CFI Washington D.C. - Events

From Orchids to Octopi: An Evolutionary Love Story

Starts: March 22^nd at 7:30 pm
Ends: March 22^nd at 9:30 pm

Celebrating the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin!

The play is a warm, witty story of an artistic couple who find themselves pregnant unexpectedly and are torn in different directions. As their plans evolve, everyday events and pregnancy hallucinations converge to give them—and the audience—a deeper understanding of natural selection. A carnival barker, dinosaurs, tuberculosis and the Darwins all play a role. Written by award-winning playwright Melinda Lopez, this modern musing on evolutionary biology is filled with art, science, animals and history.

Commissioned by that National Institutes of Health, the play is a production of the Catalyst Collaborative at MIT, a partnership between MIT and the Underground Railway Theater that fosters public understanding of science while providing a unique artistic and emotional experience.

Following the evening performances, audience members are invited to join an open conversation with scientists and cast members.

Tickets $15 at the door or in advance (with additional fees) through Ticketmaster.

Cafe Inquiry

Starts: March 23^rd at 7:00 pm
Ends: March 23^rd at 9:00 pm

Cafe Inquiry is our monthly casual get-together to meet people and discuss topics of science and humanism.

This month's discussion: Coming soon...

Feel free to bring a snack or drinks to share. Free and open to the public.

Interested in leading a discussion or have someone to recommend? Please contact us at mhensley[at]centerforinquiry.net or call 202-546-2332.

UMBC Secular Student Alliance - Paul Fidalgo: Instigators, Policers, and the New Atheists

Starts: March 25^th at 7:00 pm
Ends: March 25^th at 9:00 pm

Join the UMBC Secular Student Alliance and the Center for Inquiry DC for a lecture by Paul Fidalgo, as he discusses Instigators, Policers, and the New Atheists: The Real Divides within the Activist Atheist Community .

Much has been made of late of the so-called "divide" within the atheist community over matters of style, but the real distinction between "atheist camps" is revealed by examining means and goals, not alleged "militance" or brashness. The division is not between "fundamentalist" atheists and agnostics, but between those who wish all belief to remain private, and those who prefer to debate all religious matters in the open. Paul Fidalgo draws up a new taxonomy for activist atheists, expands on what it means to be a "New Atheist," and how the debate surrounding this movement is being lost in a fog of distorted and misapplied notions of respect and tolerance.

Paul Fidalgo is communications manager for the Secular Coalition for America--an advocacy organization whose purpose is to amplify the diverse and growing voice of the nontheistic community in the United States--and writes a column on secularism and atheism for Examiner.com. Paul is also an actor and musician whose work includes five years performing with the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Virginia. His music can be downloaded at iTunes and Amazon. He holds a master's degree in political management from George Washington University, where the subject of his thesis was atheists' precarious place in American politics. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife Jessica and brand new baby son Toby.

RSVP to Melody Hensley at mhensley[at]centerforinquiry.net or call 202-546-2332.

Free and open to the public.

Voices of Reason - Gina Welch: In the Land of Believers

Starts: March 28^th at 2:00 pm
Ends: March 28^th at 4:00 pm

Ever since evangelical Christians rose to national prominence, mainstream America has tracked their every move with a nervous eye. But in spite of this vigilance, our understanding hasn’t gone beyond the caricatures. Who are evangelicals, really? What are they like in private, and what do they want? Is it possible that beneath the differences in culture and language, church and party, we might share with them some common purpose?

To find out, Gina Welch, a young secular Jew from Berkeley, joined Jerry Falwell’s Thomas Road Baptist Church. Over the course of nearly two years, Welch immersed herself in the life and language of the devout: she learned to interpret the world like an evangelical, weathered the death of Falwell, and embarked on a mission trip to Alaska intended to save one hundred souls. Alive to the meaning behind the music and the mind behind the slogans, Welch recognized the allure of evangelicalism, even for the godless, realizing that the congregation met needs and answered questions she didn’t know she had.

What emerges is a riveting account of a skeptic’s transformation from uninformed cynicism to compassionate understanding, and a rare view of how evangelicals see themselves. Revealing their generosity and hopefulness, as well as their prejudice and exceptionalism, In the Land of Believers is a call for comprehending, rather than dismissing, the impassioned believers who have become so central a force in American life.

Gina Welch, a 2001 graduate of Yale University, teaches English at George Washington University. Her writing has previously appeared in Meridian , Time Out New York , and Playboy . This is her first book.

RSVP to Melody Hensley at mhensley@centerforinquiry.net or call 202-546-2332.

Public: $6; Free to Friends of the Center

WASH Maryland / DC April Meeting

Starts: April 3^rd at 2:00 pm
Ends: April 3^rd at 4:00 pm

Margaret Johnston: Beyond Belief: Stories of Good People Who Left Their Church Behind

Many can see how moving away from traditional religion can represent personal growth. But could faith development theorists be right in saying it also represents spiritual growth? And is agnosticism/atheism the “right” answer? As counterintuitive as it is reassuring, spiritual development theory offers an overarching explanation for the vehement conflicts between believers and non-believers. But it also brings news that the most “spiritually mature” among us have transcended their need for answers into a worldview where everyone's beliefs are “right.”

