SPEAKER: Kenneth Bronstein, President NYC Atheists SUBJECT: You Are NYC Atheists’ Future! This is a crucial meeting. We will discuss how our members will bring their skills and experience to participate in assuring our future. Also crucial: Understanding that this is your path to taking leadership positions. We will explore options for future presidential succession. If you care about this organization, it’s time to take responsibility for its destiny. ALL SHOULD ATTEND!

Host Ken Bronstein will give his monthly update. Then authors David Orenstein, Ph.D. and Linda Blaikie, LSCW, will discuss their upcoming book: Godless Grace: How Non-Believers are Making the World Safer, Richer and Kinder “Atheists and other nonbelievers are per se immoral. … Since god is the source of all morality, it’s impossible for a nonbeliever to be a good person.” That’s the conventional wisdom, especially among fundamentalist Christians. And it’s utterly false. Authors David Orenstein and Linda Ford Blaikie disprove the…

Speaker: Jerry Coyne, Ph.D. Professor, College of Ecology and Evolution, Biological Sciences Topic: The Best Answers I Have Heard About Atheism We will listen to an interview by Brian Lehrer (WNYC) interviewing Coyne about Atheism. We will then Skype with Coyne for followup questions. Note that the meeting is a week earlier this month due to the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Speaker: Mark Oppenheimer, PhD Religion reporter at the New York Times Topic: Atheism and the Media Mark Oppenheimer writes the biweekly Beliefs column for The New York Times. He also writes for The New York Times Magazine, The Nation, The Forward, Tablet, and Mother Jones. He is the author of three books, including Knocking on Heaven’s Door: American Religion in the Age of Counterculture and Thirteen and a Day: The Bar and Bat Mitzvah Across America. At Yale, he teaches in the…

Celebrate Charles Darwin’s 209th Birthday!! Speaker: J. Bret Bennington Ph.D Professor of Geology, Environment, and Sustainability, Hofstra University Topic: Life of Charles Darwin, Evolution and the Galapagos J. Bret Bennington, Ph.D., is a paleontologist with a strong interest in evolution and geology and is actively involved in the IDEAS Institute (Institute for the Development of Education in the Advanced Sciences). A multi-year veteran of the Galápagos Islands and Ecuador January trip, Professor Bennington calls the program “the experience of a…

  Topic: How Did Life Emerge on Earth? We will watch and discuss a fabulous PBS Nova video “Life’s Rocky Start”. Four and a half billion years ago, the young Earth was a hellish place – a seething chaos of meteorite impacts, volcanoes belching noxious gases, and lightning flashing through a thin, torrid atmosphere.  Then, in a process that has puzzled scientists for decades, life emerged.  But how?

We will watch and then discuss the History Channel’s How the Earth was Made. Host: Ken Bronstein Built on the remains of mountains that 450 million years ago were as tall as the Himalayas, New York is one of the most man-made spaces on the planet. Learn how everything about it – from the height of its skyscrapers to the position of its harbor – is governed by the amazing forces that shaped it.

Topic: Deconstructing “G-d Bless America” Host: Ken Bronstein The 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.

Host: Ken Bronstein Speaker: Abby Hafer from Curry College, Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology Abby Hafer is a speaker, writer and humorist who particularly loves taking on Intelligent Design, Creationism, the politics surrounding them, and science denialism in general. A 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,…

Host: Ken Bronstein Program: The Search for the Higgs Boson Join us to watch the outstanding PBS video Particle Fever about the search for the Higgs Boson. As 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. Imagine being able to watch as Edison turned on the first light bulb, or as Franklin received his first…

Host: Ken Bronstein Speaker: Glennys Farrar, Ph.D., Professor of Physics, NYU Topic: Dark Matter and Dark Energy A $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue.

Host: Ken Bronstein Speaker: Kelly McBride Folkers Topic: About the Zika virus and the ethical issues it creates A $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue.

Host: Ken Bronstein Speaker: Jon McGinn Topic: CRISPR: All about this world-changing genome editing technique. A $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue.

Host: Ken Bronstein Speaker: Julien Musolino Ph.D., Associate Professor of Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics at Rutgers University Topic: The Soul Fallacy: What Science Shows We Gain From Letting Go of Our Soul Beliefs A $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue.

Host: Ken Bronstein SPEAKER: KAREN GARST, Ph.D She 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. —————————————- BOOK: Women Beyond Belief: Discovering Life without Religion The 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…

Host: Ken Bronstein SPEAKER: Rafael O’Halloran Assistant Professor of Radiology, Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai TOPIC: Brain Imaging Technology, Neurological and Psychological Diseases A $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue.

