BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//NYC Atheists - ECPv6.15.10//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://nycatheists.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for NYC Atheists REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20150308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20151101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20160313T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20161106T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20170312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20171105T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20180311T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20181104T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20190310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20191103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20200308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20201101T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20191031T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20191031T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20191029T173350Z LAST-MODIFIED:20191029T173729Z UID:40748-1572546600-1572555600@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:October Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:HOST: Kenneth Bronstein\n\nTOPIC: WHAT IS / SHOULD BE THE FUTURE FOR NYC ATHEISTS? \n\nHow do we survive and resist in the Trump era? \nWe cannot let despair making us retreat into a bunker. \nWe all must help to make a better world.\n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2019-oct/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190627T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190627T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20190607T172544Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190626T002548Z UID:39976-1561660200-1561669200@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:June Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:HOST: Dennis Horvitz \n\n*** POSTPONED DUE TO DEMOCRATIC DEBATE *** \nTOPIC: PROJECT BLITZ: Christian nationalists are charging forward with Project Blitz\, a secretive state legislative campaign with the sole intent of dismantling our rights. \nSPEAKER: TOM VAN DENBURGH – AMERICAN ATHEISTS / DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS \n\nThis insidious campaign is simple but effective: introduce in as many states as possible radical bills that undermine religious equality\, attack LGBTQ discrimination protections\, and reduce access to reproductive health care. \nWe need your help to stop this legislative assault on our freedoms! Inform your state representatives and expose this deceptive campaign. \nProject Blitz succeeds in silence\, but with your help\, we can drag it into the light. \nProject Blitz has established “prayer caucuses” in at least 33 state legislatures. They seek to mislead lawmakers who would oppose the broader goals of Project Blitz. But together we can defeat this deception by raising awareness about this campaign. \nIn 2018\, the Project Blitz campaign introduced more than 75 state bills. Unfortunately\, ten of these bills passed in 2018\, primarily “In God We Trust” school display laws\, as well as bills that allow religious discrimination in foster care and adoption. Already in 2019\, there have been about 40 state bills introduced similar to those pushed by Project Blitz. \nFortunately\, we are working in coalition to oppose Project Blitz. See the www.BlitzWatch.org website for materials and resources relating to this campaign.\n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2019-june/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190530T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190530T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20190506T223548Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190514T054618Z UID:39846-1559241000-1559250000@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:May Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:HOST: Dennis Horvitz \n\nTOPIC: Christian hate group\nSPEAKER: Tom Van Denburgh – American Atheists Communications Director \n\nIn February\, American Atheists #LicensePlateHate campaign exposed how Arizona had already funnelled over $1 million to the Christian hate group\, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)—all of this with zero transparency. \nIn fact\, until our campaign\, ADF was quietly accepting funding from the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) for sales of “In God We Trust” license plates. \nAll that ADOT told Arizonans was that “$17 of the fee goes to promote the national motto ‘In God We Trust’\, 1st amendment rights and the heritage of this state and nation”—nothing about discrimination against atheists\, LGBTQ Americans\, religious minorities\, women needing contraception\, or anyone else ADF disapproves of. \nBut then we came along\, launching our #LicensePlateHate billboard campaign all around Phoenix\, holding a press conference\, and engaging the Arizona government in a tweetstorm to spread awareness. \nFacing pressure from constituents\, the Arizona Department of Transportation released a statement on Twitter\, distancing itself from ADF: “These plates are authorized by state law\, not agency policy. ADOT implements ARS 28-2430\, requiring us to provide this plate and disburse the funds accordingly.” \nAnd guess what! Just recently\, ADOT made its specialty license plate program fully transparent by informing Arizonans where “In God We Trust” license plate fees are going: to the Christian-supremacist group Alliance Defending Freedom.