Subject: [AthofSV] CFI (brief report)

From: "earthboundje" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2005 11:04:23 -0000

I just took a couple hours to type out an explication of my 
experience with the Center For Inquiry.  But now it's 3 am, I'm going 
blind from staring at the screen, and Yahoo has just vaporized my 
post.  I'm pissed off, but I still need to get a few things out there 
about the CFI.

- They're squaring off against the toxic influence of Tim LaHaye 
(author of the "Left Behind" series), who has basically declared war 
against Secular Humanists because in the 80's he decided that 
Humanism is a religion that has quietly taken over schools under the 
heading of "science" and "philosophy".  It's important for us to look 
at this guy and how he has framed education as the enemy of our kids. 

- CFI has offices all over the world, centrally in LA, New York, and 
Florida. They're really into education, secular ethics, and inclusive 
organization of inquiry into religious and moral issues.  They're a 
charity, and they were able to inspire the pledging of over $33,000 
this weekend out of a group of less than 40, and they will probably 
put it to good use (I believe they're adding to a research and 
outreach facility in LA).  They have a readership of 100,000 to their 
skeptic publications.  They have many minds, young and old, 
experienced professionals and fledgling college organizations.  

- There's a lot more to say about them, so in this fading state I'll 
just say I came away with a positive impression of their influence 
and devotion to scientific, historical and philosophical inquiry, 
which rests right on top of their sense that a system of well thought-
out secular ethics is able to be developed to accomodate the needs of 
our entire society.  We plan to check out the LA branch of the CFI 
this weekend, so I may have more to say after that.  I don't know if 
local atheist groups are aligned with the CFI, but they're defintely 
worth checking out.

- jonathan

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 
In low income neighborhoods, 84% do not own computers.
At Network for Good, help bridge the Digital Divide!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/hjtSRD/3MnJAA/i1hLAA/OzVolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 

Date not known  - Upcoming DEMONSTRATION on Church/State separation
Wed. 3/23, 7:30 - Money: Red, Blue or Green?
Wed. 4/13, 7:30 - South Park episode "The Passion of the Jew"
Wed. 4/27, 7:30 - Objectivism. Cult of Ayn Rand?

Everyone is welcome at our meetings.

Subscribe to Atheist News Service -
email [email-masked] with: name, address & phone #

If you're not worried, you're not paying attention.

ASV Library at meetings: bring books & magazines; get books and magazines.
See our website http://www.godlessgeeks.com

Keep the msgs to Atheist topics.
Help keep email overflow down. Make your posts short; clean out old text in any responses that you make.

If you want to join a liberal political discussion, see [email-masked]

To unsubscribe, send an email to:
[email-masked] 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/athofsv/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    [email-masked]

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/