Past Events Archive 2009

TUESDAY, January 6, 2009, 7pm
The Book Discussion Group typically meets at the Jericho Library, One Merry Lane, Jericho, on the first Tuesday of the month. Book: "Under the Banner of Heaven" by Jon Kraukauer. Still free and open to the public!

THURSDAY, January 8, 2009, 7pm
The Philosophy Group led by Dr. Phil Pecorino usually will be meeting on the SECOND Thursday of the month at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library, 999 Old Country Rd., Plainview, Nassau County, NY. TOPIC: TBD. FREE and open to the public!

TUESDAY, January 13, 2009, 7pm
Usually the second or third Tuesday of the month, topic TBD, contact Warren Rothstein warrenrothstein@optonline.net to reserve a place (limited seating) and for directions. For CFI Friends only!

SUNDAY, JANUARY 25, 2009
11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. CFI-LI Annual Winter Fundraising Brunch, to be hosted by CFI-LI coordinator Gerry Dantone and Rosemary Dantone.

Every year the hungriest CFI Community of LI friends get together on the weekend before the Super Bowl and enjoy good company and good food. Instead of a local crowded restaurant, it will take place at the home of CFI Community of LI coordinator Gerry Dantone and Rosemary Dantone. This homemade brunch will be a great opportunity for meeting fellow CFI Community of LI community members and will additionally be an important fundraising event. The cost will be only $20 per person and children 13 & under are free! Muffins and breakfast pastries will be served along with eggs, home fries, bacon, sausage and lots of coffee and tea! You are encouraged to bring your own brunch goodies as well to share with everyone! Don't miss this fun event which also serves to help fund the great local CFI Community of Long Island programming! You can send your payments in advance to CFI Community of LI, PO Box 119, Greenlawn, NY 11740. You can also RSVP to 516 640 5491 or LISecHum@aol.com but if you reserve a place, you will be expected to send in your donation whether you attend or not since we will be purchasing and preparing food for you!

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3rd 2009 at 7:00 pm
Book Discussion Group
Location: Jericho Public Library, One Merry Lane, Jericho, NY
Book: "Top 10 Myths About Evolution" by Smith & Sullivan, a timely choice to celebrate Darwin's 200th birthday! Still free and open to the public!

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12th 2009 at 7:00 pm
Philosophy Group
Location:Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library, 999 Old Country Road, Plainview, NY
The Philosophy Group led by Dr. Phil Pecorino usually will be meeting on the SECOND Thursday of the month at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library, 999 Old Country Rd., Plainview, Nassau County, NY. TOPIC: TBD FREE and open to the public!

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13th 2009 at 9:00 am
A DAY FOr DARWIN AT QUEENS COLLEGE
Location: Queens College, LeFrak Concert Hall, 6530 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY
A "Day for Darwin" at Queens College, a symposium featuring Susan Foster on "Adaptive Radiation: From Darwin's Finches to Tinbergen's Stickleback," Jeffrey Schwartz on "150 Years of Evo-Devo," Paul Turner on "Darwin and Disease," and Patricia Wittkopp on "Evolution in Color: Using Pigmentation to Discover Evolutionary Mechanisms." From 9 AM to 1:30PM on Friday, February 13, 2009. For further details go to http://dennehylab.bio.qc.cuny.edu/dd.html.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13th 2009
DARWIN DAY AT STONY BROOK
Location:SUNY @ Stony Brook, Nicolls Rd., Stony Brook, Suffolk County, NY
SUNY @ Stony Brook's Annual Darwin Day Celebration!

Date: Friday, February 13, 2009, 7:30PM, Special guest lecturer, Professor Stephen C. Stearns; various events all day!
Location: Students Activities Center's Ballroom A, SUNY @ Stony Brook
Directions: By car: From New York City, take the Long Island Expressway (LIE, I-495) eastbound from the Queens Midtown Tunnel in Manhattan or the Throgs Neck Bridge or Whitestone Bridge in Queens to exit 62, and follow Nicolls Road (Route 97) north for 9 miles. The main entrance to the University is on the left.

