| Campus Inquirer | December 2007 |
In This Issue:
CFI Campus Leaders Storm New York City NEW YORK, NY—CFI New York City held the landmark, sold-out conference “The Secular Society and Its Enemies” at the New York Academy of Sciences from November 9-11. Covering religion, science, culture, and politics, the conference attracted a diverse crowd of more than four hundred, including over forty student members of CFI On Campus. Many of the students were previously funded to attend the 2007 CFI Student Leadership Conference in June, while others, from regions including Chicago, Boston, Ontario, Florida, and Colorado, became involved more recently with the Center for Inquiry. Registration, accomodations, and travel for many students was covered by funds from CFI as well as by generous donations from CFI supporters. 
Center for Inquiry campus leaders and CFI outreach staff in the conference hall
Read on for accounts of the conference from two of the student attendees.
 Shalini Sehkar
Carnegie Mellon Atheists, Humanists and Agnostics
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
When I enrolled as a freshman at Carnegie Mellon University in August, one of the first things that struck me as odd was the absence of an organized freethinking group on campus. In contrast to the few dozen religious organizations on campus and the recent focus on “spiritual” development by the university administration, freethinking students lacked a platform to make their voices heard. I had the idea of starting a freethought group during the first few weeks, but things really took off when another student happened to come across my skeptical blog and expressed an interest in starting a group too. I then decided to affiliate our group, Carnegie Mellon Atheists, Humanists and Agnostics (AHA), with the Center for Inquiry and sent a request to CFI for promotional materials. Not too long after, I received an e-mail from the CFI Community here in Pittsburgh inviting us to attend a meeting. From that day onwards, I realized that affiliating with CFI was the best thing that could happen to our budding club, and true enough, our membership has since grown. Nevertheless, as a new organization, we realized that we still had a lot to learn in terms of organizing activities and figuring out the best way to get things together. It was around this time that I received an e-mail about the CFI New York City conference that was to be held from November 9th through 11th. With barely two months to go before the conference, I managed to obtain a travel grant from my school, while CFI field organizer Lauren Becker informed me that CFI would cover the accommodation costs. This was how I managed to spend the weekend of my life with about 50 other student leaders coming from diverse backgrounds but united under the banner of reason. The conference was held at the New York Academy of Sciences in lower Manhattan overlooking Ground Zero. Throughout the conference, the gaping hole in the ground where the towers once stood served as a silent reminder to everyone present of why our fight is a fight that matters. The conference kicked off on Friday night with a VIP reception followed by a tribute to Carl Sagan. There was a touching audio recording of Sagan reading a passage from his book Pale Blue Dot as part of the tribute. Next, Ann Druyan took to the stage, asserting that the word “supernatural” should be replaced with “subnatural,” as falsehoods always come up short against the glory and majesty of science and the real world. This is a sentiment that I can wholly relate to from personal experience and my journey into freethought. After the rousing tribute, 17-year-old Matthew LaClair, the high school student who caught a teacher on tape saying in class that a student was going to hell because she did not believe in Jesus, was awarded the James Madison Religious Liberty Award. It is indeed warming to see the younger generation dispelling the image of apathy and taking on an active role in freethought activism. Eddie Tabash, wrapping up the evening, gave a jolting speech about the current threat to religious freedom, reminding those in attendance once again of the urgency of the secular mission. 