Host: Ken Bronstein SPEAKER: Mercer Brugler, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Organismal Biology – NYC College of Technology TOPIC: Explore the beautiful and unusual lifeforms that thrive on the sea floor! Cruise 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. A $10 charge for this event is used to help cover…

Host: Ken Bronstein SPEAKER: Lee Moore TOPIC: 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. A $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue.

Host: Ken Bronstein SUBJECT: 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.  HOW fake news, post-truth, and why reality itself has become a hotly contested issue of our time.  A LIVELY DISCUSSION WILL FOLLOW Brooke 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,…

Host: Ken Bronstein SUBJECT: WILL FACEBOOK REPLACE THE CHURCH? How Facebook is like a church, according to founder Mark Zuckerberg Facebook 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.” Both the church and Facebook are similar in the way they create community and bring people together. “We all get meaning from our communities,”…

Host: Ken Bronstein SUBJECT: The Satanic Panic: The Witch Hunt of the Late Twentieth Century It was a season of the witch…more than two decades which saw mainstream Christianity warning about the Devil’s influence in our movies, television shows, books, music, and even our children’s games and toys. Seth Andrews transports us back in time to explore The Satanic Panic of the 70s, 80s and 90s. Learn about its origins, its humorous, bizarre and often hysterical claims, and the very…

Host: Ken Bronstein SUBJECT: BLACK NON-BELIEVERS SPEAKER: MANDISA THOMAS – PRESIDENT, BLACK ATHEISTS A $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue.

Host: Ken Bronstein SUBJECT: Religion News Service SPEAKER: Kimberly Winston Kimberly 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. A $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue.

Host: Ken Bronstein SUBJECT: NYC Atheists Future, Succession, and Delegation Plans   A $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue.

Host: Ken Bronstein SPEAKER: 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). SUBJECT: SEX AND THE CONSTITUTION: SEX, RELIGION AND LAW FROM…

Host: Ken Bronstein SUBJECT: The Ten Biggest Beasts Ever OUTSTANDING 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. A $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue.

Host: Ken Bronstein SUBJECT: HOW TO CONVERT A BELIEVER – STREET EPISTEMOLOGY I 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. Magnabosco 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. We will be watching a Magabosco…

Host: Ken Bronstein SUBJECT: Caring for those with Alzheimer and Dementia PRESENTLY 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. Circle 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…

Host: Ken Bronstein SUBJECT: THE VATICAN – CODES AND CONSPIRACIES SEE THE SECRETS OF THE VATICAN WHICH ARE SOME OF THE MOST SHOCKING CHAPTERS IN HUMAN HISTORY. A FANTASTIC VIDEO FROM THE AHC TELEVISION NETWORK The 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. A $10 charge for this event…

HOST: Ken Bronstein SPEAKER: CHRIS CARLSON TOPIC: CULTS IN SOCIETY AND DEPROGRAMMING The presentation will address: Cult involvement, brainwashing, coercive persuasion, traumatic narcissism Misconceptions which include the idea that people “join” cults, that cults are a religious phenomenon and that those involved can just “leave.” The process of deprogramming or exit counseling Those born into a cult environment vs. initial involvement in later life A $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue.

HOST: Ken Bronstein TOPIC: BATTLING RELIGION WITH HUMOR WATCH VIDEOS OF COMEDIANS (INCLUDING CARLIN, GERVAIS, AND MAHER) RIDICULE RELIGION AND ITS RATIONALIZATIONS. A $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue.

*** CANCELLED DUE TO COLD *** HOST: Ken Bronstein TOPIC: DNA: The Greatest Story Ever Told Meet 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. A $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue.

*** CANCELLED DUE TO COLD *** HOST: Ken Bronstein TOPIC: DNA: The Greatest Story Ever Told Meet 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. A $10 charge for this event is used to help cover the cost of the venue.

HOST: Ken Bronstein TOPIC: The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal We will be watching a you tube interview of Jared Diamond about his book: The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal. Jared 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…

HOST: Dennis Horvitz TOPIC: Christian hate group SPEAKER: Tom Van Denburgh – American Atheists Communications Director In 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. In 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. All that ADOT told Arizonans was that “$17 of…

HOST: Dennis Horvitz *** POSTPONED DUE TO DEMOCRATIC DEBATE *** TOPIC: PROJECT BLITZ: Christian nationalists are charging forward with Project Blitz, a secretive state legislative campaign with the sole intent of dismantling our rights. SPEAKER: TOM VAN DENBURGH – AMERICAN ATHEISTS / DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS This 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. We need your help…