By Train: Take the Long Island Railroad's Port Jefferson line from Penn Station in Manhattan to Stony Brook. The LIRR station is at the north end of the campus; bus service to the central campus is provided. Trains to and from Penn generally require transfers at Jamaica or Huntington. Hicksville is also a transfer point on some lines.

Activities: Videos, exhibits, discussions.

Prof. Stephen C. Stearns specializes in life history evolution, which links the fields of ecology and evolutionary biology, in evolutionary medicine, and in evolutionary functional genomics. He came to Yale in 2000 from the University of Basel, Switzerland, where he had been professor of zoology since 1983 and held several administrative posts.

His books include "Evolution, an introduction" (Oxford, 2000) with Rolf Hoekstra, "Watching, from the Edge of Extinction" (Yale, 1999) with his wife Beverly Peterson Stearns, "The Evolution of Life Histories" (Oxford, 1992), and two edited volumes, "Evolution in health and disease" (Oxford, 1998) and "The Evolution of Sex and its Consequences."

A 1967 graduate of Yale College, Stearns earned a M.S. from the University of Wisconsin and a Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia.

Prof. Stearns founded and has served as president of both the European Society for Evolutionary Biology and the Tropical Biology Association and was founding editor of the Journal of Evolutionary Biology. He has been a vice president of the Society for the Study of Evolution and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Special thanks to Dr. Massimo Pigliucci for arranging this event.

Event web site: http://www.darwinsbu.org/

For a map and directions go to: http://www.darwinsbu.org/directions.html

Free and open to the public!

TUESDAY, MARCH 3rd 2009 at 7:00 pm
BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP
Location: Jericho Public Library, One Merry Lane, Jericho, NY
The Book Discussion Group typically meets at the Jericho Library, One Merry Lane, Jericho, on the first Tuesday of the month. Book: "Power, Faith & Fantasy: America in the Middle East" by Michael Oren. Still free and open to the public!

TUESDAY, MARCH 10th 2009 at 7:00 pm
PATHOGUE DISCUSSION GROUP
Location: Call or email to RSVP and get directions!
Usually the second or third Tuesday of the month, topic TBD, contact Warren Rothstein warrenrothstein@optonline.net to reserve a place (limited seating) and for directions. For CFI Friends only!

THURSDAY to SATURDAY, MARCH 12th to 14th 2009 to
DARWIN's REACH!
Location: Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
The Hofstra University Library, Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the Hofstra Cultural Center present a conference:
Darwin’s Reach examines the impact of Darwin and Darwinian evolution on science and society in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Robert Darwin and the sesquicentennial of the publication of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species (1859).

The central theme of this academic conference is an exploration of how Darwin’s ideas have revolutionized our understanding of both the living world and human nature.

Papers exploring diverse topics on Darwin’s legacy are invited from a wide variety of disciplines, including the natural and social sciences, humanities and law.

Keynote speakers include:

Frans de Waal, Ph.D., Charles Howard Candler Professor of Primate Behavior at Emory University; author of Chimpanzee Politics and Our Inner Ape; preeminent researcher on primate social behavior

Niles Eldredge, Ph.D., Curator of Paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History; curator of the Darwin exhibition; author of Charles Darwin - Discovering the Tree of Life and numerous other books on the subject of evolution

Judge John E. Jones III, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, who ruled against the Dover (Pennsylvania) area school board’s attempt to introduce teaching on "intelligent design" into school science classes

Jay Labov, Ph.D., senior advisor for education and communications at the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C.

William F. McComas, Ph.D., Parks Family Professor of Science Education, University of Arkansas; 2007 recipient of the Evolution Education Award sponsored by the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) and the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS)

Registration: $50 to $95/person. For the registration program go to: http://www.hofstra.edu/pdf/Community/culctr/culctr_newdarwinreg.pdf

Visit the Darwin's Reach homepage: http://www.hofstra.edu/Community/culctr/culctr_events_darwin.html

Free and open to the public!

