Summer Session 2009
Summer Session: July 15 - August 2 2009
Summer Session 2009: A Secular Summit: What is Secularism and Where is it Going?
Instruction at The Institute at the Center for Inquiry is organized into Wednesday - Sunday modules, each an intensive exploration of some aspect of the theme. Modules are carefully interwoven to convey the richness of the theme as a totality, while also serving as stand-alone courses. Participants may take one, two, or three modules depending on their sphere of interest.
Secular Studies (July 15-19)
Experts on secular people and the spread of secularism describe their research of this growing segment of the world's population, as the secular become a visible and potentially powerful segment of society. From demographics and polling, to psychology and sociology, to cultural studies, there's fresh curiosity about agnostics, atheists, secularists, and nonbelievers generally. How will this newly recognized minority impact the family, community, workplace, economic system, health-care system, judicial system, local and national politics, global activism, and international relations? Seminars and workshops explore these issues and many more:
- Conducting polls for identifying kinds of nonbelievers
- Whether atheism will continue to attract prejudice
- How nonbelief is treated in the media and popular culture
- Ways that nonbelief may be spreading and growing in the U.S.
Instructors: Barry Kosmin, Phil Zuckerman, Ronald Aronson, and Luke Galen
click the picture to download the module 1 schedule or here for the full schedule
Government Without God (July 22 - 26)
Legal and political scholars give updates from the frontlines of the secular agenda. Hear the top tacticians explain their strategies in state capitals, appellate courtrooms, and congressional bills, all the way to the Supreme Court. Seminars describe the lawsuits and legislative efforts to repair the "wall of seperation" between church and state, to prevent religious interference and entanglement, and to protect rights of nonbelievers. Speakers will address such topics as:
- Freedom of speech for nonbelievers too
- Prayer in schools
- Funding for religious schooling
- Euthanasia and end-of-life care
- Stem cell research and genetic engineering
- Reproductive rights and the duties of health care professionals
Instructors: Ronald A. Lindsay, Eddie Tabash, Barry Lynn, Dan Barker, and Derek Araujo
click the picture to download the module 2 schedule or here for the full schedule
Positively Skeptical (July 29 - August 2)
Prominent skeptics and atheists describe the smartest and wisest ways for rejecting myth, superstition, scripture, and theology. Hear top experts plan for accelerating our progress against irrationalism and superstition, and the advancement of the positive secular life. Sample seminars include:
- Conducting responsible research and investigating paranormal and religious claims
- Applying logic, science, and naturalism to refute theological arguments
- Replacing religious ethics with humanistic ethics
- Affirming one's atheism with pride and confidence in a religious environment
Instructors: Paul Kurtz, Tom Flynn, John Shook, Joe Nickell, Doug Geivett, and Paul Draper
click the picture to download the module 3 schedule or here for the full schedule
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