Subject: Project update-The Last Presentation educational video

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2006 20:46:26 EDT

7/5/06

Hello Amanda Chesworth,
 
Here is a project update from Marvin Straus, [email-masked], 303-494-4926, on 
The Freethinkers of Colorado Springs' Fund to Distribute The Last 
Presentation.

The fund has been open for 60 days.  These are the results:

1) Forty-seven generous individuals have mailed checks or used PayPal to 
contribute $6,103.50.
2) The Atheists Alliance has provided a statement of support from Bobbie 
Kirkhart, President, and they have also featured the TLP project on the Spotlight 
section of their website.
3) Six other organizations have posted the fund request e-mail on their 
website.
4) Many people are forwarding the fund-request e-mail to others on their 
address lists.  We know that because of the responses and contributions we have 
received.
5) There have been 54 requests for copies of the DVD.
6) Eight people or organizations have provided testimonial statements that 
are posted on www.cocore.org.

There are only 70 days left in the fund drive to raise the remaining $19,000.

I know that $19,000 is a lot of money, but this is a worthwhile ambitious 
project.
Look how far we have come!  We've reached over 20% of our goal!

Please continue to support the fund by:

1) Giving money.
2) Forwarding the request e-mail below to your friends.
3) Webmasters can post a link on their website.

Funding e-mail and project information below.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

This e-mail was written by Marvin Straus, 303-494-4926, [email-masked], the 
producer and director of The Last Presentation.  Want to DO SOMETHING to 
encourage the separation of church and state?

I am writing to introduce an exciting and ambitious project to distribute a 
free educational DVD to 16,000 high schools in the United States.  With help 
from many people in the secular world, work has already been completed on The 
Last Presentation (TLP).

>From Bobbie Kirkhart, President of Atheist Alliance International. "The 
Atheist Alliance International applauds this very first effort at explaining 
atheist philosophy to high school classrooms by way of a widely distributed DVD 
specifically produced for this purpose.  We believe it is a valuable contribution 
to the curriculum of comparative religion studies."

TLP is a 38-minute educational video that targets social science high school 
classes on diversity, sociology, and comparative religion.  This video depicts 
a speaker, Sara Price, presenting a nonbeliever's point-of-view a comparative 
religion class.  The 35 students have already heard from five speakers 
representing major religions.  Sara's talk about freethinkers, atheists, and secular 
humanists is The Last Presentation given to the class.  If you would like to 
read the TLP script, go to www.cocore.org.  The script download is available 
either as a word doc or an Adobe pdf file.  Feedback from beta showings of the 
video have been positive, ranging from "an excellent video" to "I'm so 
thankful someone is doing something." To receive a free evaluation copy of The Last 
Presentation, see the contact information below.

Some nonbelievers, including myself, have made similar presentations to high 
school classes.  When other speakers and I shared notes, we identified common 
themes.  Generally, students at these social science presentations:
1) Were very interested in the opinions of nonbelievers.
2) Wanted to know more about the subject.
3) Were supportive of the speakers and his or her views.
4) Asked identical questions at different schools.

A few students did display deep-seated negative feelings such as "all 
atheists are communists" or "since nonbelievers have no religious background to guide 
them, they are probably immoral and unethical."

After the presentations, many students said they had a more positive view of 
nonbelievers.

The problem: It is difficult to obtain an invitation to speak to a social 
science class. Teachers seldom invite nonbelievers, sometimes because they do not 
think of it.  Attempting to contact each school or school board to ask for 
the opportunity to address high school students would be inefficient and time 
consuming. 

The solution: Send TLP directly to the 16,000 public, high-school teachers.  
By doing so, with your help, we can
· open young minds to the secular world of logic, reason, and compassion, 
· encourage the separation of church and state, and
· encourage the teaching of evolution instead of Intelligent Design.

These students are future voters and potential supporters of Jefferson's 
wall.  They will become citizens who hopefully will protect the rights of 
minorities, including nonbelievers.  After watching the video, we hope the audience 
will think of nonbelievers as friends, not possible enemies.

WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT HELP!  Although the video has already been created, 
the cost of duplicating and mass mailing 16,000 DVDs will be $25,000.  The task 
of raising that much money is staggering, but together, with donations from 
$10 to $100, we can do it.  The Fund to Distribute The Last Presentation has 
been established by the Freethinkers of Colorado Springs (a 501C3 organization) 
to receive tax-deductible donations.  The fund is open now and will close 
September 4.  If we can raise enough money, the mass mailing to high schools will 
take place on October 4, 2006.  COCORE volunteers will pay all administrative 
costs, including PayPal charges, so that one hundred percent of all donations 
will go to the mass mailing project. 

You can support this worthwhile project in three ways:

1)  DONATE to the fund by:

 Mailing your check to
 The Freethinkers of Colorado Springs
 Fund to Distribute The Last Presentation
 PO Box 3481
 Boulder, CO 80307-3481
 or
 Use the Internet.  Go to www.cocore.org and click on PayPal.

2) Copy this appeal to your e-mail list.

3) Post a link on your website to www.cocore.org.

If you have questions, would like a list of high schools in your state, or 
would like a review copy of the DVD before donating, contact me.

Thank you for your consideration.

Marvin Straus
303-494-4926
[email-masked]

Here is a project update from Marvin Straus, [email-masked], 303-494-4926, on 
The Freethinkers of Colorado Springs' Fund to Distribute The Last 
Presentation.

The fund has been open for 60 days.  These are the results:

1) Forty-seven generous individuals have mailed checks or used PayPal to 
contribute $6,103.50.
2) The Atheists Alliance has provided a statement of support from Bobbie 
Kirkhart, President, and they have also featured the TLP project on the Spotlight 
section of their website.
3) Six other organizations have posted the fund request e-mail on their 
website.
4) Many people are forwarding the fund-request e-mail to others on their 
address lists.  We know that because of the responses and contributions we have 
received.
5) There have been 54 requests for copies of the DVD.
6) Eight people or organizations have provided testimonial statements that 
are posted on www.cocore.org.

There are only 70 days left in the fund drive to raise the remaining $19,000.

I know that $19,000 is a lot of money, but this is a worthwhile ambitious 
project.
Look how far we have come!  We've reached over 20% of our goal!

Please continue to support the fund by:

1) Giving money.
2) Forwarding the request e-mail below to your friends.
3) Webmasters can post a link on their website.

Funding e-mail and project information below.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

This e-mail was written by Marvin Straus, 303-494-4926, [email-masked], the 
producer and director of The Last Presentation.  Want to DO SOMETHING to 
encourage the separation of church and state?

I am writing to introduce an exciting and ambitious project to distribute a 
free educational DVD to 16,000 high schools in the United States.  With help 
from many people in the secular world, work has already been completed on The 
Last Presentation (TLP).

>From Bobbie Kirkhart, President of Atheist Alliance International. "The 
Atheist Alliance International applauds this very first effort at explaining 
atheist philosophy to high school classrooms by way of a widely distributed DVD 
specifically produced for this purpose.  We believe it is a valuable contribution 
to the curriculum of comparative religion studies."

TLP is a 38-minute educational video that targets social science high school 
classes on diversity, sociology, and comparative religion.  This video depicts 
a speaker, Sara Price, presenting a nonbeliever's point-of-view a comparative 
religion class.  The 35 students have already heard from five speakers 
representing major religions.  Sara's talk about freethinkers, atheists, and secular 
humanists is The Last Presentation given to the class.  If you would like to 
read the TLP script, go to www.cocore.org.  The script download is available 
either as a word doc or an Adobe pdf file.  Feedback from beta showings of the 
video have been positive, ranging from "an excellent video" to "I'm so 
thankful someone is doing something." To receive a free evaluation copy of The Last 
Presentation, see the contact information below.

Some nonbelievers, including myself, have made similar presentations to high 
school classes.  When other speakers and I shared notes, we identified common 
themes.  Generally, students at these social science presentations:
1) Were very interested in the opinions of nonbelievers.
2) Wanted to know more about the subject.
3) Were supportive of the speakers and his or her views.
4) Asked identical questions at different schools.

A few students did display deep-seated negative feelings such as "all 
atheists are communists" or "since nonbelievers have no religious background to guide 
them, they are probably immoral and unethical."

After the presentations, many students said they had a more positive view of 
nonbelievers.

The problem: It is difficult to obtain an invitation to speak to a social 
science class. Teachers seldom invite nonbelievers, sometimes because they do not 
think of it.  Attempting to contact each school or school board to ask for 
the opportunity to address high school students would be inefficient and time 
consuming. 

The solution: Send TLP directly to the 16,000 public, high-school teachers.  
By doing so, with your help, we can
· open young minds to the secular world of logic, reason, and compassion, 
· encourage the separation of church and state, and
· encourage the teaching of evolution instead of Intelligent Design.

These students are future voters and potential supporters of Jefferson's 
wall.  They will become citizens who hopefully will protect the rights of 
minorities, including nonbelievers.  After watching the video, we hope the audience 
will think of nonbelievers as friends, not possible enemies.

WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT HELP!  Although the video has already been created, 
the cost of duplicating and mass mailing 16,000 DVDs will be $25,000.  The task 
of raising that much money is staggering, but together, with donations from 
$10 to $100, we can do it.  The Fund to Distribute The Last Presentation has 
been established by the Freethinkers of Colorado Springs (a 501C3 organization) 
to receive tax-deductible donations.  The fund is open now and will close 
September 4.  If we can raise enough money, the mass mailing to high schools will 
take place on October 4, 2006.  COCORE volunteers will pay all administrative 
costs, including PayPal charges, so that one hundred percent of all donations 
will go to the mass mailing project. 

You can support this worthwhile project in three ways:

1)  DONATE to the fund by:

 Mailing your check to
 The Freethinkers of Colorado Springs
 Fund to Distribute The Last Presentation
 PO Box 3481
 Boulder, CO 80307-3481
 or
 Use the Internet.  Go to www.cocore.org and click on PayPal.

2) Copy this appeal to your e-mail list.

3) Post a link on your website to www.cocore.org.

If you have questions, would like a list of high schools in your state, or 
would like a review copy of the DVD before donating, contact me.

Thank you for your consideration.

Marvin Straus
303-494-4926
[email-masked]

(PS: We hate unwanted e-mail as much as you do.  If you do not wish to 
receive updates on this project, please notify me and I will remove you from the 
contact list.)