Jesus Freak or Missionary?

Transcription

1 CENTER FOR INQUIRY Portland January APRIL 2012 The mission of the Center for Inquiry is to foster a secular society based on science, reason, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values. CFI has established centers throughout the world which provide a means of delivering educational programs and services on a local level and provide a venue for like-minded individuals to meet and share experiences. Food For Thought Report Jesus Freak or Missionary? In aiming to foster a secular society, we do not seek to abridge the rights of believers. We vigorously object to government support of religion and the use of religious dogma to justify public policy; we do not oppose the free exercise of religion. The secular society we are building is a community of reason and compassion in which the dignity and fundamental rights of all individuals are respected. Three goals represent the focus of our activities: an end to the influence that religion and pseudoscience have on public policy, an end to the privileged position that religion and pseudoscience continue to enjoy in many societies, and an end to the stigma attached to being a nonbeliever. We had a good turnout for our April Food for Thought event. After some socializing and a few announcements, CFI-Portland member Wes Mahan gave a talk about his experience as an evangelical Christian, including his Bible College days in Portland during the peak of the hippie era. Particularly interesting was Wes reluctance to cut his hair (and sideburns), which led him to an unusual period of missionary activity (with one of the few missionary organizations that accepted long-hairs). The audience enjoyed Wes flashbacks, especially his pictures from the 1960 s and 1970 s. Wes also discussed his recent journey out of Christianity, after 46 years as an evangelical. There was one aspect of Christian theology that Wes began to find increasingly troublesome. He is a father, and could not imagine sentencing his own children to some form of eternal Cont d on page 2

2 Jesus Freak, cont d from page 1 torture, no matter what offense they had committed. How then could a compassionate God sentence his children to eternal torment in hell? This irrational doctrine was the beginning of the end for his faith. After enjoying Wes talk, the group socialized while enjoying a delicious Italian meal. April s Food for Thought looks to be an interesting evening! We ll begin with announcements, and then hear two brief travel reports from a CFI-Portland member who attended the recent Reason Rally in Washington, D.C., and a member who attended the Northwest Freethought Alliance Conference near Seattle. If you didn t get a chance to attend these two important events, come to Food for Thought to hear what they were like. April s talk is entitled, Radiation: Risks and Rationality. Our guest speaker, Chuck Cooper, has a degree in Environmental Health and Safety from OSU and has worked at PSU for 27 years in various safety and environmental health functions. He currently supports Research Safety at PSU as a senior advisor for Bio-safety, Chemical Safety, and Radiation Safety. As an environmental safety professional, Chuck must effectively respond to the concerns of the people he serves while basing his decisions on science. Radiation often induces fear. How much of this fear is justified? He will discuss radiation risks, including those posed by nuclear energy, from a scientific perspective, and give needed background information that can inform policy and personal decisions - and, maybe, help you figure out when it's time to panic. Portland Humanist Film Festival 35mm Closer to Reality September 21st - 23rd CINEMA NW 21st Ave, Portland Join us for the 3rd annual Portland Humanist Film Festival, which will present feature, documentary, narrative and animated films that give expression to the humanist approach to life, based on reason, science, and ethics. The film and speaker schedule will be announced in the coming months. The Film Festival is accepting independent film submissions. If you are a director or producer and want to submit your film, go to for more information. To inquire about opportunities to advertise at the Festival at various sponsorship levels, please portland@centerforinquiry.net EVERYTHING IN MODERATION by Luke Mahan Food For Thought is a family-friendly event. Space for cooperative parent child care is provided. E=MC 2 LIVES TO SEE ANOTHER DAY