\n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2019-may/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190328T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190328T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20190324T051928Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190324T052411Z UID:39667-1553797800-1553806800@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:March Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:HOST: Ken Bronstein \n\nTOPIC: The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal\n\nWe will be watching a you tube interview of Jared Diamond about his book: The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal. \nJared Mason Diamond (born September 10\, 1937) is an American geographer\, historian\, and author best known for his popular science books The Third Chimpanzee\, Guns\, Germs\, and Steel\, awarded a Pulitzer Prize); Collapse; and The World Until Yesterday. Originally trained in physiology\, Diamond is known for drawing from a variety of fields\, including anthropology\, ecology\, geography and evolutionary biology. \nDiamond’s\, The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal\, examines human evolution and its relevance to the modern world\, incorporating evidence from anthropology\, evolutionary biology\, genetics\, ecology\, and linguistics. The book traces how humans evolved to be so different from other animals\, despite sharing over 98% of our DNA with our closest animal relatives\, the chimpanzees. The book also examines the animal origins of language\, art\, agriculture\, smoking and drug use\, and other apparently uniquely human attributes.\n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2019-mar/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190228T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190228T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20190219T171432Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190219T171523Z UID:38502-1551378600-1551387600@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:February Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:*** CANCELLED DUE TO COLD *** \nHOST: Ken Bronstein \n\nTOPIC: DNA: The Greatest Story Ever Told\n\nMeet James Watson\, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist behind the double helix as he confronts his complex legacy. With unprecedented access to Watson and his family\, “American Masters: Decoding Watson” explores his life\, achievements\, controversies and contradictions.\n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2019-feb/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190131T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190131T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20190118T201825Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190131T170406Z UID:38434-1548959400-1548968400@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:January Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:*** CANCELLED DUE TO COLD *** \nHOST: Ken Bronstein \n\nTOPIC: DNA: The Greatest Story Ever Told\n\nMeet James Watson\, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist behind the double helix as he confronts his complex legacy. With unprecedented access to Watson and his family\, “American Masters: Decoding Watson” explores his life\, achievements\, controversies and contradictions.\n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2019-jan/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181025T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181025T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20181003T170418Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181021T195353Z UID:38053-1540492200-1540501200@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:October Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:HOST: Ken Bronstein \n\nTOPIC: BATTLING RELIGION WITH HUMOR\n\nWATCH VIDEOS OF COMEDIANS (INCLUDING CARLIN\, GERVAIS\, AND MAHER) RIDICULE RELIGION AND ITS RATIONALIZATIONS.\n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2018-oct/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180927T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180927T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20180831T225907Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180831T231139Z UID:37940-1538073000-1538082000@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:September Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:HOST: Ken Bronstein \n\nSPEAKER: CHRIS CARLSON \n\nTOPIC: CULTS IN SOCIETY AND DEPROGRAMMING \nThe presentation will address: \n\nCult involvement\, brainwashing\, coercive persuasion\, traumatic narcissism\nMisconceptions which include the idea that people “join” cults\, that cults are a religious phenomenon and that those involved can just “leave.”\nThe process of deprogramming or exit counseling\nThose born into a cult environment vs. initial involvement in later life\n\n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2018-sept/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180726T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180726T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20180704T204423Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180724T185009Z UID:37750-1532629800-1532638800@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:July Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nSUBJECT: THE VATICAN – CODES AND CONSPIRACIES \nSEE THE SECRETS OF THE VATICAN WHICH ARE SOME OF THE MOST SHOCKING CHAPTERS IN HUMAN HISTORY.