For the last few months we were dealing with an error in which people were having a hard time posting on RationalResponders.com in browsers other than Firefox.

I am happy to report that this issue has been resolved.  Please stop by and post your scathing attacks on religion, with any browser!

Or if you're one of the folks who still believes in ancient fairy tales, please stop by and ask any question you can think of that will help you abandon your ridiculously ignorant beliefs!

http://www.rationalresponders.com/view/super_tracker

In Rationality,

Brian Sapient

This week White House petitions are making the news, but did you know there is currently a petition to remove God from our currency and our Pledge?  Please sign the petition:

http://www.rationalresponders.com/forum/33324

A young girl that has lived a life of sheltered home schooled indoctrination seeks to break out and receive an education.  Sign the petition that can help earn her a scholarship here:

http://www.rationalresponders.com/indoctrinated_home_schooled_girl_refuses_life_kitchen_and_seeks_education

Sapient wrote an open letter to Christians that have called recent ballot approvals of gay marriage "disgraceful."
 

http://www.rationalresponders.com/open_letter_christians_against_gay_marriage

 We apologize if we ruined your afternoon with the outage of our network of sites.  We are now back online and ready for you to respond rationally to religion! 

Check us out at:

http://www.RationalResponders.com

http://www.CelebAtheists.com

Please visit and make sure your favorite atheist sites are listed on the largest list ever compiled: http://www.atheismunited.com/wiki/Huge_list_of_atheist_agnostic_skeptic_humanist_websites

In Rationality,

Rational Site Administration

 This website is going to be upgraded very soon.  Functionality will change drastically.  The only requirements we have put on ourselves is to make sure we keep all of the content and keep all your accounts.  There will be drastic changes in appearance and functionality coming.  I can tell you that the forums will be much friendlier to use.  We might not have a recent posts tracker on the first night.  There might be a few things like that which will be odd to the daily visitors.  I ask that you stick around and explore, and look forward to a much better site.

We hope to have a test version of RRS upgraded by this weekend, and if all goes well we might go live with it some time before Tuesday March 6th.

- Brian Sapient

Christopher Hitchens passed away tonight.  He will be missed.  We will remember him for what he accomplished, he knew this going in to tonight.  He knew that he would live on through his work, and that there doesn't need to be a heaven or hell to live on past death.  We will be recommending his books for many many years to come, and remembering how much he taught us.

Please post any links to anything Hitch.  Say whatever is on your mind, this is the official thread to remember Hitch on RRS.

The last two months of this year are extremely crucial for us to raise funds to support the purchase of a new server for our mix of atheist sites including the new site Atheism United.  Please remember to do as much shopping as you possibly can through our links to Amazon.  Black Friday specials on Amazon are some of the best on the internet, get something for yourself and it helps the world move closer to abandoning religion.

http://www.rationalresponders.com/buy_amazon_through_these_links_support_online_atheism

Additionally, atheist hip hop artist Syqnys has a new album out, you can listen to it online for free!  Read his comments and check the album out here:

http://www.rationalresponders.com/hypatia_reign_syqnys

Activists from The Rational Response Squad have started working on a project that some might be surprised to see us working on.  We have started putting together a new site at www.atheismunited.com with a few activists who started a facebook group called "Atheism United."  The project aims to unite all atheists under one banner for the first time in internet history.  A creative campaign is coming in 2012 to promote the actions of "Atheism United."The new site will link to every atheist site we can manage to list.  The list is already about 5 times longer than any list of atheist sites we've found in our searches.  

Over the last 5 years The Rational Response Squad has been accused of being too strident or aggresive with our tactics.  In that time we've consistently stated that we support other atheists right to be passive or less aggressive than us.  This message wasn't always accepted as a persuasive argument for acceptance of RRS methods by those who play passive.  Because of this some of us thought it would be nice to lead by example.

We will have a fundraiser sometime this winter to help raise costs associated with the purchase and set up of a new server along with a site upgrade.  This will position us for where we need to be to have a speedy site for 5 or more years.  We'll hope to raise about $2,000 to meet costs in that fundraiser.  However for now I'd personally like to raise a little money to prepare including the purchase of learning materials and maybe even securing an expert that bills per hour to help us if needed.  We also need to replace a hard drive in the current server, along with installation it'll cost near $200.  

More info on the server change and specs is here: http://www.rationalresponders.com/forum/30284

Raising $300 here would keep us on the right track for a server upgrade soon.  If we can raise more than that we'll use it to speed up how quick we can get the new server.  PLEASE DONATE VIA PAYPAL HERE

I would like to purchase a new server for the RRS and it's subsidiary sites within the next 9 months.  This will run somewhere between $2,000 and $3,000.  I'm hoping to find a few situations where smaller atheist sites could see an advantage in being hosted on a server of other atheist material.  A server when you know you won't be removed for offensive views.  A server that has pooled resources to protect and maintain it, a chance to grow together, and help one another.  

If you own an atheist website and would like to leave your current host and jump on the next new RRS server, I am looking for help covering the cost of the server.  I would like to offer a 2 or 3 year contract for hosting with hopes of being able to get an upfront payment in return.  The upfront payment would help me cover the cost of the server. After the 2 or 3 yr contract is up, you could continue on a month to month payment.

If you are a small site and pay $5-$30 per month, this could potentially benefit both of us.

There are several forum members who I am hoping speak up for this offer.  Feel free to send me a private message or post here.

If you would simply like to make a donation for the new server please donate through this link.  A new server will make the site run much faster.

- Brian Sapient