I'm delighted by the absence of idiotic "Jesus Loves You" post-its on AA's bulletin in the HSS. Perhaps you have been quicker at taking them down, or people stopped bothering to post them. Either way, it's all good.

I have been watching AA's bulletins and articles in the Paisano about the organization with interest since I started here @ UTSA this fall. While I agree in general with what you are trying to do, I think your cause suffers from the mudslinging seemingly going back and forth between your organization and local Jesusfolk. For a while I saw less than polite replies to the "Jesus Loves You" messages and other Christian propaganda pasted on your bulletin, and while I don't know whether those replies were by members of your organization or random walkers-by who decided to vent all over the poster, either way it didn't look good.

I recently saw an article about the Smut For Smut days you organize on occasion. Tickled pink by the mere concept, and the thought of turning in some of the religious hoopla mags we keep getting (courtesy of my mother-in-law) for some fresh wank material, I told my wife about Smut For Smut, who asked me a poignant question: "What do they hope to accomplish?"

Good question.

I have always understood atheism as denying the existence of a superior entity, a "god", a bearded dude in the sky pulling the strings. I never saw atheism as being the foundation for ridicule, or hatred, of religion. You may tell a journalist that you want to engage people in intelligent debate and open minds, but some of the material you have on your web site, for example, including the Smut For Smut project, paint a very different picture.

Because through much of what you are saying, it seems as if instead of blindly believing in something, you choose to blindly hate those who do. Perhaps you as individuals detest religion (a stance which I quite sympathize with), but as an organization, by being so visibly resentful of religion, Christianity in particular, you come across as being spiteful and just as close-minded as those who you are trying to challenge. It means that you're not presenting yourself as being right, just yelling louder.

In a country where almost everyone seem to be steeped neck deep in one form of blind faith or another, you should focus on reaching those whose minds are open, not those whose minds are closed, because the approach you are taking right now is only good for closing them.