When: 5/26/2013

RSVP at: http://www.meetup.com/Steel-City-Skeptics/events/116641702/

We’ll discuss the works presented in The Portable Atheist on May 26 at the Coffee Tree Roasters on Walnut Street. We have the glass room reserved from 2 – 4 PM. The book consists of 47 chapters but feel free to pick and choose; no need to read all the chapters to have a lively discussion! http://books.google.c…

Please join in also if you have a book in mind you’d like to discuss in June.

Sunday, May 26 at 2:00 PM

Details: http://www.meetup.com/Steel-City-Skeptics/events/116641702/

When: 2PM TODAY

RSVP at: http://www.meetup.com/Pittsburgh-Secular-Freethinkers/events/107361562/

Welcome to the PSF Ladies Meetup! :)

We had such a great time at our first ladies meetups, we’re meeting monthly.  Also, one of our members suggested we try a different restaurant each month–a great idea!  This time we’ll meet at Ramen Bar Japanese Noodles, which comes highly recommended!

Read more about them here: http://www.pghcitypap…

See you there!

For more fun, follow us on Facebook!  To learn about more secular groups in Pittsburgh, check out the Pittsburgh Coalition of Reason website.

Sunday, May 19 at 2:00 PM

Details: http://www.meetup.com/Pittsburgh-Secular-Freethinkers/events/107361562/

Women in Secularism II has been a remarkable conference with an amazing group of speakers.

This is Day 2, which started with an interesting panel of women who have left religion. The four articulate speakers each had a very different experiences. There was Pittsburgh-native Jamila Bey (who noted that African-American women as a group are the most religious demographic in America), Vyckie D. Garrison who was a former member of the Quiverfull movement (new to me and very scary), former evangelical minister Teresa MacBain (the only female member of the Clergy Project to come out publicly), and Maryam Namazie from England, who left Iran and Islam.

The first day of the meeting included both fun and serious talks. The fun came from a panel with Rebecca Watson and others talking about faith-based pseudo-sceience complete with homeopathy demonstrations and quizes with prizes.

On the serious side, Rebecca Goldstein ended the day with fascinating talk on “matter-minding” that I want to re-listen to when the video comes out. Rebecca started with the examples of how we want to matter and ended with how the Greeks were responsible for replacing religion with reason. It was a tour de force talk that was remarkable.

Katha Pollitt (The Nation columnist) is next. Rising atheist singer-songwriter Shelley Segal from Australia performs at dinner tonight. For those that couldn’t attend, the talks are being recorded and will up on the Center for Inquiry website in the near future.

For more information and to register please see:  http://www.womeninsecularism.org/

For more information and to register please see:  http://www.womeninsecularism.org/

When: 7PM TODAY

RSVP at: http://www.meetup.com/Steel-City-Skeptics/events/117920292/

For summer, we are making a return to Church Brew Works.  Our plan is to gather on their OUTSIDE deck, where conversation is easy and the night air is refreshing.  Check with the greeters when you arrive, who will direct you to our group.  Their full menu will be available, as well as beer, wine and bar drinks.

There is no specific topic.  It is just an open discussion among fellow freethinkers about science, religion, skepticism, beer, life and leisure.  Both teetotalers and those who moderately imbibe are equally welcomed.

We start gathering at 7 pm, but latecomers are more than welcome. About half the attendees register through Meetup and half through Facebook, so don’t be surprised to see more than sign up here.  Hope to see you on Friday night!

Friday, May 17 at 7:00 PM

Details: http://www.meetup.com/Steel-City-Skeptics/events/117920292/

The contest aimed to honor photographs that portray the genuine beauty of nature, with minimal editing or exaggeration through retouching. … The overall contest winner and first prize in the Beauty of the Night Sky category goes to Stephane Vetter of France (nuitsacrees.fr), for his March 2013 panoramic photo “Sky above Godafoss” of aurora and the Milky Way over the “Waterfall of the Gods” in Iceland.

When: 5/22/2013

RSVP at: http://www.meetup.com/Pittsburgh-Secular-Freethinkers/events/111718382/

Welcome to CFI’s monthly lecture and movie night series!

Christopher Hitchen’s birthday was April 13th, and we’re celebrating with this month’s movie: Collision. This documentary film pits leading atheist, political journalist and bestselling author Christopher Hitchens against fellow author, satirist and evangelical theologian Douglas Wilson.  They go on the road to exchange blows over the question: “Is Christianity Good for the World?”  Watch them laugh, confide, and argue in public and private as they journey through three cities.  It’s the perfect match of arresting personalities and intellectual rivalry! Iced tea and candy cigarettes will be served.

Read more about Collision.

See you there!

P.S.  We usually head to Ali Baba’s on nearby Craig Street at 5:30 p.m. for a pre-lecture or pre-movie dinner. Please leave a comment below if you are coming to dinner so we can include you in the reservation. Thanks!

To join, donate, or learn more about the Center for Inquiry, visit CFI-Pittsburgh online. To learn about all the secular groups in Pittsburgh, visit the Pittsburgh Coalition of Reason website…and you can follow Pittsburgh Secular Freethinkers and CFI on Facebook!

Wednesday, May 22 at 7:00 PM

Fee: Suggested Donation: USD 5.00 per person

Details: http://www.meetup.com/Pittsburgh-Secular-Freethinkers/events/111718382/

When: 12PM TODAY

RSVP at: http://www.meetup.com/Steel-City-Skeptics/events/109934722/

This event is sponsored by the three Pgh-area professional chemistry societies. It is open to the public. The cost is $5 and you MUST pre-register. The cost includes parking in a lot and a reception.

Here is the speaker list:

12:00 Registration and Opening Remarks
12:30 Hurricane Katrina and the Stairs to Nowhere
Melanie Calhoun, Department of Labor
1:20 The Environmental Aftermath of 9/11 – World Trade Center Particulate Contamination Signature
Dr. Richard Lee, RJ Lee Group
2:10 Intermission
2:30 “A profoundly man-made disaster…” Unraveling the 2011 Tragedy at the Fukushima Diiachi Nuclear Power Plant
Dr. David Griesheimer, University of Pittsburgh
3:30 Mass Disasters – Technological Advances in Victim Identification
Robert Absalom, DMD
4:20 Reception

To pre-register, please make check payable to SACP and mail to
Valerie Daugherty
SACP – Tripartite Symposium
300 Penn Center Blvd, Suite 332
Pittsburgh, PA 15235
(Indicate if you have any dietary preferences.)

Pittsburgh, PA – USA

Thursday, May 16 at 12:00 PM

Details: http://www.meetup.com/Steel-City-Skeptics/events/109934722/

When: 5/19/2013

RSVP at: http://www.meetup.com/Pittsburgh-Secular-Freethinkers/events/107361562/

Welcome to the PSF Ladies Meetup! :)

We had such a great time at our first ladies meetups, we’re meeting monthly.  Also, one of our members suggested we try a different restaurant each month–a great idea!  This time we’ll meet at Ramen Bar Japanese Noodles, which comes highly recommended!

Read more about them here: http://www.pghcitypap…

See you there!

For more fun, follow us on Facebook!  To learn about more secular groups in Pittsburgh, check out the Pittsburgh Coalition of Reason website.

Sunday, May 19 at 2:00 PM

Details: http://www.meetup.com/Pittsburgh-Secular-Freethinkers/events/107361562/