European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 8, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                July 2007 stars and stripes Page 19 religion atheists Are Happy campers at Ohio Retreat by Ron Grossman Chicago Tribune Ohio at the same time youngsters at Bible Camps across the nation Are reciting now i Lay me Down to sleep i Pray the lord my soul to kids at Camp quest Are climbing into their confident there is no one out there to hear those proudly proclaiming the motto beyond Camp quest Bills itself As the nations first sleep away summer Camp for founded in it has inspired four similar Camps across the nation for children whose parents Are either opposed or indifferent to much of what goes on amid the Corn Fields of Southwest Ern is Little different from any other campers practice Archery and go on nature to be they also engage in some unusual rain Day discus Sions of philosophical Chil Dren who barely come up to an adults Waist toss around terms like circular and those nature hikes focus on the Beauty of unaided by any unseen atheism has been experiencing a As it some nation Al surveys show the numbers of nonbelievers books hypercritical of religion Are Best the biologist Richard dawns argued in the god de Lusion that religion is just Faith As the source of All evil was explored with burning Pas Sion by Christopher kitchens in god is not great How religion poisons but More than a training ground for a Camp quest is a place to set Down the Burden of being children who grow up in Chris Tian households have the emotion Al Security of being in the nations members of religious minorities have similarly minded friends and but coming from a family that does not be Lieve in god often sets a child on a lonely Frieda a firs year recognized that her first Day at Camp wow i said to in not said she recalls being an atheist since the second for its inaugural Camp quest Drew 20 this it enrolled 47 Young ranging from 8 to 17 years for its we Klong session at a Camp ground rented from a 4h about 100 others will attend quests daughter Camps in Michi California and a Harris interactive Survey in 2003 found that 9 percent of americans dont believe in while another 12 percent Are Uncertain about the even if their numbers Are the Sec ular coalition for America calculates that the ranks of nonbelievers Are larger than the combined number of religious mor Jehovah pres muslims and Eastern orthodox Camp quests Edwin thinks nonbelievers have become More outspoken As a reaction to the religious Kagin and his wife Helen founded Camp quest out of frustration with what they saw As a forced March to his father photos by Heather Chicago talks to new Friend Erin before preparing to participate in a three legged race at Camp quest in was a minister in a family line of presbyterian clergy tracing Back to John the great scottish but i went to College and started Reading books my father had preached said we wanted a Camp not to preach there is no Kagin but As a place where Chil Dren could learn its of not to be Lieve in Many Camp quester have wrestled with that Issue on their among them Sophia Rinehe a ninth year she Long avoided the under during the recitation of the pledge of allegiance at this i stopped getting up and saying the said a photograph of Friedrich along with other free lines the Walls of the dining Hall at Camp quest in Camp quest is a we Klong Camp for children who Are preacher practices biblical economies in Florida by Jamie Malernee South Florida Sun Sentinel fort the Dennis Grant has found his version of the promised land Miles of undeveloped desert in far Western Texas he is reselling for per 20acre preaching that god did not create us to be a Community activist and has bought up an expanse larger than the Island of Manhattan in a Remote area 90 Miles East of Al he is Selling the real estate to the Caribbean Community and to members of his Church As an in vestment to help them retire in the Grant stands to make millions of dollars for his Florida he says he donates 10 percent of the company income to his god knows when Money comes into my in going to share so Hes going to keep giving it to Grant some in Texas question the economics of what Hes while some religious authorities have called it an improper blend of Faith and Susan Stocker South Florida pastor Dennis Grant keeps Pho tos of undeveloped Texas land that he is Selling through his Florida a Texas property appraiser said Grant is Selling the More than double its appraised local people wont buy this said the Sandy Zed och the area youre talking nobody lives it looks pretty much like the nearest town the Small farming Community of Dell population beyond its City water and electricity Are although Grants marketing materials refer to an Oil Boom in deed records show that even if Petroleum is found on the buyers May get nothing because they Are not guaranteed Mineral Grant disputes the Texas prop erty appraisers valuation of the noting that Public appraisers often undervalue land for tax purposes and that an Independent appraiser he hired estimated the value of one of the parcels at a Miami company that deals in Texas real Sunset is asking for similar who says he personally owns 300 acres of the said he would never promote a bad in he started his land company in after a vision Given to me by he wants christians to its not a he its a walk of observers of american religion said Grants message that believers will be rewarded not just in the but Here and now is part of a theology known As the gospel of Prosperity that is enjoying a surge in less said James professor of theology at Union theological Seminary in new York is a minister sell ing including to members of his own in most denominational that would be in Cone the Church is not a Grant said Only about is of his buyers Are among the 200 Mem Bers of the nondenominational Church he founded a decade most investors Are members of South Florida Caribbean Community who know him personally or by word of he he also Sells to the Public through advertisements and travels to his native Jamaica to sell to people Grant said he prefers using the term biblical economics to de scribe what he rather than the gospel of which he said is used by pastors who Are against christians being financially a father of six who worked multiple jobs when he first says churches would Benefit if More preachers emulated his though he declined to disclose his or his com pants annual if More pastors did they  have to beg the Mem Bers every week for said a minister for 17 Aileen a Church Mem Ber who bought 20 Hopes it will pay for her youngest Childs College education in four neither nor any buyers inter viewed by the South Florida plans to live on their in just praying that it will be very she if it Doest ill work Over