THURSDAY, MARCH 12th 2009 at 7:00 pm
Philosophical Discussion Group
Location: Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library, 999 Old Country Road, Plainview, NY
The Philosophy Group led by Dr. Phil Pecorino usually will be meeting on the SECOND Thursday of the month at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library, 999 Old Country Rd., Plainview, Nassau County, NY. TOPIC: TBD FREE and open to the public!

FRIDAY, MARCH 13 ^th 2009 at 7:00 pm
Location: Stony Brook University Union Auditorium, Stony Brook University, Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY
Don't miss Ed Tabash , Chairman of CFI Los Angeles, will be speaking to the CFI-LI Community, students, faculty and the general public at Stony Brook University, Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, Suffolk County, on Friday, March 13, beginning at 7PM. The location within the campus is the Stony Brook University Union Auditorium.

Title of the presentation: "The Separation of Church and State." For a map of the campus and directions, go to: http://www.stonybrook.edu/sb/maps.shtml . Free and open to the public!

FRIDAY, MARCH 20th 2009 at 7:00 pm
Monthly Forum
Location: Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library, 999 Old Country Rd., Plainview, NY
A forum with former Evangelical Minister Kevin Cordle.
Join us for our monthly forum at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library, 999 Old Country Road, Plainview, NY, usually on the third Friday of the month.
Topic: "Breaking out of the Bubble: The De-conversion of an Evangelical Minister" featuring former minister, Kevin Cordle.
This promises to be a compelling, revealing and informative evening. Do not miss it! Free and open to the public.

TUESDAY, APRIL 7th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Monthly Book Discussion Group
The Book Discussion Group typically meets at the Jericho Library, One Merry Lane, Jericho, on the first Tuesday of the month. Book: "A Beginners Guide to Reality: Exploring Our Everyday Adventures in Wonderland" by Jim Baggott. The author, a physicist, reviews what philosophers and scientists, from classical times to the present, have said about reality, and whether we can know what's real. The book is not at all like sitting in a hall listening to a one-sided lecture but more like having an informal, intimate conversation with an informed and informative thinker. Discussion leader, Bob Goldberg. Still free and open to the public!

THURSDAY, APRIL 9th at 7:00 pm
The Philosophy Group led by Dr. Phil Pecorino usually will be meeting on the SECOND Thursday of the month at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library, 999 Old Country Rd., Plainview, Nassau County, NY.
TOPIC:    "Ghosts, Vampires , Zombies and Other Such  Scary Beings in Contemporary Culture"
Why do they get so much attention? Why do so many believe in them? How is it possible for such beings to exist?
I expect that we will spend the 2 hours we have exploring the meanings and assumptions and presuppositions associated with those questions.
READINGS: (as much or as little as you can handle of these items )
Cinema Fiction vs. Physics Reality Ghosts, Vampires, and Zombies
http://www.csicop..org/si/2007-04/efthimou.html
Ghosts
1.  (Short) Wikipedia
Ghosts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghosts
Pareidolia   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia
The Visit   http://www.csicop.org/sb/2001-06/visit.html
Haunted Inns    http://www.csicop.org/si/2000-09/i-files.html
Vampires
1.  (Short) Wikipedia
Vampires     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampires
ZOMBIES
1.  (Short) Wikipedia
Zombies   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombies
Werewolves
Werewolves http://www.csicop.org/sb/2008-03/nickell.html

FREE and open to the public!

TUESDAY, APRIL 14th, 2009, 7:00 pm
Usually the second or third Tuesday of the month, topic TBD, contact Warren Rothstein warrenrothstein@optonline.net to reserve a place (limited seating) and for directions. For CFI Friends only!

