About the Center For Inquiry/Chicago
About Us
Our Center's main function is to explore and affirm living our lives as secular humanist people, and using the powers of science and reason to explore and assist our world. We do this through discussion groups, social outings, local and national activities, among other things. Increasingly, too, our Center acts as a resource for local and national news reporters who seek accurate information about secular humanism.
More information can be found in our Bylaws and list of Officers, Directors, and Committees.
Center membership is not a prerequisite for attending our meetings, although we charge non-members $6 per visit. In fact, we regularly send announcements to both members and interested non-members. Contact Us to get on our mailing list.
Meetings
We meet at least one Sunday morning a month, very near downtown Chicago, with easy access by public transit or expressway, and nearby parking.
Our regular discussion format features a guest presenter with a pre-announced main topic, followed by a "moderated roundtable" at which anyone can express a viewpoint on the presentation or on related matters. Topics are selected that have general interest for all members and do not require advance reading or specialized knowledge.
Sometimes we simply have a facilitator rather than a guest presenter. The facilitator helps keep the discussion on track and moving around among all the participants. In this way, we maximize the opportunity to get to know each other socially and as fellow secularists.
Our meetings are always simultaneously lively, fun and thought-provoking, and we serve coffee and bakery!
Affiliated Organizations
We also serve as a liaison for local campus freethought groups, such as the Chicagoland CFA Network, which includes the College of DuPage, and the UIC's Students Without Religious Dogma (SWORD).
