Today is the day that Reason finally came to Washington DC. Update!

Today the Reason Rally is being held in Washington D.C..

Speakers include Richard Dawkins, comedian Eddy Izzard, Adam Savage of Mythbusters, the Amazing Randi, and many others.

Here is what the Washington Post had to report on the festivities:

“Our goals in four words: social and legislative equality,” rally spokesman Jesse Galef said. “There are so many stigmas against atheists.” 

In a piece for The Washington Post’s On Faith blog, David Silverman, president of American Atheists, wrote: 
“While the Reason Rally is a non-partisan event with attendees from all along the political spectrum, it is a statement to Washington, to our elected leaders, and to the rest of the nation that nonbelievers are a legitimate political segment of the American population.” 

According to the American Religious Identification Survey in 2008, the number of people who claim no specific religious affiliation had grown to 34 million, 15 percent of the U.S. adult population. A survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life conducted in 2008 yielded similar findings. 

“What is lost, what is flying under the radar is that there is a growing and mushrooming atheist movement in the U.S.,” said Rick Wingrove, chief executive of Beltway Atheists.

Damn, I really wish I had the money, and time, to attend this event. I do so enjoy having discussions with intelligent people about complicated issues.

But then I have all of you for that now don't I?

I will continue to post updates of some of the speeches and discussions that take place at the rally as they come online.

Until then just remember:

Update: Just in case you did not think this rally was cool, ask yourself this, where else could you meet the Amazing Randi...

....and see Jesus riding a dinosaur?

I mean seriously?

One of my personal heroes.

An Honest Liar - Work-in-Progress trailer from Justin Weinstein on Vimeo.

When I was in my early twenties I found this book, and read it cover to cover.

This was during a time when I was spending a lot of time researching religions and philosophy, and was looking at the world with renewed skepticism. For critical thinkers and skeptics Randi was an absolute MUST read.

Though somewhat dated now, at the time Flim-Flam was a groundbreaking book that helped to set me on a truth seeking path, and helped to instill in me the necessity of always questioning the reality of what I was told, or even witnessed, and to NEVER accept the supernatural, or fantastical, explanation often provided without studying the evidence provided thoroughly.

If the purpose of having this outsized brain, and ability to reason, is to better understand the world around us, then we could have few better role models than James Randi.

Just my opinion.

You can visit the website to learn more about this documentary here. They are seeking investors, so if you are a mind....