CFI | NYC Event Calendar: December 2009
November 30, 2009
In This E-mail
-- Check out our newly announced Dec. 9 event, "A Performance by Haroon Bacha: the Singer the Taliban Tried to Silence."
-- Show your commitment to science, reason, free inquiry, and humanist values: become a Friend of the Center!
December Public Lectures
Dec. 3: Voices of Reason: How I Survived My Religious Education
In this pre-Chanukah, pre-Christmas, and pre-Winter Solstice program, three people -- William Lobdell, Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, and Marilyn Mehr -- brought up in restrictive religious traditions will discuss their journey toward atheism or liberal, inclusive forms of faith. In addition to dealing with weighty philosophical issues of losing -- and changing -- beliefs, this program will also deal with the more ordinary questions of how to handle relationships with beloved family members who are still devout, conservative religious believers (a challenge many of us face in the holiday season).
Admission is free and open to the public. Click here for more information.
Dec. 9: A Performance by Haroon Bacha, the Singer the Taliban Tried to Silence
Haroon Bacha is one of Pakistan's most celebrated Pashto singers. Because of his music's messages of tolerance and pluralism, he became a prime target of the Taliban's deadly campaign against music. In 2008, he was forced to flee the country, leaving behind his family, and seek asylum in New York City. This will be Haroon's first concert for the general public in New York, and he will be accompanied by master musicians Mohammad Essa on the tabla and Pervez Sakhi playing the rabab. Come hear these marvelous artists and support freedom of musical expression, and stay for the afterparty with DJ Agent Trevor. The event will be hosted by Austin Dacey , a writer and human rights advocate based in New York City.
Admission is $10 and open to all ages. Click here for more information.
December Community Events
Tuesday, Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m.
:
CFI-Brooklyn Philosophy and Fries.
Click here for more.
Sunday, Dec. 6, 10 a.m.
: Skepticamp, a grassroots skeptic conference where attendees are presenters.
Click here for more.
Thursday, Dec. 10, 6:30 p.m. : SHSNY Book Club. Click here for more.
Sunday , Dec. 13, 8:00 p.m. : The Jolly Thirteen Club, a monthly conversation-based meal on skepticism. Click here for more.
Wednesday, Dec. 27, 8 p.m. : Drinking Skeptically, a pub-based monthly drinking meetup promoting fellowship and networking. Click here for more.
Show Your Commitment to Reason, Science, Free Inquiry, and Humanist Values
In the contemporary marketplace of ideas, one can find responsible, objective, and evidence-based information on everything from foreign policy to hormone replacement therapy. Yet when it comes to some of our most fundamental questions -- about human values, the transcendent, or the borderlands of science -- one often only hears from partisans of traditional religion, New Age practitioners, or anti-science movements.
With its network of scientists and other thinkers, its grassroots advocacy and public education organizations, and its popular and scholarly publications, the Center for Inquiry fills this gap, lending a credible voice to critical inquiry and the scientific outlook.
Help CFI promote and defend science, reason, freedom of inquiry and humanist values by becoming a Friend of the Center. Friends of the Center receive:
- Free or discounted admission to CFI events
- A handsome enamel lapel pin and colorful CFI vinyl decal
- 10% discount for national events sponsored by CFI and its affiliates, the Council for Secular Humanism & the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
- Invitations to special “Friends” events and private receptions
- 15% discount on selected Prometheus Books titles
- One Center for Inquiry guest pass to give to a friend
- Knowledge that you are helping an important cause
Join the Center for Inquiry by becoming a Friend of the Center.
The CFI-NYC Capital Campaign
The next step of CFI-NYC's development is to take its place as a leading cultural institution. To this end, we are seeking to purchase a 5,000+ square-foot property in Manhattan (hopefully with room for expansion) to serve as the headquarters for our growing staff and to become a permanent home for reason, science, and secular values in New York.
We are challenging our friends -- humanists, skeptics, and freethinkers in the New York area -- to help us exceed our goal of raising $6.25 million. Our goal is based on the amount considered necessary to purchase and renovate a building that will suit our needs.
Our capital campaign brochure is available for download on our website at http://www.centerforinquiry.net/nyc/news/capital_campaign .To request a hard copy of our brochure, or to inquire about making a contribution, call Sherry Rook, Vice President of Development, at (800) 818-7071.
