Come Saturday, Sept. 30, atheist crusaders Mythicist Milwaukee, a group striving to free the world from religious oppression and bigotry, will amass its fourth annual Mythinformation Conference at the historic Pabst Theater under the shadow of recent controversy.
This past month their lineup of popular YouTubers—ShoeOnHead, Armoured Skeptic and Sargon of Akkad—ignited an explosive response of “vilification and false accusations from the very far left” that blew up in the twittersphere. Attempts were made to de-platform the event, costing organizers thousands of extra dollars for security and resulted in a couple of key figures backing out.
“In our press release we thought the debate about Islam in the age of Trump would be the controversy,” states Mythicist founder Sean Fracek. “It seems a small minority of fringe secularists are instigating this internet drama to create their own narrative and ploy for attention. We’re trying to bring in bigger names and brand ambassadors to help atheism grow. These young YouTube celebrities were selected because they want to reach across the aisle and have respectful discussions. Sargon has been critical of both the hard left and the alt-right.”
Name-calling and “fake news citings” aside, the afternoon debate on Islam remains the roster’s focal point. Representing the secular angle is Iraqi-born human rights activist and founder of the Global Secular Humanist Movement, Faisal Saeed Al Mutar. He maintains that the only way to ensure religious freedom is to have a separation of mosque and state. Mutar will counter Asra Nomani, a Muslim reformist and author of two books, Standing Alone in Mecca: An American Woman’s Struggle for the Soul of Islam and Tantrika: Traveling the Road of Divine Love.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
The climactic “red carpet premiere” will be Mythicist Milwaukee and King’s Tower Productions film debut of Batman & Jesus, The Movie, a lighthearted documentary investigating the historicity or lack of evidence for Jesus of Nazareth. Top secular scholars and historians illustrate how myths evolve drawing comparisons to the comic book character hero and other pop culture icons.
An after-party talk is scheduled with West Allis resident Ron Miscavige, author of New York Times bestseller Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me. Miscavige is the father of the Church of Scientology’s leader and has received numerous character attacks since leaving the fold and publishing the book.
“Atheism has unique problems all over the world and in distinct places, like Bangladesh, individuals are getting killed for their views,” remarks Brian Edward, host of Mythicist Milwaukee’s weekly podcast. “In America, we’ve created enough space so that at minimum it’s tolerated.”
“We are changing the conference model as the conversation has moved to the online community with less interest in debunking religion and more focus on relevant cultural, social and political topics,” reflects Fracek. “Atheism is evolving.”
The Mythinformation Conference will be held from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30 at the Pabst Theater, 144 E. Wells St. For more information and tickets visit mythicistmilwaukee.com.
Enter Promo code: Myth.