Sunday Humanist Book Club

Starts: April 11^th at 11:00 am
Ends: April 11^th at 1:00 pm

Discussing: The Age of Reason , by Thomas Paine

The Sunday Humanist Book Club is open to all readers! Free and open to the public. To keep informed about what's happening with the club, join our online group .

Voices of Reason - Rev. Barry Lynn: Politicians and the Constitution: Mixing Oil with Water

Starts: April 11^th at 1:59 pm
Ends: April 11^th at 3:59 pm

Even Constitutional law professors, who become president sometimes see a blur instead of a sharp line separating church and state. Rev. Barry Lynn will explore the state of freedom for the religious and non religious at this time in our history

Rev. Barry Lynn is an attorney and ordained minister in the United Church of Christ who has dedicated his life to civil liberties. He has been the Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) since 1992. Before joining AU, Mr. Lynn was legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, earned his law degree at Georgetown University in 1978, and his theology degree at Boston University in 1973. He has appeared on numerous news programs including the MacNeil-Lehrer Hour, Nightline, Crossfire, Meet the Press, and Larry King Live.

RSVP to Melody Hensley at mhensley[at]centerforinquiry.net or call 202-546-2332.

Public: $6; Free to Friends of the Center

Drinking Skeptically

Starts: April 14^th at 11:25 am
Ends: April 14^th at 11:25 am

Drinking Skeptically is an informal social event designed to promote fellowship and networking among skeptics, critical-thinkers, and like-minded individuals.
Drinking Skeptically provides an opportunity for skeptics to talk, share ideas (and yes, drink) in a casual, relaxed atmosphere. We discuss the issues of the day and whatever else is on our minds. But most of all, we have fun while promoting skepticism, science, and rationality.

Don't drink? Don't let that stop you from joining us! Some of the world's most famous skeptics are teetotallers, and we are happy to have you!

Remember that drinking skeptically means drinking responsibly. If there's one thing science has taught us, it's the effects of alcohol on the human body.

To learn more about Drinking Skeptically see @www.drinkingskeptically.org.

Secular Family Network

Starts: April 17^th at 12:00 pm
Ends: April 17^th at 2:00 pm

Secular Family Network is a casual discussion group for parents who would like to explore how to raise children outside of religious institutions. Children have the opportunity to get acquainted, play, and socialize while their moms/dads get together for good conversation and support.

RSVP to mhensley[at]centerforinquiry.net or 202-546-2332.

This group is also on Meetup.com . You can join the group online and get to know some of the other members ahead of the meeting. Free and open to the public.

Comedian Jamie Kilstein LIVE!

Starts: April 21^st at 6:30 pm
Ends: April 21^st at 8:30 pm

Join CFI-DC for a special live performance by outspoken atheist comedian, Jamie Kilstein!

Register here today!

Jamie co-hosts Citizen Radio with Allison Kilkenny (The Nation and Huffington Post). He has had the privilege of interviewing such distinct intellectuals as Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Ralph Nader, Tariq Ali, Eugene Jarecki (director of Why We Fight ,) Johann Hari, Melissa Harris-Lacewell and more. He is also a contributor to The Onion .

Jamie tours the globe tirelessly, and has made appearances all over the United States, Canada, China, the Netherlands and the UK. He was featured twice on Comedy Central and the BBC’S The World Stands up. He was featured on Think MTV, Comedy Central's Weekly Evil and is a regular on SIRIUS Satellite Radio. This past year Jamie was Punchline Magazine's "One Comic to Watch in 2009", a Timeout Chicago’s Critics Pick, and was chosen to debut at The Melbourne International Comedy Festival's prestigious Town Hall.

Jamie has performed at venues ranging from the Lowlands Festival in the Netherlands for 55,000 to 2,000-plus seat theaters such as The Paramount Theater and The Oakland Metro Opera House, to world-famous comedy clubs and shows such as Invite Them Up, Comic Strip Live, Stand Up New York, The Comedy Store, and The UCB.

“Watching Jamie reminds me of why I got into comedy. It is like watching a combination of George Carlin and Bill Hicks” -- Janeane Garofalo

“Jamie Kilstein is at once irresistibly endearing and wonderfully audacious.” -- Tim Minchin

"We talked about it...and you were really really funny" -- Dave Foley and Kevin McDonald from Kids In The Hall

“Kilstein's savage intelligence and razor-sharp wit will make you think as much as laugh." -- Time Out, Sydney

Register here and receive a discounted price! In advance registration prices - $5 for the public, $3 for Students, Free for Friends of the Center (Friends of the Center must register!) $6 at the door.