\nA FANTASTIC VIDEO FROM THE AHC TELEVISION NETWORK\nThe Vatican is a secretive\, watchful institution that protects its reputation and the members of its ranks with fierce\, often reckless abandon. But the secrets and scandals throughout its history are some of the darkest in all of history. \n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2018-july/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180628T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180628T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20180606T170535Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180606T170918Z UID:37654-1530210600-1530219600@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:June Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nSUBJECT: Caring for those with Alzheimer and Dementia \nPRESENTLY A MEMBER OF NYC ATHEISTS IS COPING WITH THIS PROBLEM. I INVITED A SPEAKER FROM THE CIRCLE OF CARE TO SPEAK TO OUR GROUP BECAUSE MANY OF US MAY BE CONFRONTING THIS PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE. \nCircle of Care provides FREE\, confidential professional support to NYC family members caring for an adult with Alzheimer’s Disease or other dementia or for a chronically ill or frail loved one. They are here to help you manage stress – emotional\, physical and financial. Because they are funded by both State and City government\, their services are all free of charge. All clients are served\, regardless of income level. \n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2018-june/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180531T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180531T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20180503T214820Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180521T011642Z UID:37529-1527791400-1527800400@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:May Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nSUBJECT: HOW TO CONVERT A BELIEVER – STREET EPISTEMOLOGY \nI met Anthony Magnabosco\, at the recent 2018 American Atheists convention in Oklahoma City\, where he was a speaker. His presentation was one of the most important and interesting. \nMagnabosco is a worldwide promoter and practitioner of Street Epistemology \, which is a conversational method for respectfully challenging claims by asking probing questions to uncover the reliability of one’s belief formation process. \nWe will be watching a Magabosco video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic8O-m1lAZo) interviewing a believer. \nThroughout the video; he explains and analyzes his strategy. \n———————————————————————————————\nSUBJECT: What is Street Epistemology? \nEpistemology from Greek ἐπιστήμη\, epistēmē\, meaning ‘knowledge’\, and λόγος\, logos\, meaning ‘logical discourse’) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the theory of knowledge. \nEpistemology addresses such questions as “What makes justified beliefs justified?”\, “What does it mean to say that we know something?” and fundamentally “How do we know that we know?” \nStreet Epistemology is the process of identifying\, understanding\, and challenging belief claims by asking questions.\nStreet Epistemology is dialectically-based\, grounded in the Socratic method\, and enhanced by recent evidence-based advances from a wide spectrum of disciplines\, such as motivational interviewing\, applied philosophy\, and cognitive behavioral therapy. \nStreetEpistemology.com \nThis website is your single\, best source for everything related to Street Epistemology\, including general information\, videos\, social media platforms\, SE community resources\, blogs\, podcasts\, books\, and more! \n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2018-may/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180426T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180426T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20180329T164858Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180329T165719Z UID:37421-1524767400-1524776400@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:April Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nSUBJECT: The Ten Biggest Beasts Ever \nOUTSTANDING NATIONAL GEOGRAPHICS VIDEO – BEFORE MAN RULED THE WORLD\, EARTH WAS A LAND OF GIANTS. COUNT DOWN THE BIGGEST BEASTS OF THEIR KIND TO EVER ROAM THE PLANET IN THIS EYE-OPENING SPECIAL\, AND UNCOVER THE SECRET LIVES OF THESE SUPERSIZED SPECIES. \n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2018-apr/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180222T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180222T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20180205T203007Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180205T203229Z UID:37271-1519324200-1519333200@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:February Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nSPEAKER: GEOFFREY R. STONE (Edward H. Levi Distinguished Service Professor of Law) Geoffrey R. Stone is the Edward H. Levi Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago. Mr. Stone joined the faculty in 1973\, after serving as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan\, Jr. He later served as Dean of the Law School (1987-1994) and Provost of the University of Chicago (1994-2002). \nSUBJECT: SEX AND THE CONSTITUTION: SEX\, RELIGION AND LAW FROM AMERICA’S ORIGINS TO THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY (2017)\nWe will be listening to a podcast (The Brian Lehrer Show – WNYC – March 24\, 2017; followed by our group’s lively discussion. \nOverview\nThere has never been a book like Sex and the Constitution\, a one-volume history that chapter after chapter overturns popular shibboleths\, while