Tag Archives: Centre for Inquiry

June 14: Nate Phelps: The Uncomfortable Grayness of Life

20 Apr

Thursday, June 14, 2012, 7:00 PM

311 – 23rd St. E., Saskatoon, SK

Downstairs in the Theatre

CFI Saskatoon is excited to announce that we’re bringing Nate Phelps to the city for Pride 2012. This is an official Pride Festival event in collaboration with the Saskatoon Diversity Network.

Nate Phelps, the estranged son of “God Hates Fags” church leader Fred Phelps, tells his story of enduring physical, emotional and psychological abuse as a child raised in the hate-filled theology of the Westboro Baptist Church. He recounts his escape from his father’s home at age 18 and his journey from dogma and hate to reason and acceptance, as an outspoken advocate for the LGBT community.

Without your support, the Centre for Inquiry cannot put on major events such as this. We encourage you to donate or become a Friend of the Centre today (more information below).

Nate was recently published in The Huffinton Post: “Life After the Westboro Baptist Church“. Nate describes his upbringing in the notoriously homophobic Westboro Baptist Church, and his journey of enlightenment that turned him into a pro-gay rights advocate.  You can also watch a 2010 2-part interview with Nate by (interim) National Executive Director Michael Payton on CFI’s Think Again! TV.

The Westbro Baptist Church (WBC) is an Independent Baptist church known for its extreme stance against homosexuality and its protest activities, which include picketing funerals of American servicemen and desecrating the American flag.

The group bases its work around the belief expressed by its best known slogan and the address of its primary Web site, God Hates Fags, asserting that every tragedy in the world is linked to homosexuality — specifically society’s increasing tolerance and acceptance of the so-called homosexual agenda. The group maintains that God hates gays above all other kinds of “sinners” and that homosexuality should be a capital crime.

They were the subject of a 2007 BBC documentary film titled “The Most Hated Family in America“.

Agenda
6:30 pm Doors open
7:00 pm Welcome and Presentation
9:00 pm Social
9:30 pm Pub Discussion (Location TBD)

Admission (at the door)
General Admission: $10
CFI Friends of the Centre and Students: $5
NEW CFI Friends of the Centre (after April 14, 2012): FREE

Note that your RSVP here does not guarantee you admission. It is first come, first served at the door.

Without your support, the Centre for Inquiry cannot put on major events such as this. We encourage you to donate or join as a Friend of the Centre. Admission for this event is free for new CFI Friends, so join today! CFI is a nationally registered educational charity and all donations over $10 are eligible for a tax receipt.

When donating online, you can add a comment that you would like the funds to remain in Saskatchewan, if you wish. You can also join or donate in person at one of our events and you can send cheques to
Centre for Inquiry Saskatchewan
Box 31043 RPO Broadway & Taylor
Saskatoon, SK, S7H 5S8

May 3: Debate: Should Assisted Suicide be Legalized in Canada?

13 Apr

Thursday, May 3, 2012, 7:00 PM

311 – 23rd St. E., Saskatoon, SK

Downstairs in the Theatre

The Centre for Inquiry Canada is presenting a series of debates across the country on the issue of assisted suicide. With strong arguments on both sides, this is a complex and emotionally-charged issue.

Motion: “Should assisted suicide be legalized in Canada?”

Proposition Debater: Wanda Morris, Executive Director of Dying with Dignity

Opposition Debater: Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Moderator: University of Saskatchewan Debate Society Member

This promises to be a stimulating debate about a very topical issue in Canada. Hope to see you there!

Without your support, the Centre for Inquiry cannot put on major events such as this. We encourage you to donate or become a Friend of the Centre today (more information below).

CFI thanks both Dying with Dignity and Euthanasia Prevention Coalition for helping to sponsor this event.

More about the Debaters:

Wanda Morris is the Executive Director of Dying with Dignity, a charitable organization established in 1982 to educate the public about end of life options and the importance of advance care planning; to provide information and resources to the public and lawmakers about the choice in dying movement and the reasons why appropriately regulated assisted dying should be legalized in Canada; and to provide support for individuals at the end of their lives including support at the bedside for those who wish to determine the nature and timing of their dying. Wanda has been actively involved in the 2011 “Right to Die” charter challenge brought before the supreme court of British Columbia, and is an advisor to The Right to Die Society.

Alex Schadenberg is the Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition.

About the “Right to Die” Charter Challenge:
Gloria Taylor is a 63 year old woman who suffers with Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Last year, she petitioned the Supreme Court of British Columbia to give her the legal right to end her life before the progressive disease makes living intolerable. A decision by the Court is expected soon.

Agenda
6:30 pm Doors open
7:00 pm Welcome and Debate

Admission (at the door)
General Admission: $10
CFI Friends of the Centre and Students: $5
NEW CFI Friends of the Centre (after April 12, 2012): FREE

Note that your RSVP here does not guarantee you admission. It is first come, first served at the door.