3 The Parenting & Grandparenting Beyond Belief W O R K S H O P a half-day workshop on parenting without religion sponsored by Center for Inquiry-Portland How does moral development really work? My mother-in-law wants our kids baptized. How can I respond without causing a rift? How can I ease my son s/grandson s fears about death without pretending there s an afterlife? How can kids learn about religion without being indoctrinated into religion? Over nine million parents in the U.S. are raising children without religion. The PARENTING BEYOND BELIEF WORKSHOP, a unique half-day event with author Dale McGowan, offers encouragement and practical solutions for secular parenting in a religious world. Based on the freethinking philosophy of the book Newsweek called a compelling read, the PARENTING BEYOND BELIEF WORKSHOP is empowering secular parents across the country to raise ethical, caring, confident kids without religion. presented by Dale McGowan Editor/co-author, Parenting Beyond Belief and Raising Freethinkers 2008 Harvard Humanist of the Year SATURDAY APRIL 21 1:00 5:00pm FRIENDLY HOUSE, 1737 NW 26 th AVE., PORTLAND, OR Registration $35 per person, $65 per couple, $ 25 for CFI Members. To register, go to:

4 Photos from the Reason Rally, Washington D.C. All photos courtesty of Barry Ruffin. If you wish to view over 100 photos that Barry shot at the event, go to: Clockwise, from top right: Barry Ruffin and Atheist Rapper Greydon Square, who is releasing a double CD set this August, "his best yet". Kurt Johanson, CFI-Portland co-organizer. Jessica Alquist, 16-yr-old humanist who courageously challenged her public school's display of a prayer banner, presented with a check for $62,618 to help pay for her college education, all donated by humanists worldwide. CFI table and volunteers Live music by Bad Religion

5 CFI April Events For more information about any of these events, late additions, or to RSVP, go to the CFI calendar at and click on that event Sunday, April 1 & 15, 12:30pm Rogue Valley Freethinkers (Grants Pass) Union Drop-In Center, 225 NW Hillcrest Dr,Grants Pass, OR We will meet at 12:30 to discuss a topic of interest to freethinkers and humanists, presented by one of our members. The April 1 meeting will feature ex-mormon Courtney and continued discussion of controversial Mormon topics. Sunday, April 1 & 15, 3:00pm Rogue Valley Humanists (Ashland) Rogue Valley U U Center, 87 4th Street, Ashland, OR The Humanism Group studies current topics of interest to Humanists, often from a recent book or article. We meet every first and third Sunday under the balcony of the Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Center Ashland from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. We usually have an optional short reading related to the discussion topic available in the UU Center library a week before each meeting. Sunday, April 1 & 15, 11am Eastside Sunday Brunch Old Wives Tales, 1300 E Burnside St, Portland, OR Organizer: Sylvia Benner Please RSVP so we can reserve the correct number of seats. A chance to meet and get to know others in the community over good food in a relaxed atmosphere! The restaurant has a children's menu and a separate play room for the little ones. Vegetarian dishes available. Monday, April 2, 6:30pm Save Our Selves (SOS) Secular Support Group in Rogue Valley 1505 NW Washington Blvd, Grants Pass, OR Our SOS Group offers secular alternative support to individuals struggling to overcome a personal addiction, such as alcoholism. This approach differs from typical 12-step programs. Wednesday, April 4 & 18, 11am Coffee Klatch Theo's Coffee House 199 W 8th Ave, Eugene, OR Casual conversation about whatever we feel like. Drop in or out as your schedule allows. Wednesday, April 4, 12:30pm Charles Darwin: Myth vs. History OHSU Library 3181 SW Sam Jackson Pk Rd Portland, OR CFI-Portland volunteer Michael Barton will give a talk about Charles Darwin at a reception for a Darwin exhibit currently on display at the OHSU Library. The talk is in the Old Library Auditorium at the Oregon Health & Science University Library in Portland. A reception will precede the talk at noon. The event is free and open to the public. Michael blogs at The Dispersal of Darwin: wordpress.com/ Information about the exhibit online at: php?pid=312292&sid= Wednesday, April 4, 7pm Book Group Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, 67 Community Room, SW Farmington Rd, Beaverton, (R The next book for our book group (for April 4th & May 2nd) is "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy" by Mearsheimer and Walt. For April 4th, we will read the first 167 pages. Thursday, April 5, 12, 19, 26, 10am Preschool Playdate Beaverton, OR For preschool children aged 3 & 4 (and other ages). Please RSVP at CFI-SFN website. Thursday, April 5 & 19, 11:45am South Coast Skeptics Meetup Denny's, 98 E. 1st St, Coquille, OR Organizer: Greg Collver Pizza and skeptical discussion at Denny's! Saturday, April 7, 2pm Skeptics in the Pub Evergreen Pieway 3020 Evergreen Way, Washougal, WA Meet local skeptics, atheists, secular humanists, scientific naturalists and other friends of reason for conversation and friendship! Saturday, April 7, 10am Salem Humanists Monthly Meeting Salem Public Library (Plaza Room) 585 Liberty St SE, Salem Lambert (Bert) Wenner, PhD., A long-time member of Humanists of Salem (HAS). TOPIC: Social and Environmental Policy of the U. S. Forest Service.