dramatically narrating the epic story of how sex came to be legislated in America. \nBeginning his volume in the ancient and medieval worlds\, Geoffrey R. Stone demonstrates how the Founding Fathers\, deeply influenced by their philosophical forebears\, saw traditional Christianity as an impediment to the pursuit of happiness and to the quest for human progress. Acutely aware of the need to separate politics from the divisive forces of religion\, the Founding Fathers crafted a constitution that expressed the fundamental values of the Enlightenment. \nAlthough the Second Great Awakening later came to define America through the lens of evangelical Christianity\, nineteenth-century Americans continued to view sex as a matter of private concern\, so much so that sexual expression and information about contraception circulated freely\, abortions before “quickening” remained legal\, and prosecutions for sodomy were almost nonexistent. \nThe late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries reversed such tolerance\, however\, as charismatic spiritual leaders and barnstorming politicians rejected the values of our nation’s founders. Spurred on by Anthony Comstock\, America’s most feared enforcer of morality\, new laws were enacted banning pornography\, contraception\, and abortion\, with Comstock proposing that the word “unclean” be branded on the foreheads of homosexuals. Women increasingly lost control of their bodies\, and birth control advocates\, like Margaret Sanger\, were imprisoned for advocating their beliefs. In this new world\, abortions were for the first time relegated to dank and dangerous back rooms. \nThe twentieth century gradually saw the emergence of bitter divisions over issues of sexual “morality” and sexual freedom. Fiercely determined organizations and individuals on both the right and the left wrestled in the domains of politics\, religion\, public opinion\, and the courts to win over the soul of the nation. With its stirring portrayals of Supreme Court justices\, Sex and the Constitution reads like a dramatic gazette of the critical cases they decided\, ranging from Griswold v. Connecticut (contraception)\, to Roe v. Wade (abortion)\, to Obergefell v. Hodges (gay marriage)\, with Stone providing vivid historical context to the decisions that have come to define who we are as a nation. \nNow\, though\, after the 2016 presidential election\, we seem to have taken a huge step backward\, with the progress of the last half century suddenly imperiled. No one can predict the extent to which constitutional decisions safeguarding our personal freedoms might soon be eroded\, but Sex and the Constitution is more vital now than ever before. \n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2018-feb/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180125T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180125T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20180122T190926Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180122T191115Z UID:37242-1516905000-1516914000@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:January Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nSUBJECT: NYC Atheists Future\, Succession\, and Delegation Plans \n  \n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2018-jan/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20171130T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20171130T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20171030T165225Z LAST-MODIFIED:20171030T170459Z UID:37017-1512066600-1512075600@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:November Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nSUBJECT: Religion News Service \nSPEAKER: Kimberly Winston \nKimberly Winston covers atheism and freethought for the Religion News Service which delivers an unbiased viewpoint on breaking news from around the world\, reporting on faith\, spirituality and religion. \n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2017-nov/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20171026T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20171026T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20171002T165406Z LAST-MODIFIED:20171002T165532Z UID:36951-1509042600-1509051600@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:October Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nSUBJECT: BLACK NON-BELIEVERS \nSPEAKER: MANDISA THOMAS – PRESIDENT\, BLACK ATHEISTS \n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2017-oct/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20170928T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20170928T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20170829T165209Z LAST-MODIFIED:20170902T233141Z UID:36864-1506623400-1506632400@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:September Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nSUBJECT: The Satanic Panic: The Witch Hunt of the Late Twentieth Century \nIt was a season of the witch…more than two decades which saw\nmainstream Christianity warning about the Devil’s influence in our\nmovies\, television shows\, books\, music\, and even our children’s games\nand toys. \nSeth Andrews transports us back in time to explore The Satanic Panic\nof the 70s\, 80s and 90s. Learn about its origins\, its humorous\,\nbizarre and often hysterical claims\, and the very real damage done\ninside this frenzy of fear. \nSPEAKER: SETH ANDREWS \nSeth Andrews\, a video producer and former Christian broadcaster\, now\nhosts “The Thinking Atheist\,” one of the most popular online atheist\ncommunities in the world\, a site which encourages all to reject faith\nand embrace