The Reason Rally is an event sponsored by many of the country’s largest and most influential secular organizations. It will be free to attend and will take place in Washington, D.C. on March 24th, 2012 from 10:00AM – 6:00PM at the National Mall. There will be music, comedy, speakers, and so much more. We hope you can join us! Please poke around this site for more information, stay tuned for frequent updates, and let us know if you have any questions! Speakers include:
Dr. Richard Dawkins
Author of The Selfish Gene, The Blind Watchmaker, The God Delusion, The Greatest Show on Earth, and more; Founder of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science.
Jessica Ahlquist
High school activist and successful plaintiff in the case of Ahlquist v. City of Cranston (PDF).
Taslima Nasrin
Author of more than thirty books, including Lajja (“Shame”); Prolific activist for gender equality, free thought, and human rights.
Paul Provenza
Host and producer of The Green Room with Paul Provenza on Showtime and producer of the movie The Aristocrats (with Penn Jillette)
James Randi
Founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation; Creator of The One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge; Magician (known as “The Amazing Randi”).
Lawrence Krauss
A highly regarded international leader in cosmology and astrophysics and author, most recently of the New York Times bestseller A Universe From Nothing: Why There is Something Rather Than Nothing
The full list of speakers can be seen here.
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Also, there will be a Camp Quest tent at the rally, so bring your kids! The tent will be geared toward children 5-15, with craft projects and games.
I can’t wait and I’m really excited. It’s gonna be cold, next year lets try for a hot month.
Or so we thought! It’s going to be great!
Awesome!–Can’t Wait!
Tim Minchin!!
Not to be missed!
I would be there if I could, unfortunately I live more than a thousand kilometers away (Lithuania)…
My Granddaughter lives in Florida, & my daughter lives in North Carolina, both would like to attend.
However, I can’t seem to follow the necessary links to educate them & myself(plus 2 friends) where to meet up, what hotel & transportation provided?
I hope I am making this request to the right party.
Thank you,
Henna
Come to Dallas! Or Austin; really anywhere near Texas!
I second this. Or an attempt for Dallas/Texas people to get a bus together.
As a non-believer, I’d like to get involved. But some atheist groups are just as bad as the religious groups as far as being bullies. Contrary to some atheist’s opinions, not all religious people are ignorant. If only the atheists could set a better example. Otherwise, what’s the point? The last thing we need is another group claiming the moral high ground.
“not all religious people are ignorant”
With regards to the true nature of reality, yes, every single person who is truly religious is ignorant of this. This always has implications on pertinent matters.
“The last thing we need is another group claiming the moral high ground.”
If one group really has the moral high ground, why not claim it? Or we could just sit back and let religious people continue to run our country, ban funding for stem cell research, oppose equal rights, and tell women what to do with their bodies. A to-each-his-own mentality accomplishes absolutely nothing.
You just proved her point. Nobody knows the “true” nature of reality and anybody who claims or even implies they do doesn’t know what they’re talking about and that includes atheists. If we did know the “true” nature of reality there would be no need for research and science would have ended long ago. Lindsay is right you and I may have no reason to accept theism but that doesn’t
mean that people who do are stupid.
well, a pew forum survey showed that atheists, agnostics, jews, and mormons scored higher than other groups on a quiz.
other than that, your right. i can infer you are agnostic like carl sagan, einstein, and darwin.
There is a big difference between ignorant and stupid. Nobody claimed they were stupid. Ignorance is ‘not knowing’. However, religious people tend to choose ignorance, they don’t want to know or find out the truth. That’s stupidity. When information is available which you choose to ignore and you still base an opinion and call it fact, that’s stupidity. Ignorance breeds bigotry and hatred. Religion encourages ignorance. I am a freethinking atheist. I took it upon myself to think, therefore I know.
Exactly right
Will Rogers said, “We are all ignorant…just about different things. And he was right.
But here is a huge difference between plain ignorance and willful ignorance.
Regarding the religious people “ignorance”, just a qoute from a typical one (got it from a forum): “If I believe, I am going to find the truth, doing all my best, and REJECTING anything that is opposite to my beliefs”.
Do you guys still think that the “ignorance” is not the right term?
(Response to Alumno deVerum): The process of science is to continually shave away errors and misunderstandings. Therefore there is a gradual movement toward a refinement of what constitutes “reality”. You get closer and closer to a better understanding, a better (more accurate) picture, with the willingness to change if a more accurate view is presented. Religion offers no such process. It is grossly unfair to state that neither science nor religion know what reality is – therefore they are comparable. Science gets us there (a little at a time). Religion simply states an untested and unverified hypothesis. I’ll take the scientific process anytime.
Stupid means that a person may have difficulty learning, ignorant means that a person lacks information but maybe capable of learning. While it is true that we may not know what reality is, we do know what some perceived reality isn’t and that is a good start.
“But some atheist groups are just as bad as the religious groups as far as being bullies.”
Ok, name them, and name the “religious groups” that you have in mind. As for the former, it’s probable that the bullying atheists are are leftwing, communistic, etc. But there’s nothing inherently leftist or communistic about being an atheist. For example, an atheist could be a liberal, i.e. a libertarian, instead, and espouse a nonaggression principal, disdain collectivism, and so on.
At any rate, I suspect that your comment is misguided.
Excellent point!
