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| Dr. Vijayam Visits Two AU Chapters |
| Written by Stuart Bechman |
| Monday, 11 August 2008 17:33 |
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Two of our AU chapters had the treat of hosting Dr. Goparaju Vijayam, Executive Director of the Atheist Centre of India, in June. Dr. Vijayam was touring the United States throughout the month following his speech at the 2008 IHEU Convention in Washington, DC. He came through California the last week of the month and spoke at our AU San Fernando Valley group meeting as well as at our newest chapter in Anaheim/Buena Park. Dr. Vijayam gave excerpts of his IHEU speech and talked about the rampant superstition among the rural Indian community that his Atheist Centre works to overcome. He shared stores about the "God-men" who travel around India and develop cult followings by doing magic tricks and claiming divine powers. He showed photos of a local fair where the Atheist Centre invited volunteers to show them how they, too, could "breathe fire" out of their mouth without any harm. The turnout at the San Fernando Valley meeting was the largest we have ever had with almost two dozen people, stuffing the back room of the Kountry Folks restaurant and keeping the waitstaff quite busy. The Anaheim group had 8 people, which was a great turnout for their first-ever meeting. We look forward to both groups carrying that inertia forward into the future. Dr. Vijayam concluded his presentations with an invitation for US atheists to come attend the Seventh World Atheist Conference at the Atheist Centre in India January 5-7, 2009. The Conference will host atheist dignitaries from all around the world. Delegate fee is only $150 for all food and lodging at the Centre in the heart of Vijayawada, a community of over a million people. Attendees can easily travel to Vijayawada by train from Chennei, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi or Calcutta, all of which host major international airports. Those who cannot personally come can still receive all Conference materials and souvenirs for $100. Conference registration fees would be paid by check or banker's draft, made out to "Atheist Centre," and sent to the Centre. Further information on the Atheist Centre and the Seventh World Atheist Conference may be found at www.atheistcentre.in and www.positiveatheism.com. |