Richard Dawkins, Neil deGrasse Tyson, & Ann Druyan discuss science education
Although the second day was largely devoted to panel discussions, to me, the most interesting event was the panel on science and the public, featuring Richard Dawkins, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Ann Druyan, and Victor Stenger, and moderated by D.J. Grothe. One of Tyson's main points was that we should re-brand science as “reality.” Tyson, responding to Stenger's remark about students not being able to apply the things they learn in his physics classes in real life, commented that just trying to figure out a problem rewires the brain, thus making it applicable to solving real life problems. Using a personal anecdote, Tyson stated that science helps us to “remove our urges to delude ourselves.” Meanwhile, Ann Druyan spoke about how science has helped to “wean us of our need to be at the center of the universe.” The panelists had a gentle clash when Ann Druyan disagreed with Dawkins's methods of handling religious people. She prefers a gentler approach in dealing with religious claims, saying that we should point out that “science has a better story to tell.” Nevertheless, all four panelists rejected Stephen Jay Gould's Nonoverlapping Magisteria principle, agreeing that science can indeed address supernatural claims. After the lunch break, there was a videotaped interview with Christopher Hitchens who asserted that poverty in the developing world could be ended with the liberation of women. Next up was Paul Kurtz, the founder of the Center for Inquiry and the father of the secular humanist movement. His remark on how Sunnis don't recognize Shiites, how Protestants don't recognize the Catholic Pope, and how Baptists don't recognize each other at Hooters brought a smile to everybody’s faces. After Peter Singer spoke about the ethics of euthanasia, abortion, stem-cell research and the use of animals for research, D.J. Grothe interviewed Richard Dawkins for the Point of Inquiry podcast. As a longtime supporter of Dawkins’s stance on dealing with religious people, it was indeed an eye-opener for me when he admitted that his methods may not be in the best interests of improving the public understanding of science. He went on to say that although he has “divided loyalties” on this matter, it is important to defeat irrationality itself in the long run. 
Roger Redondo (University of Edinburgh) talks about campus organizing at The Beekman Pub
The best part of the weekend was when we students had dinner with Richard Dawkins at The Beekman Pub, a short walk from the conference site. Here, we were given the opportunity to talk about our campus freethought groups, our activities, challenges and plans. Dawkins then announced that he will be setting up a specific forum called “The Beekman” on his website to further the conversations that took place that night. This was an amazing opportunity to learn about other groups and gain ideas on how to further improve our own groups. Having a leading atheist figure sharing his insight was certainly highly rewarding to all of us. This also sent a powerful message to the future leaders of the secular movement that our voice is an important one. 
Mark Anthony Smith and Sarah Stone
From the perspective of a student leader, the highlight of the third day was the panel called “Secularism: The Younger Generation.” The fact that CFI included this as part of the conference showed that the importance of the younger generation in furthering the freethought movement can never be emphasized enough. This conference served as a reinforcement of my determination to ensure that my newly-formed group becomes a successful platform for the non-religious at Carnegie Mellon. The discussions I had with other student leaders provided me with valuable insights on what activities work and what activities don’t. Although I parted ways with all the other students with a heavy heart, it was with renewed determination that I returned to campus armed with the many nuggets of wisdom and encouragement I received throughout this experience of a lifetime. Shalini Sehkar is a founding member and Leadership Officer of Carnegie Mellon Atheists, Humanists and Agnostics (AHA), a campus organization that promotes rational thinking and reason as an alternative to faith. She is also an avid blogger who blogs at http://scientianatura.blogspot.com.
Blake Tanase
Gator Freethought
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL I’m not a writer. I’m not a lawyer, a scientist, or a politician. I’m neither a Christian, nor a Buddhist, nor a Republican, nor a Democrat. As a second-year college student, there are many things that I am not. It is ironic, if you think about it, that I find myself mostly strongly identifying and being identified by another thing that I am not: a believer. In a nation tolerant of a multiplicity of cultures, subcultures, ethnicities, societies and groups, it is both humbling and saddening to realize that the people of my country reserve particularly personal venom for people who commit no crime, but simply omit one particular notion from their thoughts. The inmates seem to be running the asylum, and there is no escape within sight. Or so I thought. At the CFI New York City conference “The Secular Society and its Enemies,” the first explicitly non-theistic event I’ve been able to attend, it finally sunk in that I am not alone. For a while now I’ve read CFI newsletters, watched Eddie Tabash’s debates online, and read Richard Dawkins’s books, but within the day-to-day affairs of my life, there is a stunning dearth of rational thought in others. It was probably the most heartening experience in my life as a freethinker to be able to attend the conference and finally understand that there are real people, with real influence in the world, who think as I do. Outside of the window of the New York Academy of Sciences building, I could see the crater where the Twin Towers once stood, reminding me once again of the necessity of preserving our secular society. The first day of the conference consisted mostly of formalities and greetings, as well as a ceremony for distributing Humanist Laureate awards to Christopher Hitchens, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Ann Druyan, for their respective work in promoting secular humanist values. There was also a nostalgic birthday tribute to the life work of the late Carl Sagan. 
