Committee for Skeptical Inquiry

[Barry Karr <SkeptInq@aol.com>]

Be Part of the First Center for Inquiry International Conference: Science and Religion: Are They Compatible?

 Many religionists believe they are; skeptics and secular humanists often
deny this claim.  These issues will be debated pro and con.You're invited to
what may just be the most provocative conference you will ever attend.

This revolutionary conference will be the first to call on the resources of both the Council for Secular Humanism and the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. The theme-"Science and Religion: Are They Compatible?"-has allowed us to bring together some of the most distinguished, most fascinating speakers in the world.

For only $149 (we're holding the line on costs), you can come to Atlanta and hear thought-provoking talks on hotly debated topics including: Evolutionary Biology and Religious Belief, Near-Death Experiences, The Medical Effects of Prayer at a Distance, Intelligent Design, New Cosmologies and Religion, Spiritualism and Science, Existence of Souls, African Americans: Religion and Science, Islam and Science.

Also featured: meetings on local groups and grassroots activism-plus an entertaining and astonishing presentation by nationally known physicist and showman David G. Willey.

Schedule of Events:

Thursday, 8 November

• 7:00 p.m. Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal Fellows Dinner-by invitation only-Barry Karr, Chair.

Friday, 9 November

• 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 Opening Forum: "Science and Religion: Are They Compatible?: Setting the Stage." Chair: Paul Kurtz. Panelists: Michael J. Behe, Vern Bullough, and Massimo Pigliucci.

• 10:30 to Noon: Do Souls Exist? Patricia Smith Churchland and Jerome W. Elbert. Kendrick Frazier, chair.

• Noon to 2:00 p.m.Lunch Paul Kurtz, Kendrick Frazier, Tom Flynn, Arthur Urrows, and James Kimberly: The Campaign for Reason, $25.

• 2:00 to 3:25 Evolutionary Biology and Religious Belief Susan J. Blackmore and Steven Pinker. Eugenie C. Scott, chair.

• 3:35 to 5:00 Prayer at a Distance: Medically Effective?Gary P. Posner and Hector Avalos. Ray Hyman, chair.

• Friday Evening Dinner on your own.

• 7:00 Humanist Academy Dinner in honor of Laureates of the International Academy of Humanism-by invitation only.

Saturday, 10th November

• 9:00 a.m. to Noon Intelligent Design Michael J. Behe, Eugenie C. Scott, Massimo Pigliucci, and Matthew Young. Quentin Smith, chair.

• Noon to 2 p.m.Lunch Banquet: Address by Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka. Jan Loeb Eisler, chair. $25

• Concurrent Sessions:
  • 2:00 to 5:00 Near Death Experiences: Antony Flew, James E. Alcock, Raymond Moody, and Karl Jansen.
  • 2:00 to 5:00 Spiritualism and Science Joe Nickell, Gary E. Schwartz, and Ray Hyman. Susan Blackmore, chair.

• 6:00 to 7:00Reception/cocktails

• 7:00 to 9:00 Saturday Banquet David G. Willey and International Awards

Sunday, 11 November

• 9:00 a.m. to Noon New Cosmologies and Religion Owen Gingerich, Victor J. Stenger, Adolf GrŸnbaum, and Quentin Smith. Austin Dacey, chair.

• Noon to 1:30 p.m. Lunch on your own.

• Concurrent Sessions:
  • 1:30 to 2:55 African Americans, Religion, and Science Norm Allen, Jr. and Wole Soyinka. Vern Bullough, chair.

  • 1:30 to 5:00 Local Skeptics/CSICOP Group Leaders meeting Bela Scheiber, Barry Karr, and Amanda Chesworth.

• Concurrent Sessions:
  • 3:05 to 5:00 Science and the Islamic World Tariq Ismail, Pervez Hoodbhoy, and Taner Edis. Roy W. Brown, chair.

  • 3:05 to 5:00 Local Council for Secular Humanism and Campus Freethought Alliance Group Leaders meeting; Edward M. Buckner, chair; also D J Grothe, Austin Dacey, Katherine Bourdonnay.

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 James E. Alcock is professor of psychology at York University, Toronto;
Fellow,
 CSICOP

Norm Allen, Jr. is executive director, African Americans for Humanism; editor, AAH Examiner

Hector Avalos is professor of religious studies, Iowa State; Executive Director, Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion

Michael J. Behe is associate professor of biology at Lehigh University; author of Darwin's Black Box

Susan J. Blackmore is reader in psychology, University of the West of England; author, The Meme Machine, Dying to Live, and other books

Katherine Bourdonnay is communications director, Council for Secular Humanism

Roy W. Brown is a member of the Executive Council, International Humanist and Ethical Union

Edward M. Buckner is executive director, Council for Secular Humanism

Vern Bullough is distinguished professor at the University of California at Northridge; author, Sexual Attitudes: Myths and Realities and other books.