Without your support, the Centre for Inquiry cannot put on major events such as this. We encourage you to donate or join as a Friend of the Centre. Admission for this event is free for new CFI Friends, so join today! CFI is a nationally registered educational charity and all donations over $10 are eligible for a tax receipt.

When donating online, you can add a comment that you would like the funds to remain in Saskatchewan, if you wish. You can also join or donate in person at one of our events and you can send cheques to
Centre for Inquiry Saskatchewan
Box 31043 RPO Broadway & Taylor
Saskatoon, SK, S7H 5S8

September 26: James Randi! – Guest Speaker

8 Aug

Monday, September 26, 2011, 7:00 PM

The Roxy Theatre

320 20th St West , Saskatoon, SK (map)

Main Theatre
James Randi is coming to Saskatoon!  This is a great event to attend with your family and friends to attend – whatever their beliefs.  We are looking for volunteers to help out on the day of the event with greeting, set up, and clean up. Let us know if you are willing to lend a hand.

Without your support, the Centre for Inquiry cannot put on major events such as this. We encourage you to donate or become a Friend of the Centre today (more information below).

James Randi has an international reputation as a magician and escape artist, but today he is best known as the world’s most tireless investigator and demystifier of paranormal and pseudoscientific claims.

Randi has pursued “psychic” spoonbenders, exposed the dirty tricks of faith healers, investigated homeopathic water “with a memory,” and generally been a thorn in the sides of those who try to pull the wool over the public’s eyes in the name of the supernatural.

He is the author of numerous books, including The Truth About Uri Geller, The Faith Healers, Flim-Flam!, and An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural. His lectures and television appearances have delighted — and vexed — audiences around the world.

Randi is the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) with a mission is to promote critical thinking by reaching out to the public and media with reliable information about paranormal and supernatural ideas so widespread in our society today. The JREF offers a still-unclaimed million-dollar reward for anyone who can produce evidence of paranormal abilities under controlled conditions. Through scholarships, workshops, and innovative resources for educators, the JREF works to inspire this investigative spirit in a new generation of critical thinkers.

Agenda
7:00 pm Welcome and presentation
9:00 pm Social (Location TBD)

Advanced Tickets (Ticket prices will increase by $5 at the door)
General Admission: $20
CFI Friends of the Centre: $10
Students: $10

Purchase your tickets online through Eventbrite at http://randi-saskatoon.eventbrite.com/.  Tickets will also be available at the door for an extra $5  if they are not sold out.

Without your support, the Centre for Inquiry cannot put on major events such as this. We encourage you to donate or join as a Friend of the Centre.  Tickets for Randi are discounted for CFI Friends, so join today!

CFI is a nationally registered educational charity and all donations over $10 are eligible for a tax receipt.  CFI recently launched the Next Big Step Challenge – if we can raise enough money by Sept 30, a major donor has promised $200,000 to help fulfill the vision of CFI homes for reason, skepticism and freethought in key cities across Canada.

When donating online, you can add a comment that you would like the funds to remain in Saskatchewan, if you wish.  You can also join or donate in person at one of our events and you can send cheques to:

Centre for Inquiry Saskatchewan
Box 31043 RPO Broadway & Taylor
Saskatoon, SK, S7H 5S8

August 26: How to Become a Really Good Pain in the Ass (Guest Speaker: Chris DiCarlo)

4 Aug

Friday, August 26, 2011, 6:00 PM

Rusty Macdonald Branch Library – Auditorium

225 Primrose Drive, Saskatoon, SK (map)

Go in the main doors. The auditorium door is ahead and to the right.

Mark your calendars and tell your friends!  We hope everyone will try to attend and support this event.  We are also looking for volunteers to help out on the day of the event with greeting, set up, and clean up. Let us know if you are willing to lend a hand.

Without your support, the Centre for Inquiry cannot put on major events such as this. We encourage you to donate or become a Friend of the Centre today (more information below).

Chris DiCarlo will be reading from and speaking on his new book, How to Become a Really Good Pain in the Ass: A Critical Thinker’s Guide to asking the Right Questions .

A really good pain in the ass is someone who is empowered with the ability to spot faulty reasoning and, by asking the right sorts of questions, hold people accountable not only for what they believe but how they behave.

This book revolves around asking and answering five very important questions. They are so important, they are called the Big Five:

  1. What can I know?
  2. Why am I here?
  3. What am I?
  4. How should I behave?
  5. What is to come of me?

Chris was in Saskatoon last August for the We Are All African! Can scientific proof of our commonality save us? event.  He is a great public speaker and the event was very well received.