Matthew LaClair and Paul Kurtz
I met and chatted with Matthew LaClair, who received the James Madison Religious Liberty Award that evening. He became nationally famous (or infamous) after standing up to his teacher’s in-class proselytizing, but I’m glad to know him as a fellow student and as a general nice guy. We’re Facebook buddies now. Outspoken First Amendment rights activist Eddie Tabash closed the evening with an address warning of the precarious nature of the religious freedoms we take for granted. He explained that the simple change of one justice on the Supreme Court will be enough to allow the government to favor religious believers over non-believers, and he argued that religious banter among Democratic candidates belies the fact that they will appoint justices who will interpret the First Amendment properly. The following day, CFI arranged a series of panels to discuss the most pressing issues facing our secular society, as well as several individual speeches from famous intellectuals. They discussed the history of secularism, the relationship between science and the public, and the prevalence of unreason in the American public sphere. What impressed me so greatly about these panels was not the particular positions that the speakers took, but rather their analytical and reasoned approached to all of their positions. It was shockingly refreshing for me to listen to a debate and not hear somebody rest his or her argument with the phrase, “Well, that’s my belief.” Due to a last-minute assignment to South America, Christopher Hitchens could not make it to the event in person, but he did appear in the conference by video, offering insight and encouragement. I also learned what a Center for Inquiry is actually supposed to be. It never really occurred to me before to think about what CFI represents, but after these discussions and a presentation by the members of the Center, I now confidently understand what it truly means to be a rationalist, and why freethinkers need to organize. An interview of Richard Dawkins by D.J. Grothe ended the day. Afterwards, all of the several dozen students attending walked down the streets of New York to a small pub called The Beekman to have dinner with Richard Dawkins and talk about the difficulties of running campus freethought groups. Dr. Dawkins mostly listened while college and high school students, including myself, conversed about the myriad problems we face, but also about our successes at our respective schools. Overall, I left feeling hopeful and empowered. On the last day of the conference, CFI held two more panel discussions, one about the future of freethought through the youth of America, and another about the battle between secularism and Islam. D.J. Grothe also interviewed a number of students for CFI’s podcast and radio show, Point of Inquiry. 
Lucia Guatney, Roy Natian, and Blake Tanase record for Point of Inquiry
CFI closed the seminar on an upbeat note and encouraged members to go on a United Nations tour afterwards. Despite being a three-day affair, I feel as though there was not enough time to cover the all of the issues and people pressing to break down the separation of church and state. The biggest impact, to me, of attending the conference, was meeting and talking to intelligent, influential, rational people in a setting where my views on god and religions would neither offend nor upset anybody. I can only hope that I have chances to meet with members of the Center for Inquiry, and their illustrious guests, in the future. Blake Tanase is a 2nd year student at the University of Florida, majoring in Political Science and History. He is a member of Gator Freethought, one of the largest campus freethought groups in the United States.
Conference coverage from student bloggers: Additional conference coverage:
Student Freethought Leaders Speak Out on Point of Inquiry Point of Inquiry is the Center for Inquiry's radio show and podcast, drawing on CFI's relationship with the leading minds of the day including Nobel Prize-winning scientists, public intellectuals, social critics and thinkers, and renowned entertainers. More than 100 past episodes include interviews with Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, Jill Tarter, Daniel Dennett, Robert Price, Max Maven, Ibn Warraq, James Randi, Susan Jacoby, Joe Nickell, Paul Kurtz, Jamy Ian Swiss, Eddie Tabash, Michelle Goldberg, Richard Wiseman, and others. 