FRIDAY, APRIL 17th 2009 at 7:00 pm
Monthly forum, at the Book Revue, Huntington, NY
David Contosta, author of "Rebel Giants: The Revolutionary Lives of Abraham Lincoln & Charles Darwin" will be speaking at the Book Revue, 313 New York Avenue, Huntington , NY, 7pm, Friday, April 17. Don't miss this unique presentation that ties together those giants of the 19th century who were, amazingly, born on the same date, February 12, 1809!

Contosta makes a compelling case that by studying the similarities (along with the differences) between these two giants of history we are able to understand each man better than by examining their lives in isolation. This approach also affords many insights into the factors that impel special individuals to lead great paradigm shifts. Today, as American society still struggles to come to grips with the impact of racial integration and controversies over the teaching of evolution, it is more important than ever to understand how two 19th-century rebels with revolutionary ideas helped to shape the present. Contosta points out that despite obvious differences--one born to a poorly educated, impoverished family on the American frontier, the other to a wealthy and prominent English family; one largely self-taught, the other with a degree from Cambridge; one a politician seeking the crowd's approval, the other a reclusive scientist--there are striking similarities between these seemingly disparate individuals. Don't miss this special event, hosted by CFI-LI Coordinator, Gerry Dantone .

TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2009 at 7:00 pm
The Book Discussion Group typically meets at the Jericho Library, One Merry Lane, Jericho, on the first Tuesday of the month. Book: "Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex" by Mary Roach. This book goes behind the closed doors of labs, brothels, pig farms, sex-toy R&D labs and Alfred Kinsey's attic to expose oddities of sexual research. Adults only (just kidding.) Still free and open to the public!

TUESDAY, May 12, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Patchogue Discussion Group
Usually the second or third Tuesday of the month, topic TBD, contact Warren Rothstein warrenrothstein@optonline.net to reserve a place (limited seating) and for directions. For CFI Friends only!

THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Philosophical Discussion Group
The Philosophy Group led by Dr. Phil Pecorino usually will be meeting on the SECOND Thursday of the month at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library, 999 Old Country Rd., Plainview, Nassau County, NY.

Topic: "Give me Reason or Give me Death!: Socrates and the Life of Reason"

Should we need to be prepared to die in order to live a reasonable life? Must reason be suppressed if we are to live amongst unreasonable people in a culture of faith? I expect that we will spend the 2 hours we have exploring the meanings and assumptions and presuppositions associated with those questions.

READINGS: (as much or as little as you can handle of these items)

Note in the items in my textbook there are links to the primary source of information concerning Socrates: the Dialogues of Plato. If you wish to read them please do so. Of particular importance are the APOLOGY and the CRITO and the PHAEDO and Alcibiades speech at the end of the SYMPOSIUM.

1. Professor Pecorino's Online Textbook:

SOCRATES' LIFETIME

http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/SocialSciences/ppecorino/INTRO_TEXT/Chapter%202%20GREEKS/Socrates_lifetime.htm

Socrates' Trial

http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/SocialSciences/ppecorino/INTRO_TEXT/Chapter%202%20GREEKS/Socrates_Trial.htm

SOCRATES IN PRISON

http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/SocialSciences/ppecorino/INTRO_TEXT/Chapter%202%20GREEKS/Socrates_prison.htm

SOCRATES' DEATH and PLATO's THEORY of the FORMS and Arguments for the Existence of the Soul

http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/SocialSciences/ppecorino/INTRO_TEXT/Chapter%202%20GREEKS/Socrates_death3.htm

2. Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socrates

3 . Stanford Encyclopedia http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/socrates/

FREE and open to the public!

FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Monthly forum
Our special guest speaker this month was scheduled to be Chic Schissel who would speak about “Dubious Causes: Anti-vaccine, Anti-fluoride and the Precautionary Principle." Unfortunately a family emergency lead to a cancelation. Host Gerry Dantone led a lively discussion on issues of the day. Hosted by Gerry Dantone.

TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2009 at 7:00 pm
The Book Discussion Group typically meets at the Jericho Library, One Merry Lane, Jericho, on the first Tuesday of the month. Book: "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson. It's a bit longish (500+ pages), but the material is worth reviewing, though you likely already know most of it, so you can skim where necessary. Richard Morrock was slated to moderate the discussion, but he has not been well. We do look forward to his quick recovery and hope he can attend the June meeting. Still free and open to the public!

TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2009 at 7 pm
Patchogue Discussion Group
Usually the second or third Tuesday of the month, topic TBD, contact Warren Rothstein warrenrothstein@optonline.net to reserve a place (limited seating) and for directions. For CFI Friends only!

THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Philosophical Discussion Group
The Philosophy Group led by Dr. Phil Pecorino usually will be meeting on the SECOND Thursday of the month at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library, 999 Old Country Rd., Plainview, Nassau County, NY. TOPIC: TBD FREE and open to the public!

SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2009, NOON
LI PRIDE PARADE WITH CFI-LI
Volunteers needed! Marchers will be meeting @ the municipal parking lot in Huntington Village, on Gerard Street off of Clinton Street, Huntington @ Noon. The festival in nearby Heckscher park begins after the Parade @ 2 p.m. If you don't feel like marching, we will also need persons to staff our table at the fair to hand out CFI Comm. of LI literature. Last year over 1000 pieces of information about our CFI Community were handed out! The mission of the Parade and the Festival at Heckscher Park is to foster a safer environment for persons of all sexual orientations involving consenting adults, and raise awareness of inequities in existing law. If you want to be a part of the event, call Gerry Dantone @ 516 640 5491 or send an email to LISecHum@aol.com . FREE and open to the public!

FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2009 at CFI-LI
MONTHLY FORUM
Join us for our monthly forum at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library, 999 Old Country Road, Plainview, NY, usually on the third Friday of the month.

Guest Speaker: Dr. Massimo Pigliucci.

Topic: "Reason: What is it? Who needs it? "

Massimo Pigliucci (born January 16, 1964) was formerly a professor of Ecology and Evolution at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and now is the chair of the philosophy department at Lehman College, a CUNY school, and is known as an outspoken critic of creationism and advocate of science education. He received his doctorate in genetics at the University of Ferrara, Italy, a Ph.D. in botany from the University of Connecticut, and a Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Tennessee.

He received the Dobzhansky Prize from the Society for the Study of Evolution, and has been awarded three times the Oak Ridge National Laboratories Science Alliance Faculty Research Award. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal.

His research in science focuses on genotype-environment interactions, on natural selection, and on the constraints imposed on the latter by the genetic and developmental makeup of organisms. As a philosopher, he is interested in epistemological issues in the philosophy of science and in the conceptual examination of fundamental ideas underlying evolutionary theory.

Pigliucci writes regularly for Skeptical Inquirer and Philosophy Now, and has occasionally debated creationists. In 2002, on The Infidel Guy's internet radio show, he debated Kent Hovind (a creationist) and on Uncommon Knowledge he debated Jonathan Wells in 2005.

Pigliucci considers that many problems are caused by a failure on the part of scientists and science educators to appreciate the distinction between methodological and philosophical naturalism; and the distinction between matters of fact and value judgments, suggesting that whereas atheism is a perfectly respectable metaphysical position, science does not necessarily demand atheism.

In April 2008, he married Gillian Dunn, which was described in a feature article for the New York Times. Dunn is a well-known humanitarian aid worker. This forum is free and open to the public.

TUESDAY, July 2, 2009 at 7:00 pm
The Book Discussion Group typically meets at the Jericho Library, One Merry Lane, Jericho, on the first Tuesday of the month. A brief presentation of books of consuming interest by each of the attendees, as many as you'd like to offer. Again, we leave the management in Sue Taub's capable hands. Still free and open to the public!

SUNDAY, July 26, 2009, Noon to 6PM!
The Picnic @ the Beach
The popular CFI Community of Long Island annual fundraising Robert G. Ingersoll Memorial Picnic will be held at our favorite venue, Centerport Beach Park, Suffolk County, NY. Here is a map of the park: Centerport Beach Park . We have the shaded Main Pavilion in the woods all to our selves from Noon to 6 PM. Parking is free - tell the attendant you are with CFI.