Agenda
6:00 pm Doors Open
6:15 pm Welcome and presentation followed by questions
8:30 pm Meet & Greet Social (Location TBD)

About DiCarlo (see also  DiCarlo’s website)
Voted TV Ontario’s Big Ideas Best Lecturer and Canadian Humanist of the Year by Humanist Canada in 2008, Dr. DiCarlo presents highly insightful and lively discussions. He is a past Visiting Research Scholar at Harvard University and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. Here, he conducted research for two books he is currently writing titled: The Comparative Brain: The Evolution of Human Reasoning and The Evolution of Religion: Why Many Need to Believe in Deities, Demons, and the Unseen. He has been invited to speak at numerous national and international conferences and has written many scholarly papers ranging from bioethics to cognitive evolution.

Without your support, the Centre for Inquiry cannot put on major events such as this. We encourage you to donate or join as a Friend of the Centre.  We are planning a lunch with DiCarlo for CFI Friends, so join today!

CFI is a nationally registered educational charity and all donations over $10 are eligible for a tax receipt.  CFI recently launched the Next Big Step Challenge – if we can raise enough money by Sept 30, a major donor has promised $200,000 to help fulfill the vision of CFI homes for reason, skepticism and freethought in key cities across Canada.

When donating online, you can add a comment that you would like the funds to remain in Saskatchewan, if you wish.  You can also join or donate in person at our meetup on August 14 and you can send cheques to:

Centre for Inquiry Saskatchewan
Box 31043 RPO Broadway & Taylor
Saskatoon, SK, S7H 5S8

Saskatoon Freethinkers is now part of CFI Canada!

3 Feb

After a lot of discussion, debate and email, Saskatoon Freethinkers has now become CFI Saskatoon, an integral part of the Centre for Inquiry (CFI) Canada network! If you are interested in donating to our group, you can now do so directly via the Support CFI link on their website. There is also a link on our sidebar. CFI is a not-for-profit charity, so any donations (other than membership) qualify for a tax rebate!

Also be sure to check out CFI Canada’s new Extraordinary Claims Canada-wide campaign, which we proudly support.

November 5th: The New Age Movement & Science: A Love-Hate Relationship

24 Oct

Presentation by Justin Trottier of Centre for Inquiry (CFI) Canada followed by discussion. Trottier will explore the uses and abuses of science within the New Age movement, ranging from psychics and mediums to crystal healers and other alternative gurus.

An overview of CFI will also be presented.

Free, Everyone is welcome

Donations to the Centre for Inquiry are appreciated and we encourage everyone to become a Friend of the Centre (or renew your previous membership). Charitable donations can be made directly to the Centre for Inquiry to receive a tax receipt. Please make a note that your donation should be directed to the costs of Justin’s trip to Sasaktoon.

Justin Trottier is the Executive Director of the Centre for Inquiry Canada, host of Think Again TV! as well as a contributor to the National Post and the Michael Coren Show on CTS TV. As an outspoken advocate of freedom of expression and inquiry, science education, church-state separation, and equality rights for non-believers, he’s appeared on TVO, CBC, CTV, Global, CityTV, OMNI and the Space Channel, among other networks. He was the chief spokesperson for the Canadian Atheist Bus Campaign.

Saskatoon Freethinkers members can RSVP for this event on our Meetup site or on our Facebook page.

November 7th Special Meetup: Justin Trottier speaking about CFI

24 Oct

Justin Trottier of Centre for Inquiry Canada will be in Saskatoon for the weekend. We will hold a public event (lecture) on Friday night and then Justin will address our members on Sunday, November 7. This is our regular meetup time and place, but it is an additional meetup to our schedule. Two weeks later, we will have our regularly scheduled meetup, which will be a General Meeting.

This event will give our members a chance to find out what’s involved in becoming a CFI Community Group and to ask Justin about any concerns or curiosities we may have related to CFI and community status. We will also learn more about what is happening with freethought in Canada and future plans.

Additional information will be provided prior to this event.

Donations to the Centre for Inquiry are appreciated and we encourage everyone to become a Friend of the Centre (or renew your previous membership). Charitable donations can be made directly to the Centre for Inquiry to receive a tax receipt. Please make a note that your donation should be directed to the costs of Justin’s trip to Sasaktoon.

Justin Trottier is the Executive Director of the Centre for Inquiry Canada, host of Think Again TV! as well as a contributor to the National Post and the Michael Coren Show on CTS TV. As an outspoken advocate of freedom of expression and inquiry, science education, church-state separation, and equality rights for non-believers, he’s appeared on TVO, CBC, CTV, Global, CityTV, OMNI and the Space Channel, among other networks. He was the chief spokesperson for the Canadian Atheist Bus Campaign.

Saskatoon Freethinkers members can RSVP for this event on our Meetup site or on our Facebook page.

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