FUSsa-talk Mailing List: Fwd: NYC ATHEISTS SPANISH SPEAKING MEETUP GROUP - TUESDAY - DECEMBER 29, 2009 - 7PM

[Robert Tapp (tappx001]

I'm forwarding this as another reminder of the potential humanists Latinos who 
have outgrown childhood Catholicism as well as that increasingly-popular 
Pentecostalism in their own communities. We should be reaching out to them here 
in the Twin Cities.

The sociological complexities that make it more difficult for African-Americans 
(new as well as old) to join majority-white churches are much less of a problem 
with Latinos and Asian-Americans.

Bob



Begin forwarded message:

> From: KENNETH BRONSTEIN <nycatheists10 [at] gmail.com>
> Date: December 24, 2009 3:39:35 PM CST
> To: NYCATHEISTS10 [at] gmail.com
> Subject: NYC ATHEISTS SPANISH SPEAKING MEETUP GROUP - TUESDAY - DECEMBER 29, 
> 2009 - 7PM
> 
> Spanish-Speaking Atheists Reaching Out To Latino Community 
> Come Out, Come Out, Says New Group to Hidden Nonbelievers
> 
> The Spanish-speaking community in New York City and environs has long been 
> known to be predominantly religious; it is thought that some 90 percent of 
> Latinos are devout catholics.
> 
> That is not really accurate, says Juan Castro, leader of New York City 
> Atheists’ (NYCA) first Spanish-speaking division. Castro believes that the 
> oft-quoted figure overlooks up to 15 percent of the Latin community who are 
> hidden atheists but have not come out as such.
> 
> Spanish-speaking atheists do not “come out” freely or easily because (1) they 
> do not wish to offend the majority and (2) religion in the Latin 
> neighborhoods is as much about community, festivals and family events as it 
> is about faith, according to Castro. 
> But all that may be changing. Castro and a group of avant-garde Spanish 
> community members from the New York area have organized a small but vital 
> group of atheist leaders who are planning to make new inroads into Spanish 
> communities here and in the Boroughs.
> 
> Meet Tuesday, DECEMBER 29, 2009
> 
> 
> The group, sponsored by NYCA, is having its meeting on Tuesday, DECEMBER 29 
> to plan ways of reaching out to the nonreligious in Latin communities.
> 
> On the agenda for the Tuesday meeting is: planning ways to convince Latino 
> atheists to “come out”; how to publicize the group; how to educate young 
> Latinos that there are alternatives to religion; how to form close atheist 
> units that will provide some of the unity that religion now offers to the 
> Spanish community.
> 
> If you are a Spanish-speaking atheist, come to this second meeting of the 
> first, historic Latino atheist group in the Metropolitan area! Give your 
> support to the brave iconoclasts--the teachers, scientists, businessmen and 
> professionals—who are pioneers in organizing Spanish nonbelievers!
> 
> EVENT SUMMARY
> 
> 
> WHAT: “REACHING OUT TO ATHEISTS IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY” – A discussion led 
> by 
> Juan Castro, leader of the first Spanish-speaking atheist group in the New 
> York Metropolitan area. 
> WHEN: Tuesday, DECEMBER 29, 2009 at 7 p.m.
> 
> WHERE: MOONSTRUCK DINER - 449 THIRD AVE. (31ST) - 2ND FLOOR ROOM
> COST: Free. PLEASE ORDER FROM MENU
> 
> FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
> 
> Juan Castro 
> New York Region Spanish-Speaking Atheists (NYRSSA) 
> Phone: 646-387-2796
> =======================
> Ateos Hispanoparlantes Alargan la Mano a la Comunidad Latina/Hispana
> “Declárense”, “Declárense”, Dice un Grupo Nuevo a los No Creyentes Ocultos
> 
> Se ha sabido por mucho tiempo que la comunidad hispanoparlante de la Ciudad 
> de Nueva York y sus alrededores es predominantemente religiosa; se piensa que 
> el 90 por ciento de los Latinos son católicos devotos.
> 
> Esto no es realmente exacto, dice Juan Castro, líder de la primera sección de 
> hispanoparlantes de New York City Atheists (NYCA). Castro piensa que esa 
> cifra, tantas veces citada, ignora hasta un 15 por ciento de la comunidad 
> hispana que se compone de ateos ocultos que no se han declarado aún.
> 
> Los ateos hispanoparlantes no “se declaran” libre y fácilmente porque (1) no 
> desean ofender a la mayoría y (2) la religión en las comunidades latinas 
> forma parte tanto de la comunidad, sus festivales y sus acontecimientos 
> familiares como de lo que es la fe en sí, según Castro.
> 
> Pero todo esto puede estar cambiando. Castro y un grupo de vanguardia de 
> miembros de la comunidad hispanoparlante del área de Nueva York han 
> organizado a un grupo de líderes ateos pequeño pero enérgico que está 
> planeando abrir caminos en las comunidades hispanoparlantes y en los 
> “Condados” (“Boroughs”).
> Reunión el martes, 29 de DECEMBER
> El grupo, auspiciado por NYCA, celebrará su segunda reunión el martes, 29 de 
> DECEMBER, para planificar los modos de alargar la mano a los no religiosos de 
> las comunidades latinas.
> 
> Se incluyen los siguientes en la agenda de la reunión del martes: planear 
> cómo convencer a los ateos latinos de que “alarguen la mano”; cómo dar a 
> conocer al grupo mediante publicidad; cómo dejar saber a los latinos jóvenes 
> que hay alternativas a las religiones; cómo crear unidades estrechas de ateos 
> que se proporcionen a sí mismas una parte de la unidad que la religión le 
> ofrece actualmente a la comunidad hispana.
> 
> ¡Si usted es un ateo hispanoparlante, venga a esta segunda reunión del 
> primer, histórico, grupo de latinos ateos del Área Metropolitana! ¡Dé su 
> apoyo a estos valientes iconoclastas—maestros, científicos, comerciantes y 
> profesionales—que son los pioneros de la organización de hispanoparlantes no 
> creyentes! 
> RESUMEN DEL ACONTECIMIENTO
> QUÉ: “Ateos Hispanoparlantes Alargan la Mano a la Comunidad Latina/Hispana” – 
> discusión dirigida por Juan Castro, líder del primer grupo de ateos 
> hispanoparlantes del ÁreaMetropolitana de Nueva York
> CUÁNDO: Martes, 29 de DECEMBER de 2009, a las 7:00 p.m.
> DÓNDE: MOONSTRUCK DINER - 449 THIRD AVE. (31ST) - 2ND FLOOR ROOM
> COSTO: Gratis. PLEASE ORDER FROM MENU
> 
> PARA MÁS INFORMACIÓN:
> Juan Castro
> New York Region Spanish-Speaking Atheists (NYRSSA)
> [Ateos Hispanoparlantes del Área de Nueva York (NYRSSA por las siglas en 
> inglés)]
> Teléfono: 646-387-2796
> 
> =======================