6 Monday, April 9, 7pm the Bagdad: Last of the Neanderthals Bagdad Theater & Pub, 3702 SE Hawthorne, Portland Recent research has transformed scientists' understanding of the Neanderthals, who as recently as 26,000 years ago shared parts of the planet with modern humans. This Science Pub explores who they were and how they lived, with a special focus on Gibralter, where the Neanderthals are believed to have survived the longest. The speaker is archeologist April Nowell, Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Victoria, BC. OMSI suggests a $5 cover charge. Best to arrive no later than 6:30, when the theater opens, especially if you plan to order from the Bagdad- McMenamin s menu. Monday, April 9, 7pm Discussion: Delusion Java Vivace 2287 NW Pettygrove St Portland How do people believe the things they do? Delusion can be selfinduced or imposed by others. What is it about our brains and society that makes delusion so common? Wednesday April 11, 6:30pm Willamette U Think Brown's Towne Lounge 189 Liberty St NE #112, Salem, OR Willamette University hosts this popular pub series featuring talks and discussions with university professors. The series features topics from the sciences and humanities. No background knowledge is necessary, and a question and answer session follows each presentation. CFI April Events CONT'D More details and RSVP: Wednesday, April 11, 6:30pm SHEP Movie Night From Star Trek: Deep Space 9 East Portland Community Center 740 SE 106th, Portland Several topics emerge from this episode. What should our response be to the charge of blasphemy? Can you name some recent examples of persons tried and convicted for this charge? What is being done about the recurrent attempts to have anti-blasphemy resolutions passed in the UN? What should be the response to persons of faith who wish to have creationism taught in science courses? Does anti-evolution activities equate always to anti-science? Why? In what form should the response be? At the school board level? Through the courts? How do you respond to theists who deny robust evidence for reality that counters their faith traditions? Wednesday, April 11, 3pm Pre-School Playdate Crescent Hill Apartments Clubhouse 8340 SW Apple Way, Portland A time for secular parents with children who are not yet school aged and their children to spend time together. Thursday, April 19, 7pm Book Discussion Manola's Thai Cuisine 652 E. Broadway, Eugene, OR Manola's closes at 9, so our discussion will end promptly. Thursday, April 12, 7pm Salem Progressive Film Series Historic Grand Theatre 191 High St NE, Salem Filming across the US, in Europe, Australia and Asia, this documentary examines the alarming disappearance of honeybees and the greater meaning it holds about the relationship between mankind and mother earth. As scientists puzzle over the cause, organic beekeepers indicate alternative reasons for this tragic loss. Conflicting options abound and after years of research, a definitive answer has not been found to this harrowing mystery. (Cost $4) Friday, April 20, 6:30pm "Food For Thought" Community Dinner Brentwood-Darlington Community Center, 7211 SE 62nd Ave, Portland April s talk is entitled, Radiation: Risks and Rationality. Our guest speaker, Chuck Cooper, has a degree in Environmental Health and Safety from OSU and has worked at PSU for 27 years in various safety and environmental health functions. Radiation often induces fear. How much of this fear is justified? He will discuss radiation risks, including those posed by nuclear energy, from a scientific perspective, and give needed background information that can inform policy and personal decisions - and, maybe, help you figure out when it's time to panic. 6:00pm Doors Open. 6:30pm Announcements and Guest Lecture 7:45pm Dinner. There is a designated space for cooperative parent child care. Admission paid at door. General Public: Lecture $5 or Lecture including Dinner $10 FOCs: Lecture FREE, Dinner $7 and $4 for children under 12 (Please RSVP at least 2 days before)