Directions: By car; simply get to Route 25A (Fort Salonga Road) and go north on Little Neck Road to the park. From the LIRR; the closest station is Greenlawn, although nearby Huntington Station may have more trains arriving and departing. You might call Orange & White Taxi @ 631 271 3600 to arrange a ride at either station. For the LIRR schedule, go to LIRR Schedules .

The cost is modest for such a great day in the sun & shade at the beach; only $20/adult Friend of the Center; $25/adult for non-members; teenagers (13 to 19) are $10 each and from age 10 to 12 only $5 each. From 9 and under accompanied by their parent are free! Send checks in advance to CFI Community of Long Island, PO Box 119, Greenlawn, NY, 11740.

TUESDAY, August 4th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Book Discussion Group
The Book Discussion Group typically meets at the Jericho Library, One Merry Lane, Jericho, on the first Tuesday of the month. Book: "The Spirit of the Common Law" by Roscoe Pound, legal scholar and Dean of Harvard Law School, 1916 to 1936. Initially, Pound advocated a more pragmatic and public-interested interpretation of law, as opposed to legal formalism, but after the New Deal he became a critic of legal realism. According to Pound, precedent and supremacy of law are the foundation of common law. Bob Goldberg will lead the discussion. Still free and open to the public!

TUESDAY, August 11th, 2009 at 7 pm
Patchogue Discussion Group
Usually the second or third Tuesday of the month, topic TBD, contact Warren Rothstein warrenrothstein@optonline.net to reserve a place (limited seating) and for directions. For CFI Friends only!

TUESDAY, September 1st, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Book Discussion Group
The Book Discussion Group typically meets at the Jericho Library, One Merry Lane, Jericho, on the first Tuesday of the month. Book: "America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It" by Mark Steyn. Using a flair for the apocalyptic, the author argues that America is the only hope against Islamic terrorism. Discussion to be led by Warren Rothstein. Still free and open to the public!

THURSDAY, September 3rd, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Philosophical Discussion Group
The Philosophy Group led by Dr. Phil Pecorino usually will be meeting on the SECOND Thursday of the month at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library, 999 Old Country Rd., Plainview, Nassau County, NY.

TOPIC: "Can there be a proof that there is no deity? Can you prove that there is no god? Can science be used to disprove that there is a deity?" What sort of proof could there be for non-existence of a supernatural being? I expect that we will spend the 2 hours we have exploring the meanings and assumptions and presuppositions associated with those questions.

READINGS: (as much or as little as you can handle of these items )
1)  “The Burden of Proof” by Philip A. Pecorino at http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/SocialSciences/ppecorino/PHIL_of_RELIGION_TEXT/CHAPTER_5_ARGUMENTS_EXPERIENCE/Burden-of-Proof.htm
2) “Proving a Negative” (1999)   by Richard Carrier at http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/richard_carrier/theory.html
3) “You Can Prove a Negative” by Steven D. Hales at http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-12-05
http://www.bloomu.edu/departments/philosophy/pages/content/hales/articlepdf/proveanegative.pdf
3) “Things that probably Don’t Exist”   by Nick Barrowman at http://logbase2.blogspot.com/2007/12/things-that-probably-dont-exist.html
4) “Can Science Prove that God Does Not Exist?” by Theodore Schick, Jr. The following article is from Free Inquiry magazine, Volume 21, Number 1   http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=library&page=schick_21_1
5) “Has Science Found God? “By Victor J. Stenger The following article is from Free Inquiry magazine, Volume 19, Number 1. http://www.talkreason.org/articles/found.cfm
6) Has Science Found God? :The Latest Results in the Search for Purpose in the Universe By Victor J. Stenger Prometheus Books April, 2003   at http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/vstenger/god.html with some Sample Chapters: "God: The Failed Hypothesis How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist" By Victor J. Stenger   (Amherst, N. Y.: Prometheus Books, 2007, ISBN 978-1-59102-481-1). 287 pp. http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/vstenger/

