Bruin Alliance of Skeptics and Secularists

Frequently asked question: What’s the point of a group for atheists, who have nothing in common but a lack of belief? What do you do, anyways?

First of all, BASS is, strictly speaking, a skeptical and secularist group, not an atheist group. There are similarities, since most atheists happen to be skeptics and vice versa, but further similarities are moot. Also, we have much more in common than a simple lack of something. We all advocate skepticism and secularism, of course.

As for what we do, we talk, mostly. At least last year, we were not particularly effective at actually getting things done (maybe this will change this year?), but talking we could do. What do we talk about, you ask? Well, wonder no more, because I took notes during one of the meetings last year. Here is a real sample of our topics.

• The Bruin Standard – The most recent issue of UCLA’s alternative newspaper was full of stuff worth discussing. Michael Crichton says Global Warming consensus is a lie? Expelled! was a good movie? The porn addicts on Bruin Walk say sex is like a pineapple?
• Dinesh D’souza and his “hilarious” debate jokes.
• If you bring up the problem of evil by talking about your poor mother in Auschwitz, is that an effective tactic, or just an appeal to emotion?
• Why do some professors believe weird things? Why are some deeply religious?
• Holographic cards that block cell-phone radiation? Approved by quantum biology labs!
• What exactly happened between Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace?
• Planned Parenthood: racist? Fails to report rape?
• When and why is porn addiction bad? Some people in the group sure know a lot about porn…
• Should we legalize prostitution? Drugs?
• Why are we so poor at risk assessment? What’s the chance of actually getting killed by a shark? By a falling coconut?
• The Toupee fallacy – This is when you think you can always spot a fake toupee, when really, you simply don’t know about all the toupees you’ve missed.

After the meeting, me and a few others started discussing literary theory.

Let it never be said that we have nothing to talk about.

Newcomers are welcome at every meeting.  I do not yet know the meeting times, but I think they will be announced very soon.

Last 5 posts by Tristan Miller

• While I was away... - July 14th, 2011
• Quantum Mechanics for skeptics - May 24th, 2010
• I Sold My Soul on eBay - April 18th, 2010
• Presentation: Separation of Church and State - March 6th, 2010
• BASS protests the Westboro Baptist Church - January 17th, 2010