What’s this? Godless heathen converging in the Washington Mall? A sign of the apocalypse? No one concerned about the price of gas? Obama’s evil plan for the communist takeover of the USA nearing completion?
Sounds fun.
Just remember, (in crypt-keepers voice): The religious will be watching!
Yeah, I’d like for nothing better than for the world to see the difference in behavior between the self-righteous faithful and reasonable people! Kind of reminiscent of the Creation Museum tour. Those people will look for any excuse to throw mud.
Be careful.
I wish that Ayaan Hirsi Ali of the http://theahafoundation.org/ were going to speak. I thoroughly enjoyed reading her books and hearing her life’s story. Inspiring.
I still plan to attend. I wait with great anticipation to hear Richard Dawkins speak.
I am likewise excited to hear and meet the brave Jessica Ahlquist, aka “evil little thing”.
We’re running out of time to get these guys to come:
-Sam Harris
-Bill Maher
-Greydon Square
-Louis CK
-The Amazing Atheist
-Patton Oswalt
-Ricky Gervais
Penn & Teller?
Why would anyone want that anti Vax douche Maher on the bill. Unfortunately he will be gracing the crowd with a video appearance. He doesn’t have the stones to show up in person.
Whoa Louis C.K? Awesome and Bill Maher! More than I’d bargained for. What a treat!
If anyone needs a ride from Takoma Park, MD I’m driving. I live a bus away from the redline and am offering the floor of my studio apartment for anyone who wants to crash from out of town!!! Just e-mail me at: shanomenon@gmail.com
Please register your ride offer with our ride-sharing app http://www.reasonrally.org/travel/ride-share/ and your room share offer with our room-sharing app: http://www.reasonrally.org/travel/room-share/
Maybe it’s me but the room share app is not great. I have a bed available in my room as my partner couldn’t make it. Holiday Inn on C St. Nice hotel. Cell 617 590 0008 if interested, share cost. Women only please. I also have a ticket for a student for the event on Sunday and Monday, $30.
I’m a non believer, but what makes this different than any other organized religion? I don’t want to be proselytized to, but don’t want to proselytize, either.
We’re not gathering together to proselytize, Ree, we’re gathering together to show mutual support to each other and to show the country that we’re regular people, just like them, and not to be feared. This is a celebration, a time to have fun, a time to see our friends we met online, a time to enjoy ourselves and hear from some of the various people and organizations that exist within our community that work towards the betterment of us all. Come and have fun! You’ll note that our official policy is *not* to engage with the protestors; we’re here to have fun, not to argue.
Hi! I need a ride!
I am not a rich person, therefore I cannot afford the “real” atheism.
And once I am there, is there anyway I can perhaps slepp in a tent? Or a stable? Or is this only reserved for religious nuts?
One doesn’t need to be rich to afford reason; it’s free! We have a ride share app as well as a room share app; maybe you can find help getting there and a place to stay!
I wish i could be there, but i live in iceland and i don’t have enough money to travel.
Can’t make it but I would really love to see Bad Religion and Tim Minchin’s performance. Will there be a streaming feed available, or maybe videos posted somewhere afterwards?
I will post videos and photos that I am going to take on my facebook page: http://facebook.com/jaximus.photo
Looks like thunder storms Saturday. I’m bringing a parka.
Yeah, the weather is not looking great for Saturday. Figuring out my rain gear options now.
This is a first!!! The bus to the Reason Rally departs from 31st Street and 8th Avenue in Manhattan at 3:52 AM and I can’t wait!!!
Hi all you kindred minds (to say “kindred souls” at this rally would just not be de rigueur!) I have landed at the Holiday Inn Washington Capital on C Street and would love to meet up tonight, Friday with anyone staying here who is participating in the rally. I couldn’t make it into the event tonight as it was sold out but I wouldn’t mind just chilling anyway in preparation for the rally tomorrow. Anyone care to meet up and talk turkey? I’m dying to frolic conversationally with some of you non-theist out there! My cell: 617 590 0008. Text or call Denise. Maybe there are a few of us who could meet up tonight in the hotel lobby for pre-rally drinks?
You guys make the Washington post – http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/guest-voices/post/atheists-dont-own-reason/2012/03/21/gIQA4JWUSS_blog.html
I noticed that link from apologetics315.com
I wish I could be there! Holler extra loud for those of us who have to miss it!
I’m so excited this is going on, though! 
LONG LIVE REASON!!!
Can’t wait to see everyone!
But what’s with the VIP seating? Are we promoting class division? I thought I could pretend I had no economic insufficiency for a day.
I speak for fifty quite people.
You might consider the de rigeur Facebook and Twitter presence (with corresponding Like button). It may be lowbrow, but it’s very effective in raising visibility and building social networks.
Does anyone know where i can watch or listen to the Rally online?
There needs to be live streaming video for this!
It would be awesome if next year they coordinate with a production company to produce a simulcast of the entire event for all of us who couldn’t make it to the live event. =D
LIVE STREAMS – REASON RALLY
Both streams are intermittent (batteries, rain, etc.) but sites have rally videos for viewing.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/david-singer-reporter
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/midohioatheists
Thank you, organizers, for a beautiful and inspirational event! Being surrounded by thousands of my people celebrating reason was an extraordinary experience I’ll never forget. The struggle continues, but we are reinvigorated to keep on keeping on!