In my 2003 book Has Science Found God? I provided a critique of contemporary claims that science supports the existence of God and found them inadequate. In this book, I go much further and argue that science makes a strong case against the existence a God with the traditional attributes of the Judaic-Christian-Islamic God. My argument is not based simply on the gross absence of evidence for this God. Not only is there no evidence for God, I argue that the evidence we have can be used to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that this God does not exist. Not only does the universe show no evidence for God, it looks exactly as it would be expected to look if there is no God. In a final chapter I show why it is preferable to live in a Godless universe.

7) Review by Tom Flynn http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/vstenger/Godless/FlynnGodRvw.htm
8) Review by Lawrence S. Lerner at http://www.aps.org/units/fps/newsletters/2007/october/lerner.html

TUESDAY, September 8th, 2009 at 7 pm
Patchogue Discussion Group
Usually the second or third Tuesday of the month, topic TBD, contact Warren Rothstein warrenrothstein@optonline.net to reserve a place (limited seating) and for directions. For CFI Friends only!

FRIDAY, September 11th, 2009 at 7 pm
Join us for our monthly forum at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library, 999 Old Country Road, Plainview, NY.

Guest Speaker: Toni Van Pelt is the director and lobbyist of the Center for Inquiry-Office of Public Policy centered in Washington DC and her topic will be "The nomination of Judge Sotomayor to the Supreme Court." Prior to her reassignment to Washington, Toni was the first executive director for the Center for Inquiry-Florida, a branch of the Center for Inquiry -Transnational. With the development of the CFI Explorers Travel Club, she has successfully married her past career in travel and business with her commitment to skepticism and secular humanism. Toni is based in Washington, DC. Join us for a lively discussion of this important topic. Hosted by CFI-LI Coordinator Gerry Dantone . This forum is free and open to the public.

TUESDAY, October 6th, 7 pm
Book Discussion Group
The Book Discussion Group typically meets at the Jericho Library, One Merry Lane, Jericho, on the first Tuesday of the month. Book: "Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews - A History" by James Carroll . A history of anti-Semitism. Free and open to the public.

TUESDAY, October 6th, 7pm
Atheist Meetup
Join Chris McDougal, an instructor at Suffolk Community College, for a monthly meetup at "The Riff" 1517 Main Street, Port Jefferson, NY, (just north of the Port Jefferson LIRR train station.) For a map go to http://atheists.meetup.com/728/venue/817082 . For info on the meet-up go to http://atheists.meetup.com/728/calendar/9667310/ . The group is called the "Port Jefferson Atheist meet-up" group and meets the first Tuesday of the month at 7 PM. All freethinkers, allies to the cause of church/state separation and the curious are welcome!

An Atlanta native, Chris McDougal graduated summa cum laude from Georgia State University with a B.A. in sociology and a minor in philosophy. After receving his M.A. in sociology in the University of Alabama at Birmingham's medical sociology Ph.D. program, he has gone on to gain extensive college teaching experience. In 2005, he was included in the 9th edition of Who's Who Among America's Teachers (awarded to 5% of America's teachers) for his work at Bevill State Community College in suburban Birmingham. Chris' research interests include the role of social factors in depression and the relationship between body image and sexual risk-taking. Chris is now an instructor at Suffolk County Community College and is continuing work on his doctoral dissertation. Outside of work and school, he participates in a variety of social justice causes, and in 1997, he was awarded the Dixie Jokinen Student Activist Award, 1st place, from the Freedom from Religion Foundation for his work on behalf of separation of church and state. For more about Christ, go to http://atheists.meetup.com/728/members/166399/ .

FRIDAY, October 9, 7pm
Monthly Forum at the Library
Guest speakers & Topic: The Bethpage High School Philosophy Club with their faculty director, Wendy Way , who will direct a discussion by her students on the topic of "Who determines what is right from what is wrong?"