7 Saturday, April 21, 9:30am Salem Humanists Monthly Brunch McGrath's Fish House, 350 Chemeketa St NE, Salem CFI April Events CONT'D More details and RSVP: Please RSVP via the CFI Salem Humanists Meetup site. Rides available if requested. Dedicated to the pursuit of Reason, Peace, Justice, and Democracy. Saturday, April 21, 1pm Secular Parenting Workshop Friendly House, NW 26th & Thurman, Portland, OR Please see complete details on page 3 of this newsletter. Saturday, April 21, 6pm Game Night Growers Market, 454 Willamette, Eugene, OR We'll play board games, munch snacks and socialize. If you have a game you'd like to share, please bring it. We'll decide at the beginning of the evening which game(s) we'll play. I have 3 card tables, each can seat up to 6 people. Sunday, April 22, 10:30am Secular Sunday School (grades K-3) Location and other details available upon RSVP at the CFI website Secular Sunday School is a program geared toward kids who are between 6 and 9 years old. Children have time to play and make friends, as well as participate in fun, engaging lessons focused on three areas: science/ critical thinking, comparative religion/ culture, and humanism/ethics. Sunday, April 22, 10:30am Monthly Westside Sunday Brunch Goodness Coffee House 4925 SW Angel St, Beaverton, OR Organizer(s): Sylvia Benner Join us for a chance to meet and get to know others in the community over good food! Please RSVP so we can anticipate the correct number of people, as they open just for us. Tuesday, April 24 6:30pm Rogue Valley Freethinkers' Social (Grants Pass) Wild River Brewing & Pizza Co, 595 Northeast E Street, Grants Pass, OR Open agenda socializing and fun with freethinking friends Wednesday, April 25, 6:30pm SHEP Potluck & Games East Portland Community Center 740 SE 106th, Portland Come join us as we celebrate good food and enjoy visiting with SHEP members and visitors. Bring your favorite dish and join with friends, or meet new ones. Invite someone who may not know about our group. Bring some of your favorite games, and if we're outside, some yard games. Wednesday, April 25, 7pm Beaverton Atheists Meetup Moonstruck Chocolate Cafe - Beaverton Town Sq., SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy, Beaverton Host: Alan Litchfield Engaging, relaxing and interesting conversation at our monthly meeting. Thursday, April 26, 7pm Salem Humanists Book Discussion Location (at a private home) and other details ed to all who RSVP If you're a non-fiction book enthusiast and are short on people to share your books with, then come join us! If you are craving intellectual conversations on topics such as religion, atheism, science, reason, politics, history, etc. then this is the place for you! Friday, April 27, 7pm Monthly Meetup Seavey Loop Rd, Eugene, OR Host: Lowell Thomas This is Open Topic so everyone is welcome to bring up a specific subject of interest, and if there are copies of news items or articles you can share, please do. We are all interested in learning about our world with open minds and healthy skepticism. Friday, April 27, 3:00pm Parent and Baby/ Toddler Meetup Location and other details available upon RSVP at the CFI-SFN website Sunday, April 29, 6pm Vanc. Science & Religion Discussion Endeavor Church, NE Halsey St, Portland, OR Every worldview proposes either a solution to or a coping mechanism for what we think are today's biggest problems, with a prospectus for the future. Dr. Ray Lubeck represents the Christian viewpoint, and Sylvia Benner the secular humanist viewpoint.