doubt\, curiosity and reason. \nSeth has authored two books. “Deconverted: a Journey from Religion to\nReason” chronicles his journey out of superstition\, and “Sacred Cows”\nis a lighthearted romp through many of the world’s strangest beliefs\nand traditions. \nSeth hosts The Thinking Atheist podcast on BlogTalkRadio\, a broadcast\nthat has been downloaded worldwide more than 40 million times. \nWith a mix of humor and heart\, Seth Andrews speaks around the country\nabout his former faith\, the rise of reason\, and why we should all\npursue a personal relationship with reality. \n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2017-sept/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20170727T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20170727T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20170705T170414Z LAST-MODIFIED:20170718T170514Z UID:36762-1501180200-1501189200@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:July Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nSUBJECT: WILL FACEBOOK REPLACE THE CHURCH? How Facebook is like a church\, according to founder Mark Zuckerberg \nFacebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has said: “Its members gather to comfort and encourage one another. They check in on the sick and struggling. They wish each other a happy birthday. But it’s not church. It’s Facebook.” \nBoth the church and Facebook are similar in the way they create community and bring people together. “We all get meaning from our communities\,” Zuckerberg said. “Whether they’re churches\, sports teams or neighborhood groups\, they give us the strength to expand our horizons and care about broader issues. Studies have proven the more connected we are\, the happier we feel and the healthier we are. People who go to church are more likely to volunteer and give to charity — not just because they’re religious\, but because they’re part of a community.” \nZuckerberg made the analogy last week as he announced the new mission of the world’s largest social network: “Bring the world closer together.” That comes as Facebook reached 2 billion users on Tuesday and expands its previous mission\, as the CEO and founder described it\, “to make the world more open and connected.” (It also comes as ProPublica published a review of internal documents shedding light on the algorithms Facebook’s censors use to determine hate speech.) \nChristian publications interpreted Zuckerberg’s remarks in different ways; some said he was suggesting the social network should draw inspiration from the church\, while others fretted he was envisioning a future where Facebook replaces the church. \nSpeaking to an audience made up of administrators of popular Facebook groups\, Zuckerberg announced a goal to connect 1 billion people via groups and encouraged the administrators to invite and care for people in theirs — much like clergy do. \n“As I’ve traveled around and learned about different places\, one theme is clear: Every great community has great leaders\,” he said. \n“Think about it. A church doesn’t just come together. It has a pastor who cares for the well-being of their congregation\, makes sure they have food and shelter. A Little League team has a coach who motivates the kids and helps them hit better. Leaders set the culture\, inspire us\, give us a safety net and look out for us.”  \nA LIVELY DISCUSSION WILL FOLLOW \n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2017-july/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20170629T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20170629T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20170602T230920Z LAST-MODIFIED:20170606T205631Z UID:36665-1498761000-1498770000@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:June Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nSUBJECT: WE WILL LISTEN TO WNYC’S BRIAN LEHRER INTERVIEW OF BROOKE GLADSTONE ABOUT HER NEW BOOK: The Trouble With Reality: A Rumination on Moral Panic in Our Time.  \nHOW fake news\, post-truth\, and why reality itself has become a hotly contested issue of our time.  \nA LIVELY DISCUSSION WILL FOLLOW \nBrooke Gladstone\, host and managing editor of WNYC’s On the Media and the author of The Trouble With Reality: A Rumination on Moral Panic in Our Time (Workman Publishing Company\, 2017)\, talks about fake news\, post-truth\, and why reality itself has become a hotly contested issue of our time. \n“It isn’t like there are two bubbles in this country\,” says Brooke. “I think there are as many bubbles as there are individuals. They are bespoke\, hand crafted.” \nThe remedy for reality is not so simple. “Fact checking alone won’t stop Trump\,” Brooke says\, “We are wired to lie to ourselves to keep our worlds consistent.” \nReality. It used to seem so simple—reality just was\, like the weather. Why question it\, let alone disagree about it? And then came the assault\, an unending stream of “fake news\,” “alternative facts\,” and lies disguised as truths that is overwhelming our notions of reality. Now we can’t even agree on what a fact is\, let alone what is real. How on earth did we get here?\nIn 1985\, critic and educator Neil Postman published Amusing Ourselves to Death\, the most incisive\, impassioned warning label ever issued on our media diet. To illuminate the danger\, he contrasts two pivotal works of dystopian fiction: George Orwell’s 1984 and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.\nIn Orwell’s vision\, he notes\, we are crushed by a merciless oppression imposed by others\, whereas in Huxley’s vision\, we are seduced\, sedated\, and satiated. We enslave ourselves. \nWhat Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book\, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much information that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism.\nOrwell feared that truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared that the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared that we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared that we would become a trivial culture\, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies\, the orgy porgy and the centrifugal bumblepuppy. \nIn 1984\, Orwell added\, people are controlled by inflicting pain. \nIn Brave New World\, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short\, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us … \nOrwell\, who in 1948 was fixed on Nazi devastation and Soviet ascendancy\, seemed to have nailed it. But 37 years later\, Postman saw that in our time and place\, it’s unquestionably Huxley. He portrayed a world that leads ineluctably to the election of Donald Trump. \n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2017-june/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20170525T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20170525T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20170503T163924Z LAST-MODIFIED:20170523T012146Z UID:36553-1495737000-1495746000@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:May Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nSPEAKER: Lee Moore \nTOPIC: Lee will lead a discussion on how we can make a difference by becoming more effective and successful activists\, both individually and as an organization. \n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2017-may/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20170427T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20170427T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20170402T032214Z LAST-MODIFIED:20170402T032636Z UID:36478-1493317800-1493326800@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:April Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nSPEAKER: Mercer Brugler\, Ph.D.\nAssistant Professor of Organismal Biology – NYC College of Technology \nTOPIC: Explore the beautiful and unusual lifeforms that thrive on the sea floor! \nCruise with Dr. Brugler as he explores the unusual and beautiful life-forms that thrive on the ocean floor. Dive to ocean depths where no light penetrates and chemicals bubbling from cold seeps fuel strange ecosystems and undersea microbes convert methane into food via chemosynthesis. \n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2017-april/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20170330T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20170330T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20170301T182400Z LAST-MODIFIED:20170301T183335Z UID:36423-1490898600-1490907600@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:March Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nSPEAKER: Rafael O’Halloran\nAssistant Professor of Radiology\, Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai \nTOPIC: Brain Imaging Technology\, Neurological and Psychological Diseases \n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2017-march/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20170223T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20170223T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20170127T074309Z LAST-MODIFIED:20170127T074645Z UID:36170-1487874600-1487883600@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:February Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nSPEAKER: KAREN GARST\, Ph.D \nShe recently retired as executive director of the Oregon State Bar. She has a blog at http://www.faithlessfeminist.com and is on Facebook and YouTube as the Faithless Feminist. \n—————————————- \nBOOK: Women Beyond Belief: Discovering Life without Religion \nThe book is a collection of personal essays from 22 women from diverse backgrounds who tell their stories of leaving religion. From various Judeo-Christian traditions\, they talk about the shame\, guilt\, and oppression religion imposed on them and how they freed themselves from its grip. \n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2017-february/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20170126T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20170126T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20161207T052846Z LAST-MODIFIED:20161219T185015Z UID:36038-1485455400-1485464400@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:January Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nSpeaker: Julien Musolino Ph.D.\, Associate Professor of Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics at Rutgers University \nTopic: The Soul Fallacy: What Science Shows We Gain From Letting Go of Our Soul Beliefs \n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2017-january/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20161117T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20161117T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20161105T140917Z LAST-MODIFIED:20161105T141134Z UID:35964-1479407400-1479416400@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:November Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nSpeaker: Jon McGinn \nTopic: CRISPR: All about this world-changing genome editing technique. \n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2016-november/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20161027T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20161027T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20160927T181303Z LAST-MODIFIED:20161003T163839Z UID:35833-1477593000-1477602000@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:October Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nSpeaker: Kelly McBride Folkers \nTopic: About the Zika virus and the ethical issues it creates \n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2016-october/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20160929T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20160929T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20160830T195456Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160830T195839Z UID:35269-1475173800-1475182800@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:September Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nSpeaker: Glennys Farrar\, Ph.D.