Bethpage High School is not your average school; it has been named the most Philosophical School in America three times including this past year! (Go to http://www.philosophyslam.org/press_fin.html and also http://www.bethpage.ws/bhs/wway/Awards.html .) Additionally, one of Bethpage High School's students has won the title of most philosophical student in the nation! Bert Geng , age 17, from Bethpage High School in Bethpage New York won the 9th annual National Kids Philosophy Slam by successfully arguing that greed has a greater impact on society than giving and earned the title of "The Most Philosophical Student in America". (Go to http://squirefoundation.org/documents/newsday_200904.pdf .) Naturally, the Bethpage High School Philosophy Club and the Center for Inquiry - Long Island have decided to team up and give evidence to the general public that the future of critical thinking is in good hands. We urge you to attend this meeting and bring your teenagers - they'll love it! Hosted by CFI-LI coordinator and founder, Gerry Dantone. This forum is free and open to the public.

TUESDAY, October 13th, 2009 at 7 pm
Patchogue Discussion Group
Usually the second or third Tuesday of the month, topic TBD, contact Warren Rothstein warrenrothstein@optonline.net to reserve a place (limited seating) and for directions. For CFI Friends only!

TUESDAY, November 3rd, 7pm
Atheist Meetup
Join Chris McDougal, an instructor at Suffolk Community College, for a monthly meetup at "The Riff" 1517 Main Street, Port Jefferson, NY, (just north of the Port Jefferson LIRR train station.) For a map go to http://atheists.meetup.com/728/venue/817082 . For info on the meet-up go to http://atheists.meetup.com/728/calendar/9667310/ . The group is called the "Port Jefferson Atheist meet-up" group and meets the first Tuesday of the month at 7 PM. All freethinkers, allies to the cause of church/state separation and the curious are welcome!

TUESDAY, November 3rd, 7 pm
Book Discussion Group
The Book Discussion Group typically meets at the Jericho Library, One Merry Lane, Jericho, on the first Tuesday of the month. Book: "The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power” by Jeff Sharlet . An account of an Arlington, Va. based fundamentalist group populated by the politically ambitious. Free and open to the public.

FRIDAY, November 6th, 7pm
Monthly Forum at the Library
Guest speakers & Topic: Chic Schissel who will be speaking about “Dubious Causes: Anti-vaccine, Anti-fluoride and the Precautionary Principle" This promises to be a lively discussion to say the least! Our guest speaker, Dr. Chic Schissel, practiced Dentistry for a half century. He has written three books describing good dentistry and criticizing incompetence, quackery, and fraud in the profession. He is the only dentist ever to have had the honor of a full page editorial in the Journal of the American Dental Association condemning him. Dr. Schissel has also written many articles, has had many TV and radio appearances and has lectured on the scientific method. He has also given adult education courses on The Great American Songbook. Chic is married and has two kids.

THURSDAY, November19th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Philosophical Discussion Group
The Philosophy Group led by Dr. Phil Pecorino usually will be meeting on the SECOND Thursday of the month at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library, 999 Old Country Rd., Plainview, Nassau County, NY.

TOPIC: A New and Improved Notion of a Deity or of God
Different gods , different proofs and disproofs ! Are there proofs for the non-existence of a deity? What deity?

I expect that we will spend the 2 hours we have exploring the meanings and assumptions and presuppositions associated with those questions. In particular we will consider American Deism --- Pantheism --- Panentheism and Process Theology and Philosophy

GUEST DISCUSSANT: Dr. Shannon Kincaid
READINGS: (as much or as little as you can handle of these items )

Simpler readings and shorter:

DEISM   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism
PANTHEISM http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheism
Baruch Spinoza   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinoza
PANENTHEISM http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panentheism
Charles Hartshorne   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartshorne,_Charles
Alfred North Whitehead http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_North_Whitehead
Process Philosophy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Process_philosophy

Long Island, NY Community

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