Bishop of Harrisburg attends PA Nonbelievers event

[rug]

justin vacula, Scranton Atheism Examiner
November 19, 2011

This past Thursday, Bishop of Harrisburg Joseph P. McFadden attended what might have been one of the first – if not the first -- event of its kind for both Catholics and atheists in the United States. PA Nonbelievers – a group comprised of atheists, agnostics, nontheists, humanists, and freethinkers – hosted a meeting in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania in which the bishop engaged members and friends of the group in respectful dialogue.

Bishop McFadden said he was “absolutely willing to come” to the event and hoped that an event like this would be the first in a series of many.

The event was comprised of two main portions: a speech given by the bishop and a question and answer session.

In his opening speech, Bishop McFadden spoke about the importance of respectful and civil dialogue. He noted that even though atheists and Catholics disagree, conversations can and should occur. “We are not going to agree,” Bishop McFadden said, “but we can still be civil. It is a different moment in history now that requires dialogue.”

http://www.examiner.com/atheism-in-scranton/bishop-of-harrisburg-attends-pa-nonbelievers-event