CFI Secular Society Conference

by - 2:34 PM

Well, here is another thing I'd love to be able to attend. Given that I'm already booked pretty heavily, we'll see about it.
The Center for Inquiry is running a fantastic conference this November 9-11 titled Religion, Secularism & Politics in the Twenty-First Century. Some of my favorite people will be there including Christopher Hitchens (author, journalist, and public intellectual), Eugenie Scott (head of the National Center for Science Education), Ann Druyan (widow of Carl Sagan, amazing writer, and skeptic), Neil deGrasse Tyson (president of the Hayden Planetarium and astrophysicist), and more.
What is the conference about?

The world is finally waking up to the dangers of religious faith. Books defending reason and religious skepticism top the bestseller lists. Secular Muslims are standing up for freedom of thought. The secular perspective has finally gained currency in the media and in cross-cultural dialogue. Young freethinkers and secularists are organizing and speaking out on campuses, ready to carry the torch of secularism into the new millennium.

Yet religious fervor in the United States and abroad remains at an all-time high. Science education suffers from the constant onslaught of creationist activists. Democratic politicians have joined Republicans in pandering to religious prejudices. The American courts are stacked with judges who openly denigrate the nation’s vital and historic separation of church and state. Islamic radicalism is on the rise in Europe as well as in the Middle East. In many ways, societies the world over face the ominous threat of de-secularization.

How do we seize this moment of opportunity to address secularism’s many challenges? How can secularists build a lasting movement? What political and rhetorical strategies should the reality-based community employ? Does vocal criticism of religion help or hinder the cause of secularism? Hear the thoughts of the world’s leading minds on these and many other questions.

This is going to be good.
If I can't attend, I hope they capture some of it on video, audio, or get transcripts so that those who can't attend can get a glimpse.

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