Just a few things this week:

1) Meetings

Our meeting this week will be Tuesday night at 7pm and will be held at O’Grady’s (171 College Street). Come out to meet the group and have a good time.

2) Multi-Faith Panel Discussion

The UTSA will be hosting a Multi-Faith panel discussion along with the Multi-Faith Centre, Hart House, and a few other student groups. For now, you should mark down in your calendars that it will be held on the evening of (6pm) Tuesday, March 2. The topic of the panel discussion will be “What leads people to accept faith, or reject it?” and will feature viewpoints from the christian, jewish, muslim, hindu, and secular traditions. Stay tuned for more information.

1. Weekly Meeting

We will be meeting this week on Thursday at 7pm in the Hart House Arbor Room. We will try to be at the large round table (but that might not work out); so we will try to have a sign identifying our group. At this week’s meeting, we will be announcing a few new club initiatives — so make sure to come out!

2. CFI Conference

Unfortunately, the CFI conference at the end of this month has been canceled due to unforeseen circumstances. However, the talk by Tarek Fatah will still be taking place this Friday. It will be from 7pm-9pm in the Bahen Centre (room 1130). Admission will be $5 for students.

1. Weekly Meetings

The University of Toronto Secular Alliance will be meeting this week. We will meet at the usual time: Thursday from 7-8pm in Hart House. This week, we will be in the Board Room on the 2nd floor. If you need directions, make sure to ask at the Hart House front desk.

The topic of discussion this week will be “Atheism and Agnosticism”.

Everybody is encouraged to come out to the meeting. After the meeting, we will continue the discussion at a nearby pub.

2. Dan Barker Talk

On Thursday, October 22nd, from 7pm – 9pm, Dan Barker of the Freedom From Religion Foundation will be giving a talk at the University of Toronto. The talk will take place in the first-floor auditorium (Room 108) of the Koffler Institute (located in the Earth Sciences complex). Admission will be free, and the event is open to both members of the UTSA, students, and members of the public.

3. CFI Conference

At the end of this month, the CFI and UTSA will be working together to bring you a conference on Leadership & The Intersection of Art & Science. Broadly speaking, the conference will run from Thursday, October 29 to Sunday, November 1. More details will follow as the event draws closer.

Things to note: TAREK FATAH TO GIVE KEYNOTE PUBLIC ADDRESS – Friday, October 30, 2009, 7:00pm

You can find more information here: http://www.centerforinquiry.net/ontario/events/cfi_canada_conference_-_the_intersection_of_science_and_art/

This week, in the UTSA:

1. Blasphemy Day

Today, Wednesday, September 30, the University of Toronto Secular Alliance will be joining secular, skeptical and humanist groups around the world in celebration of International Blasphemy Day. This event combines the celebration of our freedom of speech with a protest of blasphemy laws around the world.

We will be out front of Sidney Smith on the patio from 3pm to 6pm. We will have a number of speakers, ways for you to have your voice heard, and a chance to participate in CFI’s blasphemy challenge. Everybody should stop by, even if just for a little bit!

More information can be found on the Blasphemy Day Facebook Group page, here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=50200339561

2. Michael Shermer
On Friday, October 2, Michael Shermer will be visiting the University of Toronto to give a talk on “Why People Believe Weird Things”. In addition to being an extraordinary talk, tickets are available for students for the discounted price of $5. The talk will occur at 7pm, and we will have a Secular Alliance social event afterwards.

You can find out more information about the event by visiting the CFI’s website, here: http://www.centerforinquiry.net/ontario/events/michael_shermer_at_the_university_of_toronto/

Alternatively, if you are interested in volunteering at the event in exchange for free admission, please contact me at mgerskup(at)gmail(dot)com.

3. Weekly Meetings

There is no meeting this week. Our meetings will resume next week at the usual time and place.

This week, in the UTSA:

1. Weekly Meetings

This week, our meeting will be held on Thursday, September 24 from 7pm-8pm at Hart House in the Board Room. We’re going to try something new this week and have a pre-determined discussion topic; in preparation for Blasphemy Day, the topic this week will be “Freedom of Speech”. There will be a social event after the meeting at a location to-be-determined.

This is an open meeting, and everybody is welcome to attend.

2. Blasphemy Day

On Wednesday, September 30, the University of Toronto Secular Alliance will be joining secular, skeptical and humanist groups around the world in celebration of International Blasphemy Day. This event combines the celebration of our freedom of speech with a protest of blasphemy laws around the world. We are organizing a demonstration on campus for the 30th at 3pm. Details on location will be forthcoming.

More information can be found on the Blasphemy Day Facebook Group page, here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=50200339561

3. Michael Shermer

On Friday, October 2, Michael Shermer will be visiting the University of Toronto to give a talk on “Why People Believe Weird Things”. In addition to being an extraordinary talk, tickets are available for students for the discounted price of $5. The talk will occur at 7pm, and we will have a Secular Alliance social event afterwards.

You can find out more information about the event by visiting the CFI’s website, here: http://www.centerforinquiry.net/ontario/events/michael_shermer_at_the_university_of_toronto/

Alternatively, if you are interested in volunteering at the event, please contact me at: mgerskup (at) gmail (dot) com.