\, Professor of Physics\, NYU \nTopic: Dark Matter and Dark Energy \n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2016-september/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20160728T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20160728T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20160608T023828Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160725T140404Z UID:32213-1469730600-1469739600@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:July Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nProgram: The Search for the Higgs Boson \n\nJoin us to watch the outstanding PBS video Particle Fever about the search for the Higgs Boson. \n\nAs the Large Hadron Collider (CERN) is about to be launched for the first time\, physicists are on the cusp of the greatest scientific discovery of all time — or perhaps their greatest failure. \n\nImagine being able to watch as Edison turned on the first light bulb\, or as Franklin received his first jolt of electricity. “Particle Fever” gives audiences a front row seat to this historic and inspiring scientific breakthrough as it happens. The documentary follows six brilliant scientists during the launch of the Large Hadron Collider\, marking the start-up of the biggest and most expensive experiment in the history of the planet\, pushing the edge of human innovation. \n\nAs they seek to unravel the mysteries of the universe\, 10\,000 scientists from over 100 countries joined forces in pursuit of a single goal: to recreate conditions that existed just moments after the Big Bang and find the Higgs boson\, potentially explaining the origin of all matter. But our heroes confront an even bigger challenge: have we reached our limit in understanding why we exist? \n\nDirected by Mark Levinson\, a physicist turned filmmaker\, from the inspiration and initiative of producer David Kaplan and masterfully edited by Walter Murch (Apocalypse Now\, The English Patient\, The Godfather trilogy)\, Particle Fever is a celebration of discovery\, revealing the very human stories behind this epic machine. \n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2016-july/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20160630T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20160630T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20160531T130147Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160531T131759Z UID:32119-1467311400-1467320400@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:June Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Host: Ken Bronstein \n\nSpeaker: Abby Hafer from Curry College\, Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology\n\nAbby Hafer is a speaker\, writer and humorist who particularly loves taking on Intelligent Design\, Creationism\, the politics surrounding them\, and science denialism in general.\nA few years ago\, she realized that Intelligent Design is a political pressure group\, not a scientific issue. With this figured out\, she realized that what we need are political-style arguments in defense of evolution. Her presentations contain bulletproof science\, but are short\, easy to understand\, easy to repeat\, and make the opposition look bad. She uses humor to puncture bad arguments.\n\nTopic: Unintelligent Design: Why Evolution Explains the Human Body and “Intelligent Design” Does Not\n\nDr. Hafer argues that the human body\, though no less beautiful or marvelous for being flawed\, has many faulty design features that would never have been the choice of an intelligent creator. In addition to pointing out problematic aspects of human anatomy\, Dr. Hafer also gives examples of solutions to these problems that are found in other members of the animal kingdom. She then asks why other animals got better body parts than humans did\, and wonders if this means that the designer prefers other animals to human beings. She also deals quickly and comprehensively with the idea of irreducible complexity.\n\nA $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2016-june/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20160526T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20160526T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T064014 CREATED:20160501T180718Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160510T151607Z UID:31689-1464287400-1464296400@nycatheists.org SUMMARY:May Monthly Meeting DESCRIPTION:Topic: Deconstructing “G-d Bless America” \nHost: Ken Bronstein\n\n\nThe speaker will be Tim Law\, investigative reporter in the fields of law and the environment as well as a participant in the social media culture war. URL:https://nycatheists.org/event/monthly-meeting-2016-may/ LOCATION:SLC Conference Center\, 15 West 39th Street – 3rd Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10018\, United States CATEGORIES:ALL,Thursday Monthly Meeting END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR