Daily Nebraskan

Issue date: 3/23/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Jean Rowe / DN Joshua Avila, left, a senior textile and apparel design major, discuses atheism with a small group after "Ask an Atheist," a panel event Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Heritage Room of the Nebraska Union. The event was held by the Center for Inquiry on Campus to create awareness and promote understanding of atheistic values. [Click to enlarge]

A crowd of approximately 100 people walked to the Nebraska Union on Thursday to listen to a panel speak about a controversial topic: atheism.

The event was hosted by the Center for Inquiry on Campus and involved four notable panelists, who discussed the basic tenets of atheism.

"The purpose … is to understand atheists and non-atheists and the differences between them," said Thomas Hurd, a senior political science and music major.

The panelists included Aaron Alai, a senior natural resource science major, Hillary Ostby, a senior French major, Miguel Picanco, the representative from the Center for Inquiry, and Ed Pearlstein, a retired UNL professor.

The panelists talked about what atheism meant to them individually.

Alai had a blunt opinion.

"I don't believe in God or supernatural events," Alai said.

Despite that belief among panel members, they still hold out the possibility that their beliefs are false.

Alai said that he could not be 100 percent certain whether he was correct in his beliefs.

Meanwhile, Picanco said he also left the door open for doubt, but he mentioned that the possibility was extremely unlikely.

Hurd said he believes the panel had something for everyone.

"I think the panel has something to offer those of different mindsets," Hurd said.

Hurd said he believes the event was receptive and that everyone learned something, especially the panelists themselves.

Hurd said he hopes the crowd takes something very important from the meeting and discussion.

"I hope that we talk and that people realize that, no matter what someone believes, (what they say) says so much about what someone is," Hurd said.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools