SFU Skeptics

We are Simon Fraser University’s secular/naturalist student group. Our group exists to:

• Promote scientific thinking and reason in all aspects of human experience.
• Advocate for and provide outreach to non-religious students of all descriptions.
• Partner with religious student groups to foster honest and productive dialogue.
• Investigate paranormal claims scientifically and compassionately.
• Raise awareness of paranormal and pseudoscientific fraud.
• Advocate for good science and critical thinking in public policy.

If you’re interested in ANY of the above we need to hear from you. You don’t need to be an angry militant atheist or a hardcore debunker (we hate that word). You don’t need to be anything other than an SFU student or faculty member who is concerned about the issues listed above, or just wants a place to hang out with cool people who happen to be atheist/humanist/generally godless.

Hey everybody! The Carl Sagan party was a huge success, with about 40 people in attendance. Not bad for a cheesy dead astronomer from the 80s.

This upcoming week is very exciting because blogger, activist, and humanist notable Jen McCreight is coming up from Seattle SPECIFICALLY TO TALK TO US. She is really funny. And you will like her.

She’s giving three talks that you might be interested in:

Thursday – SFU, AQ 5037 – 3:30-5:30 pm – Atheism and Feminism. (Followed by a pub visit, possibly at Club Ilia.)
Friday – UBC, Buchanan A203 – 7:00-9:00 pm – My Trip to the Creation Museum. (Followed by a pub visit at the Frog and Firkin.)
Saturday – SFU Harbour Centre, Room 2280 – 11:00-1:00 pm – Closing the Gender Gap.

But personally I’d really like you to come to her Thursday talk at SFU. It’s going to be about atheism and feminism. So if you’ve got any feminist friends who might be interested, please bring them along!

Here’s the facebook event page:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=96735237110#!/event.php?eid=139690452747718

Spread the word!

Finally: We will be meeting tomorrow at 4:00 pm at the Renaissance at Cornerstone to put up more posters for Jen’s event. If you want to help out, we’d be really grateful.

Sorry about the long email.

Your friend,
George

Hey everyone!

Sorry about the short notice, but it looks like we WILL be having an event this week.

First, we’re having a meeting at 4:00 pm in Higher Grounds Cafe. We’re having the meeting early because at 5:00 pm we will be watching billions and billions of episodes of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos with the SFU Astronomy Club. There will be pizza, pop, and festive decorations!

This will be taking place in AQ 3149. Bring a friend if you want. Everyone is invited.

See you on Friday,
George

Jennifer McCreight, made (in)famous for founding the Boobquake movement, will be doing a remarkable 4 talks in 4 days in Vancouver and the SFU Skeptics are proud to be presenting the first of her talks!

From her website, the talks are:

Simon Fraser University Skeptics
Thurs. Nov. 25 3:30-5:30 pm in AQ 5037
Atheism and Feminism
Hour talk followed by Q&A
Free & open to the public
Likely impromptu pub night to follow

University of British Columbia Freethinkers
Fri. Nov. 26 7-9 pm in Buchanan A203
My Trip to the Creation Museum
Hour talk followed by Q&A
Free for members, $2 for general public
Post talk drinks and fun at the Frog and Firkin

CFI Vancouver
Cafe Inquiry with Jennifer McCreight
Sat. Nov. 27 11 am-1 pm at SFU Harbour Centre
Tentative topic: Closing the gender gap in skepticism
20 min talk followed by discussion
Free & open to public (donations welcome)

British Columbia Humanists
Sun. Nov. 28 9:30-11:30 am at Oakridge Seniors Centre
Boobquake & Its Aftershocks
Hour talk followed by Q&A
Open to public & donations welcome ($2 suggested)

We hope to see you there!

I just wanted to remind everyone that there is a meeting tomorrow at 5 pm in the pub. See you there!

George

We used to have a forum. No one used it.

Then spam took over it and now I’ve taken it down rather than deal with the mess.

If you really, really, really want the forum back, post a comment here and we’ll discuss it that way for now.

Unlike last week, there IS a Skeptics Meeting this week, at the Highland Pub on Friday at 5:00 pm.

1. We’ll be putting the finishing touches on the Superstition Obstacle Course.
2. We’ve been invited to another conference thing.
3. The Marci Macdonald talk is coming up so maybe a little preparation for that is in order.
4. Time to start talking to the Astronomy Club about a Carl Sagan night.
5. It looks like we’re getting Jen McCreight of Blag Hag to give a talk here at SFU (and maybe UBC as well.) So that’s excting.
Here’s her blog, for those who don’t know about it: http://www.blaghag.com/

See you around
George

A message from the SkeptiCamp organizers:

We still have room, so spread the word. Posters are available for print on the website. http://vancouver.skepticamp.org/2010/10/vancouver-skepticamp-2010-ii-posters/ Please put one up in your school, work, or wherever you think science fans and critical thinkers would be.

Also, we have some space left for speakers. If you are timid, one of our volunteers has set up some SkeptiBootCamp sessions to help with your presentation. You only have to speak for 5 or 10 minutes on a science or skeptical topic that interests you. If you did not sign up to speak, but would like to give it a go, please email me and I will give you the details.

All of the event details including a map to the location are on the website: http://vancouver.skepticamp.org/event-details/

Keep an eye on the homepage for updates on the schedule.

Questions? Email vancouverskepticamp@gmail.com

See you there!

Marci McDonald, journalist and author of The Armageddon Factor: The Rise of Christian Nationalism in Canada will be speaking for the BC Humanists and SFU Skeptics on October 27th at SFUs Harbour Centre in room 1900.

The talk will begin just after 8:00PM and will be followed by a Q&A and book signing. The Book Warewhouse will be providing copies of the book, that will be on sale.

Tickets will be sold at the door.
$10 General Admission
$5 Students

Amazon.ca describes the book:

In her new book, award-winning journalist Marci McDonald draws back the curtain on the mysterious world of the right-wing Christian nationalist movement in Canada and its many ties to the Conservative government of Stephen Harper.

To most Canadians, the politics of the United States — where fundamentalist Christians wield tremendous power and culture wars split the country — seem too foreign to ever happen here. But The Armageddon Factor shows that the Canadian Christian right — infuriated by the legalization of same-sex marriage and the increasing secularization of society — has been steadily and stealthily building organizations, alliances and contacts that have put them close to the levers of power and put the government of Canada in their debt.

Determined to outlaw homosexuality and abortion, and to restore Canada to what they see as its divinely determined destiny to be a nation ruled by Christian laws and precepts, this group of true believers has moved the country far closer to the American mix of politics and religion than most Canadians would ever believe.

McDonald’s book explores how a web of evangelical far-right Christians have built think-tanks and foundations that play a prominent role in determining policy for the Conservative government of Canada. She shows how Biblical belief has allowed Christians to put dozens of MPs in office and to build a power base across the country, across cultures and even across religions.

“What drives that growing Christian nationalist movement is its adherents’ conviction that the end times foretold in the book of Revelation are at hand,” writes McDonald. “Braced for an impending apocalypse, they feel impelled to ensure that Canada assumes a unique, scripturally ordained role in the final days before the Second Coming — and little else.”

The Armageddon Factor shows how the religious right’s influence on the Harper government has led to hugely important but little-known changes in everything from foreign policy and the makeup of the courts to funding for scientific research and social welfare programs like daycare. And the book also shows that the religious influence is here to stay, regardless of which party ends up in government.

For those who thought the religious right in Canada was confined to rural areas and the west, this book is an eye-opener, outlining to what extent the corridors of power in Ottawa are now populated by true believers. For anyone who assumed that the American religious right stopped at the border, The Armageddon Factor explains how US money and evangelists have infiltrated Canadian politics.

This book should be essential reading for Canadians of every religious belief or political stripe. Indeed, The Armageddon Factor should persuade every Canadian that, with the growth of such a movement, the future direction of the country is at stake.

The SFU Skeptics and UBC Freethinkers are joining forces this weekend for a trip to Science World to see the Body Worlds Brain exhibit.
We’re all planning to meet there at 6:30 PM. If you email George and get your money to him by Friday, tickets are only $15, otherwise tickets are $18 at the door.
Hope to see you there!

Hello, everyone.

1. A Facebook event has been made for the Superstition Obstacle Course. There is a tentative list of the items we’ll need. If you can bring some or any of them, please make that clear. We need YOUR help.

2. Our very own Jakob Liljenwall will be giving a talk on magic, skepticism, and narrative thinking this Friday. A number of other skeptical thinkers from around the city will also be presenting skeptical perspectives on topics such as history and race. It starts at noon on Friday and takes place at the Rio Theatre near Broadway and Commercial. Part of the New Bright Lights lecture series. Mention the Skeptics to get in free.

3. This week’s meeting will be on Friday at 5:00 pm, at the Highland Pub. See you there.

Your friend,
George