Two Great Lectures in One
Two Great Lectures in One on Saturday, September 18
We kick off the Fall 2010 Speakers Series with the engaging EllenBeth Wachs and John Kieffer, who have agreed to speak to us for our Sept 18th meeting at UUC, Clearwater, 11:00 am. EllenBeth will speak about the local dynamic growth and successes of the counter to God-oriented sobriety programs. It is called SOS (Secular Organizations for Sobriety, or Save Our Selves); and John will tell us about his experience in Vietnam-yes, there are atheists in foxholes. He went there as a Christian, believing he had a duty to find the godless commies and came back an atheist.
In 1969,
John Kieffer
was a 19 year old US Army infantry lieutenant heading to Vietnam to offer, if necessary, his life for God and country. Though his "offer" was not accepted, the experience, however, would shake his Catholic upbringing to the core catalyzing a non-religious perspective of the world. More recently, his perspective has also changed in regard to traditional reasons given for US involvement in Vietnam. John now asserts that the 58,000 Americans who died in Vietnam gave their lives more in defense of God than country. The motivation for the Vietnam War was, at its center, a religious agenda; one that continues to be, especially in the wake of its epic failure, necessarily unpublicized. John's presentation will systematically build his case to substantiate and reveal this conclusion. It will be obvious that the real lesson of Vietnam -- obfuscated for far too long - is a loud and clear message concerning the tragic consequences of breaching church/state separation, a timely lesson given current political trends.
For over ten years, John has been invited as a guest speaker for Vietnam War History classes offered in over a dozen Hillsborough County high schools. In 2009, John earned a Masters degree in Religious Studies from the University of South Florida and presently serves as president of Atheists of Florida, a non-profit Florida corporation.
Note that, beginning in October, the meal or reception with the speaker(s) following a lecture will be limited exclusively to CFI members-another reason to join CFI and support freethought in the Tampa Bay area.
Only if you will attend, an
RSVP
is requested before noon, Friday, September 17. RSVP to
tampa@CenterForInquiry.net
. After the meeting, many attendees continue socializing over lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Admission
: $5 non-member.
Click here for a MAP
.
Cancellation Notification: PLEASE READ!
Occasionally it becomes necessary to cancel an event if we do not have enough response by the stated deadline. In the event of a cancellation, all those who RSVP will receive an email notification by the preceding Friday evening at the latest. Those who include a phone number with their RSVP will also receive a phone call. Those who do not RSVP are still welcome to attend, but risk the disappointment of driving to a non-event.
Because we are an all-volunteer organization, to help defray costs, we will pass the hat for donations. (The rental cost to UU is $50.) Donations are strictly voluntary and tax deductible.
Do you believe that secular humanism represents a better truth and reality than religion? Do you believe the world would be a better place with secular principles and ethics instead of religious versions of them? If so, then you should come to the meetings whenever possible. Please make a small effort to further this noble cause. We look forward to seeing you often!
