Hello,

I am glad to say I had the privilege to meet you all when I recently visited Austin. But back home my own group is under severe attack from the Christians that are vowing to destroy us.

I will post the link to our message board so oyu can read what has been going on. If you have any ideas as what to do or how to proceed please let us know.

Thank you,

Thomas True

I wish you could post more information on this. I would like to know if what is going on in your group fits with some things I have been told about. A few years ago a group in another state told me that they were under attack. I've been told about groups having problems for a long time.

Ponca City News Ponca City, Oklahoma Letter to the editor - Moore. Is this the same group - even if it isn't the same story - everyone should read this - I think all you have to do is put Ponca City News Ponca City, Oklahoma Letter to the editor - Moore in search and it will come up.

Is this the "Freethinker group" meeting at the Daily Grind? I read the letter to the editor - I'm sorry but I laughed out loud. That letter speaks volumes. I hate to have to inform you that there is plenty of the same thing right here, if this is the same story.

I also found the story about the Freethinker Group in - The Ponca City News, Ponca City, Oklahoma - New Freethinkers Group Formed in Kay County - let us know if this is the same group.

I looked at The Northern Oklahoma Freethinkers Meetup Group page and it is an interesting well done home page - for people who want to join the group. It looks like a much needed and interesting group.

Suggestion - write to The International Liaison Committee of Atheists and Freethinkers (ILCAF), Worldwide ILCAF calls for international cooperation to achieve human liberty and dignity - Defending and Protecting Atheism. Once you get on their website you can scroll down on the side and find (contact) and send a message. You can also join.

There are organizations that help with funding, and I know this one helps with funding in developing countries, but I don't know about our country.

The prior post has the correct information about the attacks and attitude from a small minority here in Northern Oklahoma. The Publisher of the local news wrote a wonderful supportive editorial of us as a honest hard working Americans that just want to associate together. Even the teen age girl called and apologized to the organizer about her tone in the letter.

The overall result at this point has been positive and a growth of the group has continued. I feel at this point we have a simmering point but as we continue to make ourselves more visible there is sure to be more backlash. One idea on the table is having a blood drive. We had a person from the local blood institute come to the meeting Today and tell us some of the details.

Thanks for checking in on us. We as atheists and freethinkers continue to grow, we need to keep in touch and be willing to support one another.

I am glad that while I was in Austin I got a chance to meet a few of you and talk about somethings we have in common.

As of this message we have about 66 members. That is pretty good for a group that just started in April in this conservative part of Oklahoma. I have heard that this town of about 20,000 has about 63 churches and one temple. This small group shouldn't be a threat to anyone that really believes what ever they believe. That is a church for every 313 persons. I think that is quite enough.

I found the newspaper article and used Ex-Okie (I was born there) pseudonym because there are ignorant fanatics on the message board pursing me, and interfering in every conversation I have with anyone on this message board. I wanted people to be able to read what you were talking about without having to read a lot of trash about me first. I guess some of us know exactly what you are talking about, possibly better than you know.

Thanks for putting this up for us Linda. I did enjoy reading the newspaper article and I was glad to hear that the Publisher of the local newspaper wrote a supportive editorial, and that they are growing. I hope that you will keep us up to date.

I wish I weren't so far from Ponca City. I'd join your group in a heart beat. I live in Mayes county and have yet to find a single atheist/agnostic person here. This little town has probably 1500 people in it and I can think of 8 churches off the top off the top of my head, and there is a huge one going up on the highway. I just moved from wichita about 8 months ago. I thought Kansas was backwards. Small town Oklahoma is ridiculous. I would see about starting a group out of the larger nearby town, but I think I'd seriously have to fear for the safety of my family.