Elvia Nidia González, Alon Levy, Sarah Stone
The December 14th episode features eight CFI campus leaders in conversation with D.J. Grothe exploring questions of mission and focus, as well as obstacles they face as they seek to advance science and secularism at the high school and college levels. The students debate various strategies for outreach and detail their successes, including events they organized and faculty supporters they discovered. They talk about the problem of how to present themselves to their wider learning community and how welcoming they should be of students who don’t share their worldview. They also emphasize the importance of open-ended free inquiry and how they see their goals as continuous with the goals of the university itself. The students interviewed include: - Elvia Nidia González, Campus Freethought at SAC, Santa Ana College
- Lucia Guatney, Cherry Creek High School
- Tyler Handley, Laurier Freethought Alliance, Wilfrid Laurier University
- Lisa Brandt Heckman, PSU Atheist & Agnostic Forum, Portland State University
- Roy Natian, Bruin Alliance of Skeptics and Secularists, UCLA
- Alon Levy, Columbia Atheists and Agnostics, Columbia University
- Sarah Stone, IUPUI Freethinkers, Indiana University/Purdue University—Indianapolis
- Blake Tanase, Gator Freethought, University of Florida
Students record with Thomas Donnelly and D.J. Grothe
Listen to this episode online at http://www.pointofinquiry.org.
If you have Apple's iTunes installed on your computer, you can subscribe to Point of Inquiry by clicking here. Additional subscription instructions can be found here.
As you watched the scores of U.S. Presidential debates, did you ever wonder why there has been no debate devoted to what may be the most important social issue of our time: Science and Technology? We did and we want to make sure it happens. Given the many urgent scientific and technological challenges facing America and the rest of the world, the increasing need for accurate scientific information in political decision making, and the vital role scientific innovation plays in spurring economic growth and competitiveness, the Center for Inquiry has joined in a call for a public debate in which the U.S. presidential candidates share their views on the issues of The Environment, Medicine and Health, and Science and Technology Policy. The Center for Inquiry Office of Public Policy invites you to join us. Visit ScienceDebate2008 to get involved.
The Four Horsemen: A Candid Fireside Discussion with Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, and Hitchens In September 2007, the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science convened a first-of-its-kind, unmoderated 2-hour discussion with Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins (jocularly known as the "Four Horsemen") in Christopher Hitchens's apartment in Washington, D.C. The four trade stories of the public's reaction to their recent books, their unexpected successes, criticisms and common misrepresentations. They discuss the tough questions about religion that face the world today and propose new strategies for going forward. You can pre-order the DVD now for $20, or watch the video (lower quality) online. All profits from sales of the DVDs from this remarkable conversation will be donated to the Ayaan Hirsi Ali security fund. For more information, click here.
News of Note About CFI groups and events: - Students create day for secular thinkers, The Kentucky Kernel (UK SHIFT [Society for Humanistic, Intellectual, and Freethought] at the University of Kentucky)
- Facing the faith: Gilles Messier, co-president of the Carleton Secular Alliance, comments on a proposed campus multi-faith building, The Charlatan (Carleton University)
- 'Anti-God' author defends direction, National Post
- Panel debates The Golden Compass, religion, atheism: Justin Trottier, Executive Director of CFI Ontario, weighs in, Globeandmail.com
Media Roundup: - In Texas, a Skirmish over Evolution in Schools: Science curriculum director forced to resign after forwarding Barbara Forrest lecture announcement, NPR.org
- Board puts faith in ‘In God We Trust’: After months of debate, a Bakersfield school district votes to display posters explaining the motto in 2,300 classrooms and offices, Los Angeles Times
- Creationist College Advances in Texas, Inside Higher Ed
- Onward Christian Teachers: A new report exposes the influence of Christianity in U.K. schools and universities and the consequent religious skew in education, A.C. Grayling for The Guardian
- Key states take up evolution debate: Texas, Florida are latest battlegrounds in conflict over teaching of evolution, eSchoolNews.com
- Polk [FL] School Board Leans Toward Inclusion of Intelligent Design, The Ledger
- God and Man at Harvard: A secular humanist responds to Harvard's addition of religion as a core requirement, Society of Mutual Autopsy
- Romania removes theory of evolution from school curriculum, The Diplomat
- Biologist fired for beliefs, suit says: Woods Hole states creationist stance at odds with work, Boston Globe
- Science in America: Religious Belief and Public Attitudes, The Pew Forum
- God and Man on YouTube, The New York Times
- Dawkins' publisher faces jail over 'atheist manifesto', The Independent
- Atheists put their faith in backlash of politics, The Washington Times
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