Barone, are not only not hostile to governments expressing the cultural values of the people, but also correctly understand the Constitution. (Continued…)
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