[ExI] Protected Elites

[Olga Bourlin]

From: "spike" <spike66 at att.net>
To: "'ExI chat list'" <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Cc: <inniss at sprynet.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2009 8:56 PM
Subject: Re: [ExI] Protected Elites


>> ...On Behalf Of Olga Bourlin
>>
>> Having followed Madalyn's escapades for a bit (and I've known
>> many people who worked for her), I can tell you she was a big
>> "Jew hater."  ... Olga
>
> Awwww damn.  This is a rare example of a piece of information I wish I
> didn't know.
>
> Please what causes in some otherwise perfectly reasonable person this Jew
> hatred?  Answer without mentioning Zionism please, for it predates the 
> state
> of Israel by a loooong time.

There was nothing perfectly reasonable about Madalyn.  A lot of Madalyn's 
cult members finally broke out of their trance and sang like canaries about 
all sorts of unflattering things concerning Madalyn and her family.

But, unfortunately, to this day many old American Atheist members regard her 
as some kind of atheist saint.  I spoke to so many of them who believed the 
myth perpetrated by Madalyn herself - of how she was the first woman atheist 
"on the map," and how she pushed the cause of atheism forward.

I mentioned Vashti McCollum:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vashti_McCollum

And then there was the atheist Ayn Rand (whose books were bestsellers even 
before
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abington_School_District_v._Schempp).

Interestingly, Madalyn took ALL the credit of being the instigator of 
halting public schools' participation in prayer, even though she was a 
johnny-come-lately to that Abington School District case - it was slated to 
go through even without her participation.

Madalyn's death (and that of her son Jonathan and daughter/granddaughter 
Robin) rivals any horror story.

I read this book (it was revealing and pretty good):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0826416446

... but mainly, I talked to a couple of people who knew Madalyn well (who 
worked with her for years), and the stuff I heard was not surprising to me 
because by then I had read her magazine for years, and noticed the ugly 
bigotry against anyone and everyone - humanists, for instance! - who were 
not of her cult.

Oh, I once had dinner with Madalyn (in 1988) when she, Jon and Robin visited 
Seattle.  I was already disillusioned with her, but was curious to meet her. 
There was a group of us - we met at a Chinese restaurant in our 
International District.  After the dinner Madalyn stood up and gave a speech 
asking for money for her organization.  A few months later, Madalyn - out of 
the blue and without any real explanation - simply decided to disband ALL of 
American Atheist's local groups.

Olga