Amanda Chesworth is director, Young Skeptics Program, CSICOP; executive director, Darwin Day

Patricia Smith Churchland is professor of philosophy, University of California-San Diego; author, The Mind-Brain Continuum and Neurophilosophy and The Computational Brain; Humanist Laureate

Austin Dacey is executive editor, Philo; Coordinator, Campus Freethought Alliance

Taner Edis is physics professor, Truman State University

Jan Loeb Eisler is a board member, Council for Secular Humanism; vice president, the International Humanist and Ethical Union

Jerome W. Elbert is former research professor of physics, University of Utah; author of Are Souls Real?

Antony Flew is professor emeritus of philosophy, Reading University, Humanist Laureate; author, Merely Mortal

Tom Flynn is editor of Free Inquiry; author, Galactic Rapture

Kendrick Frazier is editor,Skeptical Inquirer; editor, Encounter with the Paranormal and other books.

Owen Gingerich is senior astronomer, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory; professor of astronomy and of the history of science, Harvard University

D J Grothe is field director, Council for Secular Humanism

Adolf Grunbaum is Andrew Mellon Professor of Philosophy of Science, Univ of Pittsburgh

Pervez Hoodbhoy is professor of physics, Quaid-e-Azam Univ., Islamabad, Pakistan

Ray Hyman is professor of psychology emeritus, University of Oregon; Fellow, CSICOP

Tariq Ismail is a noted Islamic scholar

Karl L. R. Jansen is a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists; an expert on ketamine

Barry Karr is executive director of the Center for Inquiry and CSICOP

James Kimberly is chief development officer, Center for Inquiry-West

Paul Kurtz is professor emeritus of Philosophy, State University of New York at Buffalo; Chairman, Center for Inquiry; author, Skepticism and Humanism: The New Paradigm and other books.

Raymond Moody is Bigelow Chair of Consciousness Studies, University of Nevada at Las Vegas; author, Life After Life

Joe Nickell is senior research fellow for CSICOP; author, Looking for a Miracle and other books

Massimo Pigliucci is associate professor of ecology and Evolution, University of Tennessee; author, Tales of the Rational and of Phenotypic Evolution

Steven Pinker is director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, MIT; author, The Language Instinct and How the Mind Works

Gary P. Posner is a medical doctor; founder, Tampa Bay Skeptics

Bela Scheiber is head of the Rocky Mountain Skeptics; co-editor, Therapeutic Touch

Gary E. Schwartz is professor of psychology, Arizona State University

Eugenie C. Scott is executive director, National Center for Science Education

Quentin Smith is editor, Philo; professor of philosophy, Univ. of Western Michigan

Wole Soyinka is the winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize for Literature and Laureate; Humanist Laureate

Victor J. Stenger is professor emeritus of physics and astronomy, University of Hawaii; author, Timeless Reality: Symmetry, Simplicity and Multiple Universes

Arthur Urrows is director of development, Center for Inquiry

David G. Willey is a physicist, a nationally known entertainer, and "resident mad scientist" on The Tonight Show

Matthew Young is a retired physicist and adjunct professor, Colorado School of Mines; author, No Sense of Obligation: Science and Religion in an Impersonal Universe

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Registration

 *The registration fee will be only $79 for students who are currently
enrolled in classes (copy of current student identification required).

Make plans now to be in Atlanta, at the Atlanta Airport Marriott (just $89 a room per night, single or double, with free airport shuttle service, free parking, and first class service), on Friday through Sunday, November 9-11.

To register, complete the form below and send with your payment to The Center for Inquiry, ATTN: November Conference, P.O. Box 741, Amherst NY 14226-0741, or call credit card charges (Visa, MasterCard, or American Express) to 1-800-458-1366.

Please note: You must reserve your sleeping room(s) directly with the hotel. Call 404-766-7900 and ask for the Center for Inquiry conference rate. Note: room rate is only guaranteed until October 8, 2001.

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REGISTRATION FORM

Register ________ person(s) for the Center for Inquiry
 Conference, "Science and Religion: Are They Compatible?"

 NAME_____________________________________________

 DAY-TIME PHONE__________________________

 E-Mail Address_______________________________

 ADDRESS______________________________________

 CITY___________________________  STATE ______________________

 POSTAL CODE ______________________

 COUNTRY________________________

Adult Conference Registration (per person-does not include meals) ($149)

Student Conference Registration (per person-does not include meals) ($79)
 enclose photocopy of current student ID
 for each student registration requested

Friday Luncheon with Paul Kurtz and others ($25)

Saturday Luncheon with Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka ($25)

Saturday Banquet with David G. Willey
"mad scientist" extravaganza and
international Awards Ceremony ($35)

TOTAL: $__________________

PAYMENT: I enclose the following:

___ check/M.O. payable to Center for Inquiry,

*OR*

Charge to my (___ MasterCard) (___ Visa) (___ AMEXCard)

Number:

________________________________________________________

Expiration:

___________

